How Much Do Card Dealers Make

Dealers can make as much as $100,000 per year. The average dealing job at a small casino. The average Card or Game Dealer salary in the United States is $17,500 as of January 29, 2021, but the range typically falls between $15,100 and $20,600. Salary ranges can vary widely depending on many important factors, including education, certifications, additional skills, the number of years you have spent in your profession.

  1. How Much Do Card Dealers Make
  2. Casino Dealer Salary
  3. How Much Do Card Dealers Make In Vegas
  4. Blackjack Dealers Pay
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How much money do car dealerships really make on car sales? Photo: Creative Commons

Read this before heading to a car dealership to buy a new car.

How Much Do Card Dealers Make

How Much Do Card Dealers Make

Ross Hamilton, General Manager at Apple Ford and Apple Chevrolet in Marlin, Texas says car dealerships make money in every capacity.

“We sell a product and we mark up the costs,” he begins, adding that cars are generally marked up from three to five percent over the invoice price the dealer paid for the car, which is not the same as the MSRP on the window sticker.

“We make money on everything though, and that includes parts, service and the car sale.” Industry estimates put dealership per-car profits at just over $2,000 per vehicle sold, even though dealers tend to lose about $200 per car over their cost to purchase it. How can that be? Keep reading.

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Learn these terms: Dealer Holdback, Dealer Cash and Stair-Step Incentives; These are What’s Driving the Dealer

Yes, dealers make money on each car they sell. But often, that profit comes from the manufacturer, not the customer.

When a car shopper finds herself in a car dealership she should remember the sticker price on the car is just a starting point and the price she should pay for a new car should negotiate down from there.

That’s because there are incentives at work that the consumer never sees. “Dealer holdback” is money that is given to the dealership by the manufacturer when the car is sold. This is usually no more than three percent, but it puts money in the dealership’s pocket.

Then there’s a thing called “dealer cash” that is used by the manufacturer to give the dealer a reason to make sure that each car rolls off the lot. Dealer cash incentives are often tied to particular models, something you might see when you go to look at one model but hear a lot about another model instead.

And, there’s the practice of “stair-step incentives” in which the manufacturer pays the dealership for the total number of cars sold in a given period and typically this builds throughout the year. So while the dealership may earn a single sum for the number of cars sold in a given month, that sum may jump up for a larger number sold that quarter and an even larger number sold for the year.

Now you can see why end of the month and end of the year deals can be so enticing.

Yes, Dealers Make Money On Financing

How Much Do Card Dealers Make

“Financing makes the dealership money,” Hamilton explains. “It is here we can increase our revenue through extended service plans and marked-up finance rates,” which is a big area of profit for dealers. Dealerships ‘buy’ financing at one rate and ‘sell’ it to customers at another and keep the difference. This can add up to thousands of dollars over the life of a loan. However, this means that loan rates are a negotiable item for dealerships, too: if they are feeling pressured to hit a sales goal, they may be able to lower a customer’s loan rate to meet or beat that of a bank.

Dealers also can profit from “what is called gap insurance,” Hamilton told us. “If a car gets totaled this insurance will pay off” the the difference between what the insurance company pays for the car and the amount you’ve borrowed to buy the car. Gap insurance is usually only recommended to buyers who make a very small downpayment on a car and finance most of the purchase.

Knowing how car dealerships can make money can help you negotiate the best new car purchase price. Photo: Creative Commons

Should you sell your car independently or trade it in? Photo: Creative Commons

Casino Dealer Salary

Your Trade-In Equals More Money For The Dealer

Of course, most people are aware the car salesperson is working for a commission and that means the salesperson wants to sell you a car for more than you want to pay.

Normally, when a car buyer is in the market for a new car there is also going to be a trade-in to use for negotiating purposes.

This is where car dealerships can make money, too, if the buyer does not know what the trade-in is worth. A tip from www.autocheatsheet.com suggests “You will not make as much money if you trade your vehicle in at a dealership. You should always attempt to sell your vehicle privately or on your own.”

