How do I get access to CUDL?

CUDL has a dealer enrollment process. They verify your dealership and check volume history. Most independent dealers are approved within 2-3 weeks. We can introduce you and help with the application.

Do I need relationships with individual credit unions?

No. That's the beauty of CUDL. One enrollment gives you access to the entire network. Each CU decides whether to bid on your deals—you don't manage 1,100 relationships.

How do credit unions decide on deals?

You submit through CUDL, and participating CUs in your area (or nationwide) see the deal. They respond with offers based on their criteria. You compare and select the best one.

Are credit union rates really that much lower?

Yes. Credit unions are not-for-profit, so they return value to members as lower rates. It's common to see CU rates 2-3% below comparable bank rates. On a $25K loan, that's $30-50/month in payment difference.

What if the customer is already a CU member?

Even better. CUDL can match them to their existing credit union, which often means faster approval and member-only rates. You capture financing that would have gone direct to the CU otherwise.

Do credit unions work with subprime?

Some do. Credit unions vary—some are prime-only, others go to 600+ credit scores. CUDL shows you which CUs respond to each deal. For deep subprime, use Westlake or Credit Acceptance.

How fast do credit unions respond?

Most responses come within a few hours. Some CUs are faster than banks. You typically have multiple offers by end of day on a morning submission.

Can I use CUDL alongside bank lenders?

Absolutely. Submit to CUDL for the rate shoppers who want the lowest payment. Use banks for speed. Use subprime specialists for challenged credit. CUDL is another tool, not a replacement.

Credit Union Network

•1,100+ credit unions in the CUDL network

CUDL Credit Union Integration for Auto Dealers

Connect to 1,100+ credit unions through one CUDL integration. Dealer Essential's CUDL connection lets you submit to multiple credit unions at once—access the lowest rates in auto financing without managing separate portals.

Seconds

to submit

Real-time

decisions

Secure

PCI compliant

CUDL (Credit Union Direct Lending) 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 CUDL (Credit Union Direct Lending)

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 CUDL (Credit Union Direct Lending)

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 CUDL (Credit Union Direct Lending) + Dealer Essential

Streamline your financing workflow and fund deals faster

Access 1,100+ credit unions

Rates 2-3% lower than banks

CUs compete for your deals

Capture existing CU member financing

One portal for all credit unions

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

Anthony Rodriguez

Suncoast Auto, Tampa FL

“I was losing 3-4 deals a month to credit union pre-approvals. Now I AM the credit union option. Last month I financed a Navy Federal member at their own credit union rate—through my dealership. Customer happy, I kept the deal.”

4 deals/month recaptured

Results

40 cars/month

Monthly Volume