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October 5, 2026 | Dealership Marketing
In this blog post, you’ll learn how automotiveMastermind and Mobility Global’s FeeSync platform help dealerships navigate evolving pricing transparency requirements, including the FTC’s Pricing Transparency FAQs (published Sept. 15, 2026) and California’s CARS Act (commenced Oct. 1, 2026).
Recent FTC expectations and the California’s CARS Act are setting new standards for how dealerships advertise and present vehicle pricing.
The good news? Transparent pricing doesn’t just reduce risk. It builds trust, shortens negotiations, and creates a smoother buying experience.
automotiveMastermind helps dealerships stay ahead with automated pricing controls built into the Mastermind platform. Combined with Mobility Global’s FeeSync platform, dealers can more efficiently manage pricing data across marketing campaigns and customer communications.
“There’s a lot of change happening right now. The dealers that make pricing clear and consistent will be the ones that earn customer trust faster.”
Research from Reuters shows that compliance gaps can cost dealers thousands of dollars in lost productivity and fines. Avoiding those costs starts with a clear understanding of what today’s pricing transparency requirements demand.
FTC expectations and the California CARS Act both emphasize one core principle: when advertising a specific vehicle, dealers must clearly disclose the vehicle’s total selling price upfront.
That price should include:
Generally excluded from the price:
For many dealerships, the challenge isn’t understanding the rules. It’s ensuring every vehicle they advertise represents accurate pricing and inventory availability—and finding a technology partner that meets those expectations. That’s where automotiveMastermind comes in. Our platform helps dealers support pricing transparency while reducing manual effort.
“Dealers already have enough on their plates. Our job is to make adapting to requirements a little easier.”
automotiveMastermind automatically evaluates inventory and pricing data to determine when payment-based offers can be displayed and when a customer’s campaign should shift to model-level vehicle messaging. No matter which path is selected, every customer’s campaign remains personalized using Behavior Drivers, vehicle preferences, and other data-driven insights to help move shoppers further down the sales funnel
When complete inventory and pricing information is available, the platform will create highly personalized campaigns that include:
If complete pricing data isn’t available, the platform automatically shifts to model-level messaging that:
“No dealer wakes up excited to check their various vendor feeds to make sure no connections have broken. Our goal is to reduce the friction between partners and to give the dealers a single source of truth. That way, teams can spend more time selling cars and less time managing fees.”
Transparent pricing starts with up-to-date data.
Mobility Global’s FeeSync helps dealerships keep pricing information aligned across systems by creating a centralized source for dealer fees. Instead of updating multiple platforms manually, dealers can manage fee information in one place and sync it across participating solutions.
Dealers can also manage included fees directly in Mastermind, making it easier to keep payment calculations accurate and current.
The California CARS Act and other regulations require dealerships to retain advertising records for at least two years.
automotiveMastermind automatically archives a PDF copy of every direct mail campaign deployed through the platform. If records are needed for an audit or review, they can be retrieved through the support team.
Dealers can also use Fritz, automotiveMastermind’s AI assistant, to generate email and SMS messaging that sales teams can review and personalize before sending.
California may be leading the current wave of pricing transparency legislation, but it’s unlikely to be the last state to introduce new requirements.
Dealerships that rely on flexible technology and centralized pricing management will be better positioned to adapt as regulations continue to evolve. Rather than treating compliance as a last-minute project, dealers can build processes today that support both transparency and operational efficiency.
Pricing transparency is quickly becoming a competitive advantage.
With automotiveMastermind’s predictive marketing solutions, automated pricing logic, and FeeSync integration, dealerships can reduce compliance risk while delivering the straightforward buying experience consumers increasingly expect.
Ready to see how automotiveMastermind helps dealerships manage pricing across customer touchpoints? Schedule a personalized demo and see the platform in action.
Dealers can use automotiveMastermind’s intelligent dealership software to automate pricing compliance without slowing down marketing efforts. When the platform generates a payment-based campaign, it automatically uses up-to-date inventory data, calculates a displayed selling price based on that information, and includes it within the offer. If required pricing details aren’t available, the system automatically defaults to model-level marketing, helping reduce compliance risk.
Current state and federal guidance emphasize displaying the vehicle’s total selling price when advertising a specific vehicle. This total price includes dealer fees, required add-ons, and pre-installed accessories while excluding taxes and registration fees. automotiveMastermind automates these calculations across direct mail and digital campaigns.
Yes. The platform automatically archives a digital PDF copy of every direct mail campaign for two years. If records are requested during an audit or review, dealerships can retrieve them through the support team.
