How does Credit Acceptance's portfolio program work?

You get an upfront advance when the deal funds (like normal indirect). But you also receive ongoing "portfolio payments" as the customer makes their loan payments—for up to 5 years. If customers pay well, your long-term income can exceed the original advance.

What happens if a customer defaults?

Credit Acceptance handles all collections and repos—not you. Your portfolio value adjusts based on performance, but you're not chasing payments or storing repossessed cars. That's their problem.

How do I enroll with Credit Acceptance?

Contact Credit Acceptance directly or let us introduce you. Enrollment involves a dealer agreement and proof of dealership legitimacy. Most independent dealers are approved within 2 weeks. We help with the paperwork.

What credit scores does Credit Acceptance approve?

They specialize in subprime and deep subprime—500s, first-time buyers, bankruptcies. If a customer has income and down payment, there's usually a program. Specific advance rates depend on the deal structure.

Can I do Credit Acceptance AND Westlake?

Absolutely. Many dealers submit to both and pick the best offer per deal. Westlake might give a higher upfront advance; Credit Acceptance might offer better long-term value. You choose deal by deal.

How much portfolio income can I actually earn?

It varies by deal performance, but Credit Acceptance publishes dealer results. Top dealers earn $5,000-15,000+ per month in portfolio income once they've built volume. Think of it as building a payment stream that grows over time.

Is this like being a BHPH dealer?

Similar income potential, but without the work. BHPH means you collect payments, handle repos, and tie up capital. With Credit Acceptance, they do all that—you just share in the upside when customers pay.

How does Dealer Essential help with Credit Acceptance?

We integrate submission so you don't re-key data. We show your portfolio value and payments in your dashboard. We help structure deals for optimal advances. And we track all your CAC deals alongside other lenders.

Subprime / Portfolio Program

•13,000+ dealers nationwide use Credit Acceptance

Credit Acceptance Integration for Auto Dealers

Connect Credit Acceptance to your dealership software and access their portfolio program directly. Dealer Essential's CAC integration lets you submit subprime applications, track portfolio income, and get same-day funding—all from one platform.

Seconds

to submit

Real-time

decisions

Secure

PCI compliant

Credit Acceptance integration with Dealer Essential

10k+

Apps Submitted

<2 min

Avg Decision Time

92%

Approval Rate

500+

Dealers Connected

From Credit App to Funded in Minutes

See how seamless financing becomes with Credit Acceptance

Step 1: Start Credit App

30 sec

Step 1

Start Credit App

Pull up customer info from your CRM or enter new details. Everything auto-populates.

1 click

Step 2

Submit to Credit Acceptance

One click sends the application securely. No separate portal, no re-entering data.

< 60 sec

Step 3

Get Decision

Real-time response appears in your dashboard. Conditional? See exactly what's needed.

Same day

Step 4

Close the Deal

Funding docs auto-generate. Customer signs, deal funds. That's it.

Swipe to explore steps →

Why Credit Acceptance + Dealer Essential

Streamline your financing workflow and fund deals faster

Upfront advance + ongoing portfolio income

No collections or repo hassles

Portfolio performance visible in dashboard

Ideal for high-volume subprime dealers

Complements BHPH for mixed inventory

Enterprise-Grade Security

Your customer data is protected by the same standards banks use

Bank-Level Security

256-bit encryption for all data

PCI Compliant

Level 1 PCI DSS certified

SOC 2 Type II

Audited security controls

FCRA Compliant

Consumer credit protection

What Dealers Say

Robert Kim

Lone Star Auto Center, Houston TX

“I switched half my subprime volume to Credit Acceptance 18 months ago. Between advances and portfolio checks, those deals have paid me 3x what traditional subprime would have. It's changed how I think about financing.”

3x lifetime value

Results

25 CAC deals/month

Monthly Volume