Overview of The ZERO Plan® and Universal Lenders LLC
What Is The ZERO Plan® and Why Use It
We Beat The Competition ► Point by Point Comparison
The ZERO Plan® Reduces Chargebacks ► Find out How
Step by Step Process ► How The ZERO Plan® Works
The ZERO Plan® Can Drive Additional Revenue
ZERO Plan® Online FormsBuilder
The ZERO Plan® FormsBuilder is an online application that will print the ZERO Plan® installment agreement and the related documents which is a requirement for funding. There are two versions of the FormsBuilder:
- The Basic FormsBuilder will print the ZERO Plan® installment agreement and the related documents, but will not E-Rate or E-Contract the policy(s) being financed.
- The Enhanced Formsbuilder allows the user to print the ZERO Plan® installment agreement and the related documents and at the same time E-Rate or E-Contract the policy(s) being financed. The ZERO Plan® partners with over 100 Product Providers who integrate with this tool. As a benefit to ZERO Plan® Retailers the E-Rating and E-Contracting is FREE!
Short Video ► Basic FormsBuilder
Short Video ► Enhanced FormsBuilder (E-Rating & E-Contracting)
List of Eligible Integrating Product Providers
User Guide For Step-by-Step Instruction
To Enroll Your Dealership and Begin Using The Application:
Download and Complete the User List
Download and Complete the Product List
Submit the completed form(s) below using the contact us section. After entering data into the PDF, you will need to save a copy locally (on your device) with the saved information, and then you may upload/submit below.
Once the enrollment is processed, an email will be sent to each user with login credentials. At that point the FormsBuilder can be accessed and used.
ZERO Plan® Training Material and FACT Sheets
Detailed Training ► Presentations
User Training Presentation ► Suggested Before Getting Started
Accounting Office Training Presentation ► Suggested Before Getting Started
Online FormsBuilder User Training ► Step-By-Step Instructions to Create Our Forms
FACT Sheets ► Training on a Specific Topic
FACT Sheet ► Cancellations
FACT Sheet ► Retailer Cash Flow
FACT Sheet ► Multiple Products on One Contract
FACT Sheet ► Save-A-Deal™ Program to Reduce Chargebacks
FACT Sheet ► Eligible Products for ZERO Plan Financing
Video Training ► Short Informational Overviews
The Best Way To Use The ZERO Plan®
Reduce Cancellations ► How to Use the Save-A-Deal™ Program
How Do I Get Funded by The ZERO Plan®
How Do Cancellations Work With The ZERO Plan®
What is the ZERO Down Payment Program and How Does It Work
Current Program Guidelines & Retailer Fee Schedule
Download/Review Current Terms, Conditions, Retailer Fee Schedule
The ZERO Plan Guidelines define the maximum number of payments that can be offered to a customer and the minimum amount of down payment that is required. Retailers can choose to offer customers less than the maximum allowed installment payments or collect more than the minimum down payment amount. REMEMBER: The percentge of down payment is applied to the total sales price which is equal to the sales price plus the sales tax if applicable. The ZERO Plan Guidelines are embedded in our ZERO Plan FormsBuilder and in our integrating menu partners software so that users cannot make entries outside of the current guidelines.
The ZERO Plan Retailer Fees define how much money will be deducted from the contract funding. Every installment agreement provides zero percent financing to the customer. Because no interest is charged the fees that reduce the Retailer’s funding are how ZERO Plan receives their compensation. ZERO Plan fees are calculated as a percentage of the unpaid balance or the amount financed. There are three components that define what the fee percentage is.
- The first fee component is the number of payments you provide the customer with. The longer the payment plan the more the fee is. Retailers should attempt to find the sweet spot to reduce their fee where the customer receives an affordable payment using the smallest number of payments.
- The second fee component is the amount to finance or unpaid balance. The fee percentage is applied to the unpaid balance or balance to finance and not the total sales price. So the more down payment that is collected the less the fee will be. Retailers should always try to collect more than the minimum amount required in the guidelines.
- The third fee component is the fee level earned by the Retailer. Every month ZERO Plan calculates the average monthly number of contracts funded for any one Retailer OR a group of commonly owned Retailers. ZERO Plan looks back over the last three months to determine the average number of contracts funded. Based on the average a fee level of A,B,C or D will be assigned to the Retailer or Retailer group for the coming month. At the end of each month we recalculate the average. Retailers will receive an email from ZERO Plan each time their fee level changes. The result is the more contracts that fund the lower your fee percentages will be!
