Digital F&I: Omnichannel Journeys Dealers Actually Use
Abstract: In this Canadian Lenders Association session, Bob Metodiev (Head of Business Development, Inovatec) moderated a discussion with Dan Park (CEO, Clutch), Kevin Andrews (CEO | President, AUTO|ONE Group), and Nicholas Coatsworth (Co-Founder, Roam) on how automotive finance is shifting from digital tools as a simple lead generator to true omnichannel buying journeys that consumers can navigate seamlessly. The panel explored how regulatory progress is enabling end-to-end digital transactions, why pricing transparency and dealer compensation disclosure are becoming more important, and how lenders are using digital identity verification, soft credit pulls, and fraud controls earlier in the process. Across dealer, platform, and lender perspectives, the consistent takeaway was that successful digital F&I journeys must prioritize consumer trust, affordability clarity, and frictionless execution, rather than simply adding more digital widgets to the top of the funnel.
👉 Check out the full VIDEO here.
Bob Metodiev: Over the past few years we’ve seen a major shift in the buying experience. Online used to be just a step in the process, but now consumers expect a fully omnichannel journey where they can move between channels—or even complete everything digitally end to end. Dan, you’ve spent time talking with regulators in Ottawa. Do we now have the legal and compliance framework to support that kind of digital experience?
Dan Park: I think we’re making progress. It’s been slow, but we’re getting there. Digital signatures were a big hurdle a few years ago and that’s largely been resolved. What I often tell regulators is that they still frame things as online versus offline transactions. But almost every transaction today is partly online—whether that’s discovery, research, or contacting the dealer. The real question is what percentage becomes fully digital. And that ultimately comes down to consumer experience.
Ideally, a consumer should be able to understand what they can afford, see inventory organized around that affordability, click once to finance the vehicle, and have it delivered to their driveway. Today the journey is still complicated and uncertain—that’s the friction we’re trying to remove.
Bob Metodiev: Kevin, from the perspective of someone running an auto group and leasing company, how important is transparency in that customer journey—especially around fees and costs?
Kevin Andrews: Transparency is becoming critical. We’ve always had to meet compliance requirements, but now the challenge is how you package all of that information so the process is simple for the customer.
If we had open banking it would make life easier, but many banks aren’t eager for that. So we have to build our own solutions—pulling together identity verification, financial information, and credit data while keeping the process seamless for the customer.
The other reason transparency matters is risk. In the UK there have been major lawsuits over undisclosed dealer commissions. In our industry everyone understands that dealers get paid, but the customer often doesn’t know how those incentives work. If that ever becomes a major legal issue here, it could be very costly. The safest path forward is to be transparent from the beginning.
Nicholas Coatsworth: Transparency also changes how customers behave. Earlier in my career we ran a “try before you buy” program where customers could take a car home for 48 hours. What surprised us was how many people decided to buy without negotiating heavily once they had that experience.
When customers trust the process, they don’t feel like they need to fight every step of the deal. A lot of friction in car buying comes from uncertainty—trade values changing, financing surprises, fees appearing late in the process. If those things are clear early, the transaction becomes much smoother.
Bob Metodiev: Nick, you’ve spent a lot of time building digital automotive experiences. What do most digital retail tools get wrong?
Nicholas Coatsworth: They focus on the lead. Everyone talks about lead capture and conversion tools, but the real work happens below the iceberg. There’s the trade-in conversation, negative equity, financing approval, insurance decisions, and timing. That’s where trust gets built.
Lead-to-sale conversion hasn’t dramatically improved even with all these widgets. In many markets it still sits around the same range we’ve seen for years. That tells you the challenge isn’t getting the lead—it’s managing the entire journey properly.
Dan Park: Negative equity is a big part of that conversation now. We’re seeing a growing share of customers who owe more on their vehicle than it’s worth. The average negative equity figure has climbed from around $5,000 to closer to $8,000.
For a lot of consumers, that’s a real barrier. They can’t just write a cheque to exit the vehicle. So we’ve had to design solutions that help customers roll or finance that gap as part of the transaction. If you stay focused on solving the consumer’s problem, you can make the process much smoother.
Bob Metodiev: Kevin, from the financing side, are you seeing consumers shop differently today?
Kevin Andrews: Absolutely. Most consumers shop by monthly payment now. The first question is not “what’s the price of the car?”—it’s “what’s the payment?”
That’s why leasing remains important. It can provide lower payments and residual protection, but it also requires clear disclosure so customers understand what they’re signing up for. At the end of the day people want predictable payments and no surprises.
Bob Metodiev: Fraud is another concern when transactions move online. Dan, do digital journeys make the process more secure or less?
Dan Park: Much more secure. Digital onboarding allows you to verify identity in ways that traditional dealership processes never could. You can use photo verification, liveness detection, geolocation, and financial data checks. If something doesn’t look right—like someone applying in the middle of a field at 2 a.m.—you can flag it immediately.
Compared to that, a photocopy of a driver’s license at a dealership is a pretty weak form of verification. Digital processes actually give you better data and stronger fraud controls.
Nicholas Coatsworth: And it also helps guide better conversations with the customer. When you run a soft credit check early, you understand their financial situation before showing them vehicles they can’t afford. That saves time for everyone and leads to better outcomes.
Bob Metodiev: As we wrap up, the common theme seems to be that whether the journey starts with a trade-in, payment calculator, or vehicle search, the key ingredients are trust, transparency, and ease of doing business. Especially in a market where affordability and default risk are becoming bigger concerns, solutions that simplify the process for consumers will matter more than ever.
Here are 10 key insights from the panel:
- Omnichannel retail is becoming the standard
Consumers now expect to move seamlessly between digital and physical channels—or complete purchases entirely online. - Online vs. offline is the wrong framework
Most vehicle purchases already include digital touchpoints; the real question is how much of the journey becomes fully digital. - Transparency is becoming a competitive advantage
Clear disclosure of fees and financing structures helps build trust and reduces potential legal or regulatory risk. - Dealer compensation structures are under increasing scrutiny
Legal developments abroad suggest hidden commissions could become a bigger issue in North American markets. - Lead generation is not the real challenge
Capturing leads is relatively easy—the complex work lies in managing the entire purchase journey. - Negative equity is reshaping the buying conversation
Rising negative equity levels are making vehicle replacement decisions more complicated for many consumers. - Consumers shop by payment, not price
Monthly affordability has become the primary decision metric for many buyers. - Digital onboarding improves fraud detection
Identity verification, geolocation, and financial data checks make digital processes more secure than many traditional dealership workflows. - Early financial insight leads to better conversations
Soft credit pulls and identity verification earlier in the journey help guide customers toward realistic financing options. - Trust, transparency, and simplicity define successful digital F&I
The most effective omnichannel journeys are those designed around consumer confidence and ease of execution.
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