Motor trade Case Study: Stebbings Car Centre. How 24-Year-Old Roots and a Statement Review Saved £2,200+ a Year
When you have known a business for more than two decades, a conversation about merchant services feels very different.
It is not a cold sales call. It is a relationship built on history, trust and a proper understanding of how the business operates.
That was certainly the case when I approached Stebbings Car Centre in King’s Lynn, Norfolk. I first worked at Stebbings in 2002 and stayed for more than five years. Fortunately, I remained friends with owner Anthony Skerry.
When I explained that I now help businesses review their card processing costs and improve their payment setup, Anthony was happy for me to take a look. He introduced me to Luke from accounts, who gave me ten minutes of his time.
Those ten minutes led to a detailed statement review, a new three-terminal setup and potential ongoing savings of more than £2,200 a year.
The business: A major Norfolk dealership with high-value transactions
Stebbings Car Centre is a family-run dealership with a long history in Norfolk. The business was established in 1976 and now operates from its flagship site in King’s Lynn.
Stebbings stocks more than 500 quality used cars and vans. It also offers finance, part exchange, warranties, servicing and MOT-related services.
That creates a varied payment environment.
The sales team may be taking deposits or completing vehicle purchases. The workshop may be processing service, repair or maintenance payments. Customers may also need to pay remotely, particularly when arranging a vehicle purchase or service.
For a dealership handling high-value card transactions, the payment setup needs to do more than simply accept cards.
It needs to be:
✔ Cost-effective across a substantial card turnover
✔ Fast enough for a professional customer handover
✔ Reliable across the sales and workshop teams
✔ Flexible enough to support remote payments
✔ Easy for staff to use every day
Stebbings needed three card machines in total:
One terminal for the workshop
Two terminals for the sales team
The question was whether the existing merchant services arrangement was still competitive.
The problem: High turnover makes small rate differences expensive
Merchant statements can be difficult to interpret. They often contain different rates for debit cards, credit cards and commercial cards, alongside terminal rentals, secure transaction fees and other charges.
A rate difference that looks tiny can become significant when applied to more than £200,000 of monthly card payments.
Stebbings’ statement showed monthly card turnover of:
Almost 69% of Stebbings’ card sales were standard debit cards. Therefore, reducing the debit card processing rate offered the greatest opportunity.
This is why a generic “best rate” quote is not always useful. The right solution depends on your actual turnover, average transaction value and card mix.
The rate comparison
The biggest impact came from the reduction on debit cards and Visa Commercial Debit transactions.
The secure transaction fee increased from 1.5p to 3p. However, based on Stebbings’ transaction volume, this added less than £3 per month. That increase was more than offset by the processing rate reductions and the removal of monthly terminal rental.
The solution: Three Dojo terminals without ongoing rental
The original proposal was based on moving Stebbings to a Dojo payment solution.
Three terminals were required. At the usual rental price of £25 per terminal per month, this would have meant £75 in monthly rental costs.
Instead, I arranged a promotional setup where:
The terminals were supplied for a one-off fee of £149 each.
That removed an ongoing £75 monthly cost from the proposal.
The new setup was designed around the way Stebbings actually trades. The workshop received its own terminal, while the two sales machines gave the dealership flexibility during customer handovers and busy periods.
The aim was not simply to replace old equipment. It was to create a more practical setup for a busy UK motor trade business.
The extra saving found
The statement review identified the main opportunity. But before I visited Stebbings to install and configure the three terminals, something told me to review the setup again. This uncovered approximately £42 per month in additional unnecessary fees.
That is around £500 a year in further savings.
Combined with the original calculation, Stebbings’ potential ongoing saving is now:
£145.16 per month from the original statement review
Approximately £42 per month from additional unnecessary fees
More than £187 per month in total potential savings
Over £2,200 per year in recurring savings, subject to the agreed terms and transaction profile
The exact annual figure is approximately £2,241.92, based on the report saving of £1,741.92 plus the additional estimated £500.
