San Francisco, Sept. 01, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sept. 1, 2021 (San Francisco) – Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) has joined AutoFi's North American network of automotive lenders. AutoFi is the leading commerce platform for end-to-end digital automotive sales and financing. The new collaboration supports Wells Fargo's goal of offering customers more digital options while also giving consumers the additional flexibility they want to quickly and easily conduct business.
Shifting demographics, consumer tastes, and the COVID-19 pandemic have all combined to accelerate the adoption of digital finance in automotive retail. Consumers now expect a fully touchless digital purchasing option. According to the June 2020 CarGurus U.S. COVID-19 Sentiment Study, before the pandemic, 32% of car shoppers were open to buying online. Now, 60% are open to the idea. Working together, Wells Fargo and AutoFi will help consumers complete their digital purchase journey seamlessly and conveniently, including prequalifying for a loan to approval and financing.
Customers of the country's top automotive dealers, digital retailers, and online marketplaces can obtain real-time credit decisioning from Wells Fargo. After selecting the financing terms and monthly payment that work best for them, customers can easily shop for their vehicle, learn the value of their trade-in vehicle, and select financing and F&I products entirely online.
"Our customers are our top priority — both dealers and consumers. Across Wells Fargo, we are making investments in digital capabilities, so we can seamlessly serve customers across channels and provide choice in how they do business with us," said Tanya Sanders, head of Wells Fargo Auto. "Joining the AutoFi platform helps us reach and serve more consumers and do it in a way that supports consumers' changing car-buying habits."
"We are thrilled to partner with the Wells Fargo Auto team. We share a common vision of using technology to deliver a delightful consumer purchase experience," said Kevin Singerman, CEO of San Francisco-based AutoFi. "By working together, we can bring tremendous value to both traditional and digital dealers as well as online marketplaces across the nation."
AutoFi's platform and APIs empower the nation's leading automotive lenders' ability to reach and seamlessly serve more customers with a better car-buying experience. The company also helps lenders provide dealers with powerful tools to close sales faster than ever before. As a result, hundreds of thousands of customers representing billions of dollars in vehicle sales and finance will come through the AutoFi platform this year.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is the leading middle-market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment, and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 37 on Fortune's 2021 rankings of America's largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy. News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.
About AutoFi
AutoFi is the leading commerce platform for end-to-end digital automotive sales and financing, powering billions of dollars in transactions every year. AutoFi empowers sellers, including the nation's top dealers and digital retailers, to sell more efficiently and profitably through its innovative platform and expansive network of trusted lenders. Additionally, AutoFi's Lending as a Service API offers customized solutions that power the financing for the largest branded automotive marketplaces in the industry. For more information, visit www.autofi.com.