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4 steps to Powersports finance on-demand

In a world of Amazon Prime, Netflix, and Uber, today’s customers expect same-day service from every business they interact with – including Powersports finance providers. The last thing a motorbike enthusiast wants is days of waiting to see if they have been approved for a loan!

Offering a fast and painless digital experience is critical to keeping the expectations of an evolving customer base. So, how can you keep the thrill-seekers satisfied while protecting your business from risk?

Step 1: Offer a seamless and fast loan application

Powersport equipment loan applications are not known for their simplicity. Risk analysis is complex, and credit and fraud checks are time-intensive; while most lenders are moving this process online, many still ask the customer to complete page after page of long application forms to gather information.

Financial organizations should focus efforts on the minimal amount of customer information required upfront to make a credit decision. This speeds up the process and enhances the customer experience. To do this, finance organizations should leverage smart software tools to enhance credit decisioning and underwriting capabilities, and develop predictive risk models for future use.

To make this step even faster, many Powersports finance organizations offer borrowers the option to automatically complete forms using open banking technology, which can leverage historical data and process it automatically to maximize underwriting efficiency.

Step 2: Let borrowers build their ideal loan

Customers like the flexibility of tailoring a deal to match their needs. For example, if they have a monthly budget in mind, it’s convenient for the consumer to view the loan options as they experiment with different vehicles and back-end product options. It also allows finance organizations to fine-tune the risk involved with different varieties of Powersports equipment dependent on various factors.

Additionally, some borrowers are concerned with upfront cost (i.e., cash down) or may simply want to pay off the loan as quickly as possible. A modern user experience should allow customers to explore these different finance options digitally, away from the pressure of doing it in person at the dealership.

Step 3: Digitize and streamline verifications

For an Automotive or Powersports equipment loan, finance organizations typically conduct several verification steps for the borrower. Depending on the credit segment and line of business, they may verify the borrower’s identity, residence, income, and employment. Making copies or taking pictures of multiple paper documents is a painful process for borrowers and often a stage that causes delays on both sides.

Digitizing verifications is one of the greatest untapped sources of efficiency and customer service for a loan. Lenders can choose from numerous providers to automate the verification of identity (e.g., LexisNexis, Onfido, Lightico), residence (e.g., Neustar), and income (e.g., The Work Number, Plaid).

If a lender still finds itself requesting documents from the borrower, allowing them to directly upload them to a portal serves as both a convenient prompt and a quick way to get document verification off the to-do list. Once the document is in-house, machine learning can verify its legitimacy, which can often be more efficient and accurate than an employee confirming all details manually.

Step 4: Offer convenient vehicle pick-up or drop-off options

The pandemic changed the vehicle purchasing process dramatically. Many buyers would prefer the same painless curbside (or lakeside) drop-off service now offered widely across other industries.

Delivery of vehicles is becoming much more common now, with increased adoption driven by direct-to-consumer retailers like Carvana, Vroom, and Shift. In-person or contact-free delivery options should not be seen as either/or, as providing buyers with all these options is the best way to ensure a positive customer experience.

The same-day buying process is a standard for our industry that every vehicle and equipment finance lender should aspire to. However, while consumers like the idea of buying a vehicle completely online, much of the industry is not yet fully equipped to support them.

With consumer expectations and technology innovations advancing, it’s time to re-think the online application process and your loan servicing. By offering digital solutions to support each step of the buyer journey, customers can purchase a vehicle in a matter of hours and make the choices that best suit them.

The latest finance software can help you to evolve the lender-to-consumer journey and get on track towards Powersports finance on-demand.

Contact us to learn how we can help you Power-Up your Powersports finance business.

Solifi Open Finance Platform

Leverage our flexible and secure platform to accelerate your growth

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