A car buying service arranges a price for you at certified dealerships, usually as a perk of a membership: a credit union, a warehouse club, an auto club, or an insurer. You still buy from the dealership, and the dealership still writes the contract. The service's value is the price it arranges and the time it saves; its limits are what that price leaves out and who you end up dealing with.
| Kind | Examples | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| Credit union programs | Navy Federal and PenFed each offer one to members | Pre-arranged pricing at certified dealerships, often paired with a rate discount when you finance with the credit union |
| Warehouse and membership clubs | Costco Auto Program, Sam's Club | Pre-arranged member pricing at participating dealerships |
| Auto clubs | AAA (varies by regional club) | Member pricing through participating dealerships |
| Brokers and concierges | Independent car brokers | Someone negotiates for you, usually for a fee you pay |
| The Broker Black | Participating dealerships, not a broker | Each new car priced cash, finance, and lease, as an estimate with taxes and fees; no dealership sees your name until you send your deal |
Most programs arrange the selling price. Sales tax, title, registration, and the dealership's documentary fee are added at the dealership, and so is anything else you agree to, such as a service contract. That means two members can use the same program and pay different totals. Ask for the out-the-door number, and check it with our out-the-door calculator.
They can save time and some negotiating, especially if you would not haggle anyway. Compare the whole out-the-door number the dealership writes, not just the arranged price, against what you can get elsewhere.
No. USAA ended its car buying service in 2020. It still offers auto loans to members.
No. You still buy from a dealership, and it writes and signs the contract with you. The service arranges the price and the introduction.
Not in the sense of arranging a price for you. The Broker Black is not a licensed motor vehicle dealer or broker and does not act as a broker in any way. It shows participating dealerships' new cars at the prices each dealership sets, priced three ways with taxes and fees, keeps your details private until you send your deal, and the dealership sells you the car directly.