Autobytel Partners with DriveItNow to Launch Car Payment Conversion Tool for Dealer Websites

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 21, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq:ABTL), pioneer of the automotive Internet and the company dedicated to connecting automotive consumers with dealers, today announced it now offers an effective and easy-to-use car payment conversion tool for dealer websites.

Autobytel's Payment Pro® - powered by DriveItNow® - provides online car shoppers with instant and customized monthly car payment options based on individual credit and inventory eligibility, while delivering pre-qualified leads direct to dealers.

How Payment Pro® works:

1) When consumers visit a dealer's desktop or mobile website and click on the Payment Pro® button, they're provided with real time car payment information for any of the vehicles in the dealer's inventory.

2) Once shoppers complete the general information form - no social security information or birth date is required - the Payment Pro® system determines credit eligibility and then instantly displays customized monthly car payment options based on the customer's specific criteria.

3) Payment Pro® then delivers the customer's credit eligibility and desired payment information in the form of a first-party lead direct to the dealer.

"When consumers are given upfront information to determine what they can afford on a monthly basis, dealers can be more flexible with pricing and negotiation," said Phil DuPree, EVP / President of Dealer Services for Autobytel. "Customers are immediately engaged, haggling decreases, and time wasted on showing consumers cars they can't afford is avoided. Payment Pro® makes car buying easier for consumers while delivering pre-qualified leads straight from a dealer's website to his showroom."

DuPree says Payment Pro® offers dealers a variety of additional benefits, including higher quality customer prospects and conversion rates, and the ability for dealers to set their own prices and financing terms instead of engaging in competitive pricing wars which drive down profit margins.

"The great part about Payment Pro® is that it complements the Autobytel mobile website products we offer dealers, and can be easily integrated into a dealer's mobile strategy," said DuPree.

The technology behind Payment Pro® is powered by the automotive experts at DriveItNow®. "The team at Autobytel invented online car buying and selling so they understand, more than anyone, the necessary ingredients for successful online automotive sales," said Tarry Shebesta, President of DriveItNow®. "Giving dealers the ability to quote customized car payment options upfront saves time, enhances engagement, and increases conversions. The end result is Autobytel's ability to deliver real-time, pre-qualified leads to dealers straight from their very own websites."

Payment Pro® is available immediately for auto dealer desktop and mobile sites. To learn more, visit paymentprodemo.com, or contact your Autobytel sales representative at (866) 589-5498.

About Autobytel Inc.
Autobytel Inc. provides high quality consumer leads and associated marketing services to automotive dealers and manufacturers throughout the United States and offers consumers robust and original online automotive content to help them make informed car-buying decisions. The company pioneered the automotive internet in 1995 with its flagship website www.autobytel.com and has since helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and helped every major automaker market its brand online.

Investors and other interested parties can receive Autobytel news releases and invitations to special events by accessing the online registration form.

About DriveItNow®
DriveItNow® is a patent-pending monthly payment marketing technology service of Automobile Consumer Services, Inc. DriveItNow® services include a Trade-in Equity Analyzer and the industry's only Shop-by-Payment technology.