That is a meaningful amount of money for any dealership. It can support vehicle preparation, staff costs, marketing, stock purchases or general cash flow.
A personal installation with a familiar face
The installation itself was especially enjoyable.
I visited the dealership in person to set up the three card machines. Anthony was there, so we spent time reminiscing about the old days and chewing the fat.
Returning to a business where I had worked back in 2002 was a genuine privilege. Stebbings has changed and grown over the years, but the personal connection remains.
That history also helped me understand the business beyond the numbers. I knew this was not just a standard retail environment. It was a dealership with separate sales and workshop requirements, high-value transactions and a reputation to protect.
Personal support matters when payment systems are central to daily operations. If there is a question about a machine, settlement or payment link, you want to speak to someone who understands your business.
Operational benefits beyond the saving
Reducing fees was important. However, the new setup also delivered practical improvements for the dealership.
Next working day settlement
Eligible payments can be settled on the next working day as standard, subject to the agreed terms.
For a motor trade business, quicker access to card takings can help support cash flow. It means money from vehicle deposits, workshop work and other payments is available sooner than with slower settlement arrangements.
4G backup connectivity
The Dojo Go Max includes Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity. If the dealership’s broadband connection fails, the terminal can automatically switch to its mobile connection.
That helps reduce the risk of a payment failing at the worst possible moment.
Around two-second transaction speed
Fast authorisation helps reduce waiting at the counter. This is particularly useful during vehicle handovers, busy workshop periods and multiple customer appointments.
The payment experience should feel like part of a smooth dealership process, not an interruption.
Payment links and mobile payments
The setup also supports flexible payment options such as:
✔ Secure payment links for deposits and remote payments
✔ Tap to Pay on a compatible iPhone
✔ QR code payment options
✔ A business dashboard and mobile app
These tools can be useful when a customer is not physically in front of the sales team or needs to complete a payment after a conversation.
What this case study means for other dealerships
Stebbings’ result came from looking at the whole arrangement rather than focusing on one headline rate.
The saving came from a combination of:
Lower debit card processing rates
Reduced credit card rates
A lower Visa Commercial Debit rate
Removal of £75 monthly terminal rental
Identification of approximately £42 in additional monthly fees
A terminal setup matched to the workshop and sales teams
If your dealership processes significant card turnover, small differences can quickly add up.
A statement review is particularly useful if:
Your current card machines are slow, unreliable or expensive.
You have more than one terminal and pay monthly rental on each.
Your dealership processes high-value card payments.
You have not reviewed your merchant services UK arrangement recently.
Your rates or fees have increased without a clear explanation.
You need faster settlements or more flexible remote payment options.
The outcome will vary between businesses. Savings are not guaranteed, and any proposal remains subject to eligibility, contract terms and your actual transaction profile.
However, the review itself is straightforward.
Send over a recent merchant statement and I can analyse the rates, card mix, terminal charges and additional fees. If you are already on a good deal, I will tell you. There is no point switching for the sake of it.
If there is an opportunity to improve your setup, I will show you the figures clearly.
The Stebbings result at a glance
✔ Over £200,000 in monthly card turnover reviewed
✔ £850.16 average transaction value
✔ Three Dojo terminals supplied for the workshop and sales team
✔ £145.16 monthly saving identified in the original report
✔ Approximately £42 extra monthly saving found during installation
✔ More than £2,200 potential annual saving in total
✔ Next-working-day settlement, subject to terms
✔ 4G backup connectivity
✔ Around two-second transaction speed
✔ Local, personal support from someone with more than 20 years of motor trade experience
Read more about Stebbings Car Centre in Norfolk or explore the Dojo Go Max card machine for UK businesses.
If you run a dealership, garage or workshop and want to understand what your current merchant arrangement is really costing, you can contact That Card Machine Guy or arrange a no-obligation business review.