Financing lead types on your Dealer Inspire website

Shop By Payment and Online Shopper on your Dealer Inspire website both include financing capabilities. When a shopper interacts with these tools, the lead type they generate depends on how far they progress through the finance application. The further they go, the more information you receive — and the stronger their purchase intent.

In this article, you’ll learn how to identify the three financing lead types generated by your website tools, understand what shopper actions trigger each one, and apply effective follow-up strategies based on purchase intent and lead data.

Lead types at a glance

Lead types appear as sub-sources in your CRM (e.g., Dealer Inspire Prequalified) and are typically visible in the lead source or campaign fields, depending on your CRM setup. Use these to identify and prioritize leads based on their level of financing engagement.

Lead Type	What Happened	What You Receive	Purchase Intent
Dealer Inspire Finance Intent	Started application but didn’t complete	Basic contact info + partial application link	Moderate
Dealer Inspire Prequalified	Completed soft credit prequalification	Contact info + full application with lender offers	High
Dealer Inspire Credit Application	Submitted full credit application (hard pull)	Contact info + full app in RouteOne/Dealertrack	Very High

1 Dealer Inspire Finance Intent

What it means: The shopper clicked “Get Prequalified” and started entering their information but left before completing the prequalification process. They showed interest in financing but didn’t finish.

What you receive:

• Shopper name and contact information
  
• Vehicle of interest
  
• Link to their partial application in Automatic

How to approach these leads: Finance Intent leads require proactive follow-up. The shopper was interested enough to start the process — something may have interrupted them, or they had questions they couldn’t answer online.

Reach out promptly and offer to help them complete the application. Reference the specific vehicle they were viewing to personalize your outreach. A simple message like “I saw you were exploring financing options on the [Year Make Model]. Happy to answer any questions or walk you through the next steps” can re-engage these shoppers.

2 Dealer Inspire Prequalified

What it means: The shopper completed the soft credit prequalification process and received estimated financing offers from participating lenders. This is a soft credit pull that does not impact their credit score.

What you receive:

• Shopper name and contact information
  
• Vehicle of interest
  
• Full application details in Automatic
  
• Prequalification status and lender offers

How to approach these leads: Prequalified leads have already done the work of exploring their financing options. They know their estimated payment and have seen offers from lenders. They’re now evaluating whether to move forward.

Before reaching out, review their application in Automatic to understand their financing preferences, down payment, and any trade-in details. Use this information to have a more informed conversation. Focus on confirming vehicle availability, answering questions, and scheduling a test drive or appointment.

3Dealer Inspire Credit Application

Available to dealers with RouteOne or Dealertrack integration

What it means: The shopper submitted a complete credit application, which triggered a hard credit pull and delivered firm lending decisions from participating lenders. This is the highest level of financing engagement.

What you receive:

• Shopper name and contact information in your CRM
  
• Link to application summary in Automatic
  
• Full credit application in RouteOne or Dealertrack, including:
  
  • Complete financial information
    
  • Credit bureau data
    
  • Lender decisions and offers
    
  • Vehicle and deal structure details

How to approach these leads: Credit Application leads are ready to buy. They’ve shared sensitive financial information and received real lending decisions.

Treat these leads as your highest priority. Review the full application in RouteOne or Dealertrack before contacting so you can speak to their specific approval, terms, and next steps. Your goal is to confirm the deal structure, address any remaining questions, and get them into the dealership.