– John Alvarado, GSM
“We use Upstart as a tool to bring walls down. We’re one of the only dealerships that could actually go through the full process without running customers’ credit until we agree to numbers.”
- John Alvarado, GSM
Speed that accelerates the pace of the deal
Alvarado described Upstart approvals as near-instant, helping the team avoid long wait times with other lenders.
“Upstart is instant to 30 seconds. Other banks, we’re sitting for an hour, two hours,” he said.
Approvals that win deals other stores can’t
Alvarado says they’re consistently closing deals they would have missed without Upstart, often because nearby dealerships don’t have access to the same toolset.
“We’re making deals that we would have missed in the past if Upstart weren’t involved. It’s daily,” he said.
A different way to evaluate risk
Alvarado contrasted Upstart’s approach to traditional score-only decisions, especially for customers with lower scores, but strong repayment behavior. “Other lenders are score driven. Upstart is performance driven.”
Profitability that drives loyalty
Alvarado connected Upstart directly to profitability, and he shared that Upstart is a main reason why they lead their group in profit.
“We’re the most profitable dealership in our dealer group, and one of the reasons is because of Upstart. The reserves are fantastic.”
The average back-end for Upstart deals is ~$3,500 and average dealer compensation is over $1,100.¹
Alvarado also shared the store is #3 in its district, outperforming almost all other dealerships in the San Jose area.
Fast funding that supports F&I
Alvarado also called out funding speed and ease of uploading stips through the portal, which matters because F&I compensation is tied to time-to-fund. “My finance team gets paid based on how many days it takes to get funds, that’s why they like Upstart – Upstart funds quickly.”
Ultimately, he shared that Upstart has become a true partner thanks to the level of support: “Our dealer relationship manager, David, is a huge help because of his availability. He’s always a phone call away. I attribute a lot of our loyalty to him.”
