Longer loan terms and high monthly payments are putting more weight on the auto loan servicing experience. In Q2 2026, the average monthly payment for a financed new vehicle reached a record $777, while a record 23.9% of buyers who financed chose terms of 84 months or longer, according to Edmunds.
Monthly automotive statements and payment reminders become some of the most frequent contacts borrowers have with lenders. Longer loan terms have added touchpoints, each one a chance to keep customers well-informed and the billing experience smooth.
As consumers cope with tighter household budgets, clear and timely communications can help reinforce trust and strengthen the lender relationship over the life of the loan. That puts greater emphasis on how lenders support customized communications, omnichannel delivery and payments.
Proactive auto servicing communications provide a convenient path to payment plus support retention and help build future consumer lending opportunities.
Digital expectations are rising
Consumer touchpoints become more significant as payment behavior shifts. Consumers are increasingly managing bills closer to their due dates, making speed and convenience essential.
Younger and first-time borrowers, along with near-prime customers, gravitate toward digital channels, according to Auriemma Roundtables. ACI Worldwide’s 2025 Speedpay Pulse Report shows nearly three in ten consumers made an urgent or same-day bill payment in the past year, most of them Gen Z or Millennials. J.D. Power adds that a great digital experience is becoming a crucial component of customer retention, especially as more shoppers research their next loan through AI tools before they ever call a lender.
SMS, MMS and RCS prove their value
Datos Insights research found that roughly half of consumers who received a text payment reminder clicked through to pay. About two-thirds of recipients said text reminders were the fastest and easiest way to pay bills. Numbers like that suggest text messaging is becoming the channel that borrowers respond to most.
Keep in mind, the format should match the communication need. SMS works well for brief reminders with a link to take action. MMS accommodates longer messages and richer content, such as a disclosure or an electronic statement PDF with a secure payment link, branding and other images.
RCS (Rich Communication Services) add another dimension. Verified sender identities can help customers recognize the lender, while interactive features can move them toward payment from within the native messaging app already on users’ phones. According to Datos Insights, 84% of consumers are open to using RCS throughout their relationship with a lender, and 78% said they are more likely to act on a message once they see it comes from a verified sender. Taken together, those figures point to a combination of reach and trust that’s hard to match through other channels.
Omnichannel communications include print and mail
Digital channels may dominate, but customer preferences fluctuate. ACI Speedpay research found that 24% of consumers want both paper and digital communications, and 16% prefer print and mail communications only.
That makes print an active part of the consumer journey strategy rather than a separate legacy process. Many prime and super-prime buyers still expect a mailed statement each month. Paper can connect to digital payment options, however, through QR codes or personalized links.
What an auto finance communications partner should enable
The strongest customer communication management platforms give servicers one environment for creating personalized omnichannel communications, managing customer preferences, delivering messages across channels and connecting outreach to outcomes.
For operations teams, that means greater control over content and business rules, making it easier for compliance and communications staff to update and apply changes real-time without relying on separate workflows or dependencies. It also provides visibility into what was sent and how the customer engaged, helping them optimize interactions.
Over the life of an auto loan, routine servicing interactions shape how consumers view the lender. Transparent communications, convenient modernized payment options and consistent experiences across channels can reinforce trust and support the relationship well beyond the current loan.
A unified auto finance communications platform can help servicing teams deliver that experience more reliably. Contact us to learn how Nordis can support your servicing strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Clear auto loan servicing communication can reinforce consumer trust and retention.
- Mobile, digital and print channels should work as one consumer experience.
- An automotive estatement vendor that offers a unified CCM platform can help you connect communications, consumer preferences and payment.