ZERO Plan® Menu Partners ► Increase Revenue With Payment Presentations
THE ZERO PLAN® MENU PROVIDES THE SALES TOOL EVERY DEALER NEEDS TO SELL MORE F&I PRODUCTS
► INTEGRATING MENU PARTNERS
ZERO Plan® integrates with many of the best menu providers to create a one login-one portal experience for our Retailers. The following integrating menu partners complete the full ZERO Plan® transaction in their own menu portal including the e-contracting of the ZERO Plan® installment agreement. This integration is available for FREE to any Retailer whose menu provider is listed below. Contact SUPPORT at your menu provider and ask them to activate the ZERO Plan® integration. It is that simple!
Menu Provider
Menu Provider
VisionMenu
MenuMetric
MenuSys
Impact Menu
StoneEagle
Tec Assured
MaximTrak (RouteOne)
MenuConnect (RouteOne)
MenuMax (RouteOne)
► FOR RETAILERS THAT DO NOT USE A MENU OR AN INTEGRATING MENU PARTNER
Click below to download an Excel Spreadsheet that will provide a one page payment display to present ZERO Plan® payment options.
Payment Protect Program ► Reduce Your Cancellations
The ZERO Plan® has partnered with IntelliSmart to offer the Payment Protect Program designed to insure your dealership’s profits should your customer lose their job involuntarily during the term of the payment plan. In the event of a job lose the program pays six payments directly to the ZERO Plan® to be applied to your customer’s account. This payment averts a cancellation due to a payment default. The loss of a job is the main reason for payment defaults, policy cancellations and chargebacks. As the Retailer you choose which payment plans are protected. Large balances or large profits……It’s your choice when to protect the payment! The cost of adding this payment protection is a flat $99.00 no matter how large the monthly payment is.
Retailer Presentation
Customer Brochure
Payment Protect Agreement
POS Retailer Brochure
Should you have an interest or additional questions please contact us.
Products Eligible for ZERO Plan Financing
The Retailer Agreement allows any enrolled ZERO Plan® Retailer to finance products approved by Universal Lenders LLC. Eligible and approved products can be found by clicking on the Approved Product List below. Products that have been screened and not approved for the list can also be found by clicking on the Ineligible List below. For more information click on the FACT SHEET-Products Eligible For ZERO Plan Financing.
Franchised New Retailers can choose to finance any protection product sold in the F&I Office EXCEPT for GAP. ZERO Plan will make these exceptions once the Franchised New Retailer contacts our office to request the product exception. Independent Retailers are not eligible for exceptions.
Universal Lenders will consider any policy for inclusion on the Approved Product list. Retailers or Agents are encouraged to send a full specimen copy of the policy to Universal Lenders LLC for review.
FACT SHEET ► Products Eligible For ZERO Plan® Financing
Approved Product List
Ineligible Product List
Ineligible Product Exception Form
SALES AIDS ► Calculate Retailer Fee or Packed Retail Price
Our Retailers have requested a convenient way to calculate the ZERO Plan fee. By entering the Amount To Finance (Unpaid portion of the sales price) our application will calculate the dealer fee for every payment term at every Fee Level.
Fee Calculation & Funding
Sales prices + sales tax - down payment
| # of Payments | Level A | Level B | Level C | Level D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 9% | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| 12 | 11% | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| 15 | 13% | 11% | 10% | 9% |
| 18 | 14% | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| 24 | 17% | 15% | 14% | 13% |
| 30 | 20% | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| 36 | 21% | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| 42 | 22% | 21% | 19% | 18% |
Retailers would like to create retail pricing for a protection product(s) financed by the ZERO Plan that maintains a specific retail profit over the cost of the protection product(s) and the ZERO Plan fee. By entering the retailer cost of the product(s), the total retailer profit you wish to maintain and the down payment percentage to be collected our application will calculate the retail price for every payment term at every Fee Level.
Total Price Calculator
| # of Payments | Level A | Level B | Level C | Level D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 9% | 7% | 6% | 5% |
| 12 | 11% | 9% | 8% | 7% |
| 15 | 13% | 11% | 10% | 9% |
| 18 | 14% | 12% | 11% | 10% |
| 24 | 17% | 15% | 14% | 13% |
| 30 | 20% | 19% | 17% | 16% |
| 36 | 21% | 20% | 18% | 17% |
| 42 | 22% | 21% | 19% | 18% |