How Auto Repair Shops Can Lower Payment Costs Without Changing Shop Software
Your shop management software helps keep vehicles moving through the bays. It holds your estimates, repair orders, customer information, and invoices. Your service advisors know the screens, and your technicians depend on the workflow.
Changing that system is a big decision—especially when your main concern is what you’re paying to accept credit cards.
ShopConnect Pro gives auto repair shops using supported software an opportunity to explore lower payment processing costs while keeping their existing shop management platform. Coastal Payment Systems helps you check compatibility, understand the available features, and compare the total cost before switching.
Why Payment Processing Costs Deserve a Closer Look
Between parts, labor, equipment, and overhead, every expense affects your shop’s profitability. Card processing is another cost worth reviewing.
Even a modest difference in processing costs can add up when customers regularly pay for larger repairs by card. But a lower advertised rate doesn’t tell the whole story. Transaction fees, monthly charges, integration costs, and your mix of payment types all affect what you actually pay.
The useful question is: How much would your shop keep after accounting for every cost of the proposed setup?
What Does ShopConnect Pro Do?
ShopConnect Pro is a Chrome extension that connects supported business software to another payment processing option.
For an auto repair shop, that means you may be able to change the processor handling your payments while continuing to use your shop software.
Your team keeps its familiar business management platform. CPS reviews how payments will work within that setup, including whether completed transactions can automatically post back to the repair order.
Which Auto Repair Software Does It Support?
ShopConnect Pro lists the following platforms among its supported auto and marine software:
Software | Automatic payment write-back listed |
AutoLeap | Yes |
Fusion | Yes |
Shop Boss | Yes |
Tekmetric | Yes |
Mitchell 1 Manager SE | Not currently listed |
Tire Guru | Not currently listed |
MaddenCo | Not currently listed |
Shop-Ware | Not currently listed |
Fullbay | Not currently listed |
Torque360 | Not currently listed |
“Supported” and “automatic write-back” describe different capabilities. ShopConnect Pro currently identifies AutoLeap, Fusion, Shop Boss, and Tekmetric as platforms with automatic payment write-back. Your specific software version and configuration should be checked before setup.
Why Automatic Payment Posting Matters
Accepting a payment is only part of the checkout process. Your staff also needs the repair order to reflect that the customer has paid.
On platforms with automatic write-back, completed payments can post back to the invoice or repair order. That can reduce duplicate entry and the time spent updating payment records.
For other supported platforms, an additional recording step may be necessary. CPS will explain the workflow available for your software, so your service advisors know what to expect.
What Could the Savings Look Like?
Consider this hypothetical example:
A shop processes $80,000 per month in card payments. If a proposed arrangement reduces its processing costs by 0.50 percentage points, the gross difference would be:
$400 per month
$4,800 per year
If that shop also pays a $65 monthly integration fee, the remaining savings would be $335 per month, or $4,020 per year, assuming all other costs stay the same.
This is an illustration, not a quote or savings guarantee. Your actual results depend on your current fees, proposed pricing, payment volume, transaction mix, and any other charges.
A worthwhile comparison includes the integration fee from the beginning.
How to Find Out Whether It Makes Sense for Your Shop
Start with the software you use and a recent processing statement.
Coastal Payment Systems will help you review:
Compatibility with your shop’s software and configuration.
Available payment methods and automatic posting features.
Your current processing costs.
Proposed processing, integration, and equipment costs.
Potential net savings and any changes to your checkout routine.
Before making a decision, ask to see a demonstration that matches your platform where available. Your staff should understand how to take a payment and how that payment appears in the repair order.
Keep Your Shop Software. Review Your Payment Costs.
If your software works well for your business, it makes sense to explore whether you can improve payment costs while keeping it.
Coastal Payment Systems is based in Pass Christian, Mississippi, serving auto repair shops across the Gulf Coast and nationwide.
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