Deal Recap

A deal recap is a consolidated summary of the major details and financial components of a completed vehicle transaction. It presents a high-level overview of the customer, vehicle, pricing, financing terms, and gross profit for each department (front-end, back-end, and service). 

Unlike a deal jacket, which contains every document in full, the deal recap distills the information into a single record that managers can review quickly to evaluate profitability, compliance status, and overall deal health.

Purpose of Deal Recap

The purpose of the deal recap is to:

• Provide a snapshot of critical deal details in one place
• Allow managers to verify whether the transaction meets profit and compliance targets quickly
• Identify exceptions or discrepancies that require follow-up
• Facilitate internal communication between Sales, F&I, and Accounting
• Enable post-mortem analysis and comparison of deals over time 

Rather than digging through a full digital or paper deal jacket, leadership can open the deal recap and instantly determine whether everything is in order.

What Does a Deal Recap Include? 

Deal recaps are typically generated automatically by the dealership’s DMS or reporting platform once all the documents in the deal jacket have been completed. A standard deal recap contains: 

The recap is usually reviewed and approved by a manager or controller before the deal is finalized.

Importance of Deal Recap 

The deal recap is important for several reasons:

• Speed: Managers can review the entire transaction in minutes instead of reading through full documents
• Profit Validation: Allows quick verification of front-end and back-end gross margins
• Compliance Check: Highlights missing documents or unsigned forms before funding
• Reporting and Benchmarking: Enables comparison of deal performance across sales reps or stores
• Operational Accountability: Ensures that no step has been bypassed or overlooked

Without a deal recap, dealerships risk funding delays, missed errors, or lower profitability due to unchecked transaction details.

Example 

A dealership delivers a financed vehicle and submits a digital deal jacket for review. The DMS automatically generates a deal recap that shows the following:

The sales manager quickly reviews this screen, confirms all items are in order, and signs off. The recap is stored as part of the permanent deal record.

Major Considerations While Implementing Deal Recap

Although a deal recap consolidates information into a simple summary, its accuracy and usefulness depend entirely on the supporting inputs and system setup. Dealerships must ensure the underlying data is reliable and that internal teams understand how to maintain and interpret the information correctly.

• Accurate Data Input: All numbers in the recap depend on proper entry in earlier stages
• Real-Time Updates: Recaps must update dynamically if any part of the deal structure changes
• System Configuration: Custom fields should be added to reflect dealership-specific KPIs
• Training: Users need to understand how to interpret each line of the recap
• Integration: Recaps should pull data from all cylinders (Sales, F&I, Service, Accounting)

When planned and used properly, deal recaps help dealerships quickly measure the success and compliance of every single transaction. 

Partner with ATN to train your team on creating accurate deal recaps that improve profitability, compliance, and decision-making.