Informativ launches new desking and payments tools for dealers and software partners
Informativ announced two products designed to speed and standardize how auto dealers structure finance and lease offers while staying within compliance guardrails: SmartPencil and a companion Payments API. The company positioned the tools to help present credit-qualified, transaction-ready payments earlier in the sales process. Live demos are slated for NADA 2026 in Las Vegas (Booth 4137W). Informativ, based in Frisco, Texas, is backed by private equity firm Capstreet.
SmartPencil: desking with built-in rules and compliance (company positioning)
- Built for “modern-day deal complexity” and aimed at desk managers and finance teams.
- Aggregates lender rules and compliance safeguards early in the deal to reduce manual calculations and ad hoc matrices.
- Enables quick “what-if” scenarios, keeps steps in compliance-focused order, and applies guardrails so a customer’s credit profile matches lender programs.
- Company says it helps managers quickly compare multiple lender scenarios and payment structures, standardize workflows, and reduce rewrites.
- Promotional claims include “profit optimization” and an emphasis on “payment accuracy.”
According to Informativ, SmartPencil can automatically recommend lender-qualified vehicles and deal structures to help “win more deals.”
Payments API: credit-qualified payments for platforms (company claims)
- Described as an intelligent Payments-as-a-Service, REST-based API serving real-time, transaction-ready loan and lease payments.
- Targeted at automotive software vendors to power marketing platforms, desking tools, dealer websites, and digital retailing systems.
- Claims include delivery of “accurate, fundable offers at the VIN level” and support for “real-time delivery and high-volume performance.”
- Technical specifics, lender networks, and partners were not disclosed beyond noting it is a REST API.
Context: compliance and fraud pressure in retail automotive
Informativ frames the launches against tighter regulatory expectations and ongoing fraud risks, asserting that embedding lender rules and compliance checkpoints in standard workflows can reduce risk and improve consistency and speed at the sales desk.
Where to see it at NADA 2026
- Live demos: Booth 4137W (West Hall).
- NADA Pitch Competition, NADA Live Stage: “A Sidekick for Superhero Desk Managers,” Wednesday, Feb. 4, 11:00 a.m.
- NADA Product Discovery Stage, Booth 2117W: “Up-level Your Talent with Credit-qualified Payments,” Thursday, Feb. 5, 11:00 a.m.
- NADA Live Stage: “Top Dealers Talk About Fraud Challenges & Showroom Wins,” Wednesday, Feb. 4, 1:30 p.m.
- NADA Dealer Learning Lab, Booth 8233N: “Fraud & Fine Prevention Playbook,” Thursday, Feb. 5, 11:15 a.m.
What was not disclosed
- Pricing, availability dates, and customer counts.
- Which lenders are modeled in SmartPencil and the breadth of lender coverage via the Payments API.
- Deeper technical specifications beyond the API being REST-based.
Company background
Informativ provides software across fraud prevention, compliance, credit, and payments for automotive and consumer finance. The company’s marketing positions emphasize optimizing consumer finance qualification, ensuring compliance, and enhancing profitability via automation and risk mitigation. The release also reports recognitions on the 2025 and 2024 Inc. 5000 lists and Great Place To Work certifications (company claims). Capstreet, Informativ’s backer, focuses on lower middle market business services and reports more than 50 platform investments and 200+ add-on acquisitions since 1990.
The announcement highlights a push for faster, more precise, and compliant desking, with “credit-qualified” payments intended to reduce rewrites and drive consistency across teams, according to the company.
