Free Public Scoring System Rewards Honest Dealer Prices

CarEdge launched the Dealer Transparency Index, or DTI, a free public scoring system that the company says grades more than 4,600 U.S. dealerships based on verified pricing behavior.

Unlike review platforms or paid certification programs, DTI scores are calculated using more than 40,000 verified out-the-door quotes collected through CarEdge’s artificial intelligence negotiation platform. Dealers can’t pay to influence their score, the company said.

According to CarEdge, the index is designed to provide independent verification of dealership pricing practices using transaction-level data rather than advertised prices.

Addressing Pricing Discrepancies

CarEdge said some dealers advertise vehicles at low listing prices and then add mandatory add-ons, higher documentation fees, or market adjustments at contract signing.

Listing-site value badges are often based solely on advertised prices, not final transaction totals. The company cited findings from the CDK 2026 Friction Points Study, which reported a drop in buyer Net Promoter Score from +48 to +29 year-over-year, with digital-first shoppers at zero. Nearly 90% of dealers cited fraud as a top concern, and one in five buyers reportedly switched dealers after advertised pricing didn’t match final terms.

CarEdge positions DTI as a tool to help differentiate pricing practices using verified out-the-door data.

How DTI Works

Each dealer receives a score from zero to 100 and an A through F grade. Scores are based on a weighted composite of four components derived from verified out-the-door quotes.

The methodology is publicly available at caredge.com/methodology. The same scoring formula applies to all dealers, with no paid adjustments or preferential treatment by brand or dealer group, the company said.

Benefits For Highly Rated Dealers

Dealers earning an A or B grade receive access to tools intended to highlight pricing transparency:

• Verified Transparency Badge: An embeddable HTML badge linking to the dealer’s DTI profile
• Public Dealer Profile Page: A page displaying grade, score breakdown, state ranking and pricing history. A-rated dealers rank highest in local platform searches
• State and brand rankings: Inclusion in state-level and brand-specific ranking pages optimized for consumer search queries
• CarEdge Dealer Network (Upcoming): Eligible transparent dealers may apply to join a network connecting them with prequalified buyers from the CarEdge platform.

Data Behind The Scores

The DTI is built from more than 40,000 out-the-door quotes generated across 47,500 AI-assisted dealer outreach sessions. CarEdge reports that its AI platform has sent more than 440,000 dealer messages to date. Each quote includes listing price, documentation fee, add-ons and final out-the-door total.

Key findings from the data set include:

• National average documentation fee: $417, ranging from $85 in California to nearly $1,000 in Florida.
• Twenty-five percent of scored dealers charge no add-ons; when present, add-ons average more than $1,500 per deal.
• Average listing-to-out the door markup: 7% to 8% before tax and title. A vehicle listed at $40,000 typically totals more than $43,000 at signing.
• Thirty-six states have no documentation fee cap. Eight states — Arkansas, California, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, Oregon, Texas and Washington — have legislated limits.
• Grade-A dealers were identified across all major brands.

Industry Implications

CarEdge describes the DTI as a continuously updated measure of dealership pricing practices based on independently calculated data.

“We’re not antidealer; we’re antideception,” said CEO Zach Shefska. “There hasn’t been a way for consumers to distinguish pricing practices or for transparent dealers to verify them independently.”

Scores update as new out-the-door data is collected. According to CarEdge, dealers that reduce fees, remove mandatory add-ons, and provide upfront out-the-door pricing may see corresponding changes in their grades over time.