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Deal Structuring Calculator

Buyers shop the payment, not the sticker. Work backward from the number they can hit — with rate, term, down, and trade — to the highest vehicle price you can structure, so you show the right cars and hold gross.

Sell to the payment, hold the gross

When a customer gives you a monthly number, the fastest way to protect your gross is to work backward to the ceiling — the highest price that still fits — and show cars at the top of it. Lead with price and negotiate down and you train the customer to grind you; lead with the right car for their payment and you close at gross. And when they love a car that's just over, you can see instantly whether a little more down or one more term tier closes the gap.

Structure it here, write it in the deal jacket

Once you've found the car that fits the payment, DealerVLO's deal jacket builds the actual deal — live tax and payment math, the out-the-door price, and every federal and state form filled from the same numbers. No re-keying between a desking pad and the paperwork.

  • Live payment + out-the-door math on the deal screen
  • Trade and down applied to the deal automatically
  • Numbers flow to the Bill of Sale, Buyers Guide, and state forms
  • Every structured deal saved with the customer record
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Common questions

How do you structure a deal backward from a payment?▾
The payment, rate, and term set the most they can finance (the present value of the payments). Add down and trade for the out-the-door budget, back out tax and fees, and you have the highest vehicle price that fits. This tool runs it all.
Why work backward from the payment?▾
Buyers shop a payment, not a price. Knowing the ceiling lets you show the right cars first and hold gross instead of grinding down from sticker.
How does term change what they can afford?▾
A longer term lowers the payment on a given balance, so at a fixed payment they can finance more — often thousands more from 48 to 72 months. The table shows max price at each term; weigh it against the extra interest.
Does trade equity help?▾
Yes — positive equity adds to the budget like down payment (and usually reduces taxable). Once you have the price, run the exact deal in the out-the-door calculator.