What does a car buying service cost? Fees and fee models compared
Short answer: Published fees for a person who finds and negotiates one car run from $395 (the Steer Me Right plan) to $999 at CarEdge, $1,000 at Delivrd and $1,195 to $1,695 at Car Pal, by each company’s own pricing page, checked November 10, 2026. Steer Me Right Pro is $695 for up to three models. Other services charge nothing up front and are paid by dealers, or take a share of what they save you. The fee model tells you whose side the service is on.
The four ways car buying services charge
- A flat fee you pay. One price, agreed before work starts, whatever the car costs. Steer Me Right ($395 or $695), CarEdge Concierge ($999), Delivrd ($1,000), Car Pal ($1,195 and up) and Automatch Consulting ($499 and $599) all publish flat fees. Because the buyer pays, the service has no reason to steer you to a particular dealer.
- A share of the savings. The service reviews a quote you already have and, if it gets a better deal, splits the difference with you. Authority Auto’s deal review works this way. You pay nothing if nothing improves, but the service earns more the higher your starting quote was.
- Paid by the dealer. You pay nothing. A participating dealer pays the program a fee, and you get a prearranged price. The Costco Auto Program says it does not negotiate individual transactions and that participating dealers pay a participation fee. The dealer is the customer, so nobody is arguing your price down.
- Software or a subscription. A tool gathers offers or shows pricing data for a small fee. CarEdge’s AI Buying Agent lists at $49.99 in beta (normally $149) on its pricing page. Cheap, but you do the judging and the final haggling yourself.
Searches for “auto broker fees” or “how much do car brokers charge” usually mean the first two models. The word broker is slippery, though: Car Pal’s FAQ says a broker “gets paid by a dealership” and that “Car Pal is not a car broker.” Whatever a service calls itself, ask who pays it.
Published prices for a person who negotiates for you
| Service | Fee | When you pay | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steer Me Right Steer Me Right plan | $395 one-time fee | Up front, through Stripe | One model; search, dealer outreach, negotiation of price and fees, written recommendations |
| Steer Me Right Steer Me Right Pro | $695 one-time fee | Up front, through Stripe | Up to three models priced side by side, out-of-state dealers, our pick of the best deal |
| Automatch Consulting | $499 Premium, $599 Platinum, custom Prestige quote | Not stated on its payments page | Premium if you know the car; Platinum if you want help choosing |
| CarEdge Concierge | $999 flat, per car | At search start | One fee covers the whole search; new or used |
| Delivrd Insta-Pay | $1,000 per deal | Up front | New cars only; out-the-door pricing from several dealers, trade-in and financing review |
| Car Pal Full Service | $1,195 cars and SUVs, $1,695 trucks | See its pricing page | New and used; $495 consulting option |
| Authority Auto | Quoted by phone | See its pages | New-car buying or leasing |
Each company’s own published price, checked November 10, 2026. Refund rules, change fees and who negotiates are compared in car buying services compared, with more on CarEdge in CarEdge alternatives and on Delivrd in Delivrd alternatives.
What the fee doesn’t cover
At every service we list, the fee is for the work, not the car. You still pay the vehicle price, taxes, registration, any inspection, financing, insurance and delivery. Some services add charges if your search changes: Delivrd’s service agreement lists $250 for a trim or features change and $500 for a different car. At Steer Me Right, trims, colors and packages within a model don’t count extra, and you can upgrade from the Steer Me Right plan to Steer Me Right Pro later by paying the $300 difference.
Check the refund terms too. Steer Me Right: full refund if you cancel before negotiations begin. CarEdge’s pricing FAQ, when we read it on October 18, 2026, said its Concierge fee is non-refundable 24 hours after the initial consultation or once you agree to proceed. Delivrd refunds only before work starts.
Is the fee worth it?
Three honest ways to judge a flat fee:
- Your hours. A search means listings, dealer calls, emails, follow-ups and at least one long afternoon at a dealership. If that is ten or more hours of your time, divide the fee by it.
- Written offers you wouldn’t get alone. Dealers quote a buyer who is clearly shopping several stores differently from a walk-in. The negotiator’s job is to make every dealer know it is one of several.
- The fees you don’t pay. Add-ons, protection packages and padded document fees often show up only at signing. Having someone check the out-the-door number before you arrive is where a flat fee most often pays for itself.
We can’t promise a specific discount, and neither can anyone else honestly; the market for your car sets what a dealer will do. What a flat fee buys is someone whose only pay comes from you. Dealers and lenders pay us nothing.
Common questions
How much does a car buying service cost?
Between $395 and about $1,700 for a person to find and negotiate one car, by the published prices we checked on November 10, 2026. Steer Me Right is $395 for one model or $695 for up to three. Dealer-paid programs cost you nothing but do not negotiate for you.
How much do car brokers charge?
It depends on who pays them. A dealer-paid broker costs you nothing up front and is paid by the dealer. Buyer-paid services publish flat fees from $395 to $1,695. Always ask which one you are talking to.
Is a car buying service free?
Some are free to you because a dealer pays, such as the Costco Auto Program. Nobody at a dealer-paid program is negotiating your price down, though. A service you pay works only for you.
Does the fee include the car?
No, at any service. The fee covers the search and negotiation. The car, taxes, registration, inspection, financing, insurance and delivery are separate.
What do I get for $395 at Steer Me Right?
One advisor finds the car, works the dealers and handles the haggling for one model, with any trims, colors and packages. New, used and CPO dealer inventory. We negotiate the price and check the fees, and send written recommendations. Full refund if you cancel before negotiations begin.
Ready to hand off the dealer? The Steer Me Right plan is $395 and Steer Me Right Pro is $695, for new, used and CPO cars. Your advisor searches, works the dealers by phone and email, negotiates and checks the fees. Full refund if you cancel before negotiations begin. Dealers and lenders pay us nothing.
Sources and updates
Written by Mason, Steer Me Right’s founder and lead advisor. Prices for CarEdge, Delivrd, Car Pal and Automatch Consulting were read on their own pages, linked above, on November 10, 2026; Authority Auto’s and the Costco Auto Program’s descriptions were read on October 18, 2026, and Car Pal’s broker line comes from its FAQ. We recheck prices monthly and the rest quarterly. Related: Is CarEdge Concierge worth it?, our Delivrd review, used car buying service and how a car negotiation service works.
CarEdge, Delivrd, Car Pal, Automatch Consulting, Authority Auto and Costco are names owned by their companies. Steer Me Right is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. If something is out of date or wrong, email hello@steermeright.com and we will correct it.