For Statewide Ford, the goals were clear: reduce credit card processing costs, maintain full compliance with card brand rules, and simplify payment operations across the dealership. That’s why they partnered with PayJunction, a trusted partner committed to their long-term success.
With PayJunction’s SmartSurcharge program and suite of modern tools, Statewide Ford now offsets over half of their total card processing fees annually with compliant technology that protects their CSI. And, after eight years working with PayJunction, the dealership has no intention to go elsewhere. “I couldn’t be any happier,” said Stacy, the dealership’s controller, “We don’t need to look at anything else because the service is that good.”
SmartSurcharge in Action: Compliance That Pays Off
With SmartSurcharge, Statewide Ford has been able to offset over 50% of its card processing fees, improving its bottom line while remaining fully compliant with surcharge regulations.
This is made possible with PayJunction’s technology that automates essential requirements and their compliance support, both in the initial implementation process and beyond. As someone well-versed in card-brand rules, Stacy has seen many businesses apply surcharges in a non-compliant way, often charging debit cards or exceeding card brand or legal limits. What stood out to her was PayJunction’s commitment to supporting their customers’ compliance.
“You wanted to get it right and go by the law,” she said. “I can't tell you how frustrated I am as a customer: I go somewhere and get a surcharge on my debit card… it’ll even say ‘Mastercard Debit,’ and they'll charge me 4%.” Working with PayJunction, she knows the essential surcharging rules, and how many merchants make crucial mistakes with surcharge.
PayJunction’s focus on providing compliance tools from the beginning gives her full trust and peace of mind in Statewide Ford’s surcharge program. “Any time it’s brought up that maybe we should look at a change,” she said, “I say: I trust that we’ve been with PayJunction and you steer us right.”
The Customer Experience: No Pushback, No CSI Impact
Though many dealers have initial concerns about how customers might respond to surcharges, Statewide Ford found minimal resistance. Thanks to PayJunction’s transparent checkout design, customers are informed and in control.
“A lot of customers are going to pay with a credit card. They either accept the fee because they know everybody is charging fees, or they'll say, ‘I'd rather write a check’ or ‘Let me use my debit card instead’ so they don't have to pay that processing fee.”
A positive customer experience is possible when clear surcharge disclosures and customer choice is built into every part of the process. But it doesn't need to be complicated. “We tell people, ‘If you put your card in here and select debit… you’re not going to be charged.’” Stacy said, “It’s worked pretty well for us.” This easy communication is possible with PayJunction SmartTerminals that display surcharge amounts in real time so that customers can make informed decisions.
“I think it’s helped a lot because it’s right in front of them. They can see when the fee pops up,” Stacy explained, “Or if they change their mind and pay a different way, they can see there’s no fee attached.”
Additionally, PayJunction’s provided signage at the point of sale reinforces transparency, while staff are easily able to understand and explain how to avoid fees on credit with debit or cash if needed. PayJunction’s terminals also automatically detect and exclude surcharges from debit transactions, so staff can focus on customer connection instead of worrying about accidental compliance violations.
Tools That Simplify Workflows and Strengthen Security
Reporting and reconciliation are also dramatically easier with PayJunction’s thoughtfully designed system. The finance team uploads CSV reports, filters by surcharge, and balances with just a few clicks. “We upload the CSV, scroll to the surcharge column, total it, and write a receipt. Very simple… that’s how we balance the credit cards.” Stacy said.
PayJunction’s digital invoicing and attachment tools also allow Statewide Ford to send payment requests via email or text, complete with PDF details. This helps speed up payments, reduces fraud risk, and avoids the need for phone-based card entry. Stacy helped drive the rollout of invoice attachments and sees invoice adoption as a dealership-level goal.
And from a management standpoint, PayJunction improves accountability. “It’s a great tool to hold people accountable,” she noted. New staff members also find the platform easy to use. “Once you showed us how to find our fees, the PDF batch report, and the CSV, it’s so simple,” Stacy said. “It’s been easy to explain to my staff.”
How the Alternatives (Don’t) Stack Up
From her first conversation eight years ago, Stacy noticed PayJunction’s respectful, informative approach. When she decided to make the switch, that same thoughtful approach carried into onboarding. Setup was simple, and the system was easy to learn, allowing for a smooth rollout across the dealership.
What further solidified the partnership was PayJunction’s U.S. based support, real service from experts that pick up in 60 seconds or less on average, not anonymous call centers, automated chat bots, or endless phone trees. Stacy described how rare it is to call support, but when she does, the experience is refreshingly human, “When I call, I don’t have to give them a merchant number. They know who I am.”
Over the years, Statewide Ford has evaluated alternative solutions to ensure PayJunction remains the best fit. Though some competitors have tried to sell Stacy on a switch with promises of lower rates, she has consistently found that they have fallen short when it comes to functionality, transparency, and trustworthy compliance support.
“We were going to change,” she said, recalling a time she considered an alternative payment processor who promised lower fees. She even had the new terminals shipped to the dealership before realizing that “it wasn’t what was represented. We boxed it up and sent it back.” The complexity of other systems, some of which required multiple logins across different sites or less intuitive terminals, made them impractical.
“[PayJunction’s] functionality outweighed the potential discount,” Stacy explained, “Even if the fee was lower… trying to roll this out to everyone else here? It’s not worth my time.”
Unlike some processors who operate as third-party resellers, offering “low fees” by repackaging other vendors' products for cheap, PayJunction actually creates the software it sells. This allows them to design systems that offer dealerships clear value: easy control, clear reporting, and confidence in compliance without sacrificing the customer experience.
Statewide Ford’s Loyalty: Earned Through Consistent Value and Trust
Even now, when Statewide Ford’s Dealer Management System, Auto/Mate, is offering its own payment solution, Stacy isn’t interested. She knows she’s found the right solution that balances value with functionality. It’s why she’s become a vocal advocate for staying with PayJunction even when new options appear. “I’m always singing your praises,” she said, “I’m like, ‘We’re already doing that with PayJunction.’”
Statewide Ford’s experience with PayJunction illustrates what happens when a dealership chooses a provider who values Freedom of Choice, delivers Simple, Effortless Control, and backs it all with a Trusted Partner Pledge. Plus, their utilization of SmartSurcharge helped them offset their payment processing costs by over 50%, without creating compliance headaches or damaging customer satisfaction. PayJunction’s intuitive tools improve efficiency, accountability, and security across the board, while trusted support that picks up in 60 seconds or less on average ensures they’re never left on their own.
Want to see how much your dealership could save and simplify by partnering with PayJunction? Our surcharge experts offer a free savings analysis, digging into your statements to show you how much you could save with a simple switch.