It is also a good idea to remember that when you buy a car you are the buyer and when you trade-in your car you are the seller. Make these two different negotiations and you’ll get a better deal on both counts.

How Much Money Do Car Dealerships Really Make On Car Sales?

In regard to the sale of the car, the National Automobile Dealers Association points out that only about 30% of a dealership’s revenue comes in through car sales. Hamilton says that over 35% of the dealership’s profit then comes from finance and insurance as well as service contracts.

Then, there’s service, which is a big profit area, too. Customers returning to have their cars serviced or repaired, new tires installed, and recall repairs, which are paid for by the manufacturer, can add a lot to a dealership’s income.

And then, there are other profit centers: Carrying a brand’s signage and decor can yield payments from the manufacturer, selling used cars bought at auction and selling merchandise and accessories all add to the bottom line.

Be Smart in the New Car Purchase Game

How Much Do Card Dealers Make In Vegas

So, while we all have to make a living, just remember: dealerships selling new and used cars have a set way of earning their paycheck. By doing your due diligence and knowing how they profit before you buy a new car, you’ll come away knowing that both you and the dealership got a fair deal.

Blackjack Dealers Pay

When it comes to just how much a Car Dealer will markup a Used Car, the short answer is: Around 10 to 15 percent, or anywhere from $1,500 to $3,500 for your “Average” used car. By average I am referring to any car priced between $10,000 to $20,000.

The long answer is that Used Cars don’t exactly have an MSRP, so assuming to know (For Sure) exactly what a dealer paid for a car is actually something that can set you back during negotiations, rather than ahead.

A lot of half hearted online car shopping websites will attempt to instruct you how to find a dealers real price, because let’s face it: If we had the dealer’s actual cost, we would then know without a doubt what a fair price was, and life would be so much simpler.

But, what these websites actually do is just push you to third parties stuffing their pockets like Truecar, CarsDirect, and Edmunds. Don’t get me wrong, these are definitely tools, but for the average person that may only buy a car every so many years, they are tools that can quickly turn into a trap because they’re goal is to get you into their system of dealers and sell you a car.

So, let me see if I can help you out from the standpoint of someone who doesn’t have to sell you a car:

Make

Research Used Car Listings on Autotrader, Cars.com, and CarGurus. Why these websites? Because these are the top most used and trusted vehicle listing websites. This means that they will not only have the most cars in their database, but they will also have the most current and up to date information that you can actually use to conduct proper research.

While going through these websites you will be looking for the cars that are the most similar to the vehicles you have found. Pay attention to:

  • Mileage
  • Vehicle History Reports Containing Accidents/Damage
  • Trim Level (Features)

Why These Factors?

Because these are the three biggest factors affecting value that you can actually compare/contrast without physically going and seeing each vehicle. If you find other vehicles priced lower that are better in any one, or all, of these 3 categories, show these listings to the seller/dealer and ask why their price is higher.

What To Ask:

Your first question to a dealer should always be why they set the price they did (Be respectful). If you don’t like the answer you get, your next question should be why you should be buying at their more expensive price (Which should be the first hint to them you will take your business elsewhere). But at least you are asking, and not telling.

Tip: Respect will get you better prices in the end, believe me!

If you become serious about one particular vehicle- Give the vehicle you are looking at a Pre-Purchase Inspection. These are anywhere from $100-$200, which I know will turn you off, because you are now spending money on a car you don’t own.

Salary Card Game

That being said, if that expense saves you thousands of dollars by disclosing an issue with the car you never would have discovered on your own, is it worth it?

Autohitch actually offers a Car Shopping Service (For only $20) that looks up your vehicle’s history along with current auction data for cars similar to yours. What this does is gives you insight into what dealers are currently buying and selling that exact same car for so that you will have a better idea of what it’s worth to the dealer.

Most people are eager to find a reason to leverage their seller/dealer into a lower price. So eager in fact, that they stop short of trying to understand why one car might have good reason to be priced higher/lower than another. If this happens to you, remember this: