As vehicle borrowing costs rise for consumers, their tolerance for confusing and time-consuming billing and payments is plunging. Borrowers expect the same clarity, speed, and continuity they receive from other digital services.
When they don’t get it, the downstream impact shows up in auto finance servicing operations as pricey customer service calls, delayed payments, disputes and higher delinquency pressure as well as overall dissatisfaction with their lender.
Below are three strategic pressure points for vehicle servicing leaders that require a heightened focus on customer experience, plus practical moves that don’t require rebuilding the entire operation.
If you’re attending the AFSA Vehicle Finance Conference & Expo, let’s meet to discuss improving CX in billing and payments. Visit Kiosk K3 or click here to request a quick Expresso demo with Rich O’Rourke or Bryan Ten Broek.
1. The monthly payment has become a bigger burden for more borrowers.
Auto loans and leases are claiming an increasing share of household budgets. Edmunds reported that in Q4 2025, 1 in 5 financed new-vehicle purchases had $1,000+ monthly payments, the average new-vehicle monthly payment hit $772, and the average amount financed reached a record $43,759. That’s even after many borrowers extended the loan term, with roughly 20% running 84 months or longer.
The opportunity for 2026 is to make billing consumer-friendly, consistent, and simple, eliminating avoidable friction and prompting timely payments. Start by removing confusing fee language, inconsistent payoff calculations, and ill-defined next steps in statements. Instead, include crystal-clear cutoff times and posting expectations in bills and a straightforward path at every touchpoint to make a payment or reach a customer service representative when needed.
2. Omnichannel availability and consistency are must-haves, not nice-to-haves.
Consumers don’t separate billing, website, and call center experiences. They see all interactions as one ongoing conversation across mail, email, SMS, portal or app, and agents.
Not surprisingly, then, auto finance firms that offer a consistent and satisfying experience at all touchpoints gain significant advantage. J.D. Power’s 2025 Auto Finance Digital Experience Study found that among highly satisfied customers, 91% say they definitely will reuse their lender’s desktop site and 89% will return to the mobile app. However, intent to reuse digital channels is nearly halved after a poor experience.
This is where an omnichannel customer communication management (CCM) platform becomes essential. It helps lenders deliver the same clear message across every channel, so a borrower who reads a reminder by text sees the same amount, date, and related details when they log into the portal or call an agent.
When communications stay consistent and easy to act on, borrowers waste less time hunting for answers, agents spend less time correcting confusion, and payments happen with fewer false starts. A CCM platform supports that experience by keeping templates and disclosures aligned across channels, making updates fast, and preserving a complete record of what was sent and when.
3. Last minute is the new normal in bill pay for more consumers.
Borrowers expect fast, confirmed self-service payments. That’s because nearly 3 out of 10 consumers made urgent or same-day bill payments last year, according to ACI’s 2025 Speedpay Pulse Report.
To help these consumers avoid late fees and stop them from bailing before completing the payment process, lenders can streamline the entire bill-to-payment process. Pair CCM software with electronic bill presentment and payment (EBPP) for a connected, omnichannel experience that blends messaging, billing, and payments in real time.
EBPP gives customers a simple way to view and pay online. It can also support one-tap pay paths from email and SMS/MMS and offer modern payment methods, including mobile wallets, debit cards and ACH, that make payments easy to complete and easy to trust, with clear confirmation.
The common theme across these pressure points is CX execution at scale: Clear messages, consistent across channels, updated quickly, and tied to easy payment paths.
How Nordis can help.
Nordis’ cloud CCM platform, Expresso®, streamlines how borrower communications are created, delivered, updated, and retained across channels. When those messages are timely and personalized, and paired with digital or self-service payment options, they can reduce confusion and help borrowers take action sooner, supporting more on-time payments. Here are just a few communications solutions:
- Vehicle loan communications – Welcome letters, monthly statements, reminders, late notices, Adverse Action letters
- Fast content changes – Update print and digital communications in minutes
- Rules-based disclosures – Apply conditional content/disclosures consistently with automation
- Built-in archive – Real-time access to historical communications for agents
- Print & digital delivery – Print and mail, email, text/SMS options
- Integrate payments & IVR – EBPP, branded portal or IVR/CSR payment support; cards/ACH; payment plans/autopay options
- Reporting & data analytics – Tracking, reports, audit trails
Is your team prioritizing more effective borrower communications and payments in 2026? Contact us and we’ll show you how to make that happen.
