Car buying services compared: CarEdge, Delivrd, Drive Right and more
Short answer: A car buying service finds the car, works the dealers and negotiates the price for you. The services below differ on the fee, whether a person or software does the negotiating, which cars they take on, and who else pays them. Where a person handles the search and the haggling, published fees run from $395 (Drive Right Full Service) to $1,695 (Car Pal, for trucks). If you would rather do the work yourself, CarEdge’s $49.99 AI agent, Costco’s member program and our free quote worksheet cost little or nothing.
We run Drive Right, so we are one of the options on this page and not a neutral reviewer. Everything here about another company comes from that company’s own website, with the link next to the fact. We checked every source on October 18, 2026. Prices and terms change, so confirm them on the company’s site before you pay anyone, us included.
Services where a person negotiates for you
Each of these companies puts a person between you and the dealers. Fees are for one car purchase, as each company publishes them.
| Service | Published fee | What the fee covers | Cars | Refunds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drive Right Full Service | $395 one-time fee, paid up front | One dedicated advisor searches inventory, contacts dealers by phone and email, negotiates the price and checks the fees. Written recommendations. | New, used and CPO, nationwide | Full refund if you cancel before negotiations begin. |
| Drive Right Ultimate Concierge | $695 one-time fee, paid up front | Everything in Full Service, plus auctions, forums, private sellers and out-of-state dealers, first-in-line service and help arranging shipping. | New, used and CPO, nationwide | Same terms as Full Service |
| CarEdge Concierge | $999 per car search, paid when the search starts | A dedicated expert handles research, dealer outreach, test drives, negotiation, paperwork review and delivery logistics. | New or used, buying or leasing; deals closed in all 50 states | Non-refundable 24 hours after your first consultation, or once you agree to proceed |
| Delivrd Insta-Pay Deal Negotiation | $1,000 per deal, paid up front | Out-the-door pricing from several dealers, at least two options to choose from, trade-in and financing review, and help closing. | New cars only; used paused as of October 18, 2026 | Refund only before work starts. $250 to change trim or features, $500 to switch cars. |
| Car Pal Full Service | $1,195 for cars and SUVs, $1,695 for trucks; some scarce cars may add $200 to $500 | Negotiation, fee and add-on review, third-party inspections for used cars, home or office delivery and a final paperwork review. | New or used, buying or leasing | Not listed on its pricing page |
| Automatch Consulting | $499 if you know the car, $599 if you want help choosing; custom quote for specialty cars | Finds and compares deals for the car you want. | New, used and leases | Not listed on its payments page |
| Authority Auto Full Service | Not published; call for pricing | Negotiates with several dealerships and handles the new-car buying or leasing process. | New cars and leases | Not listed on its full-service page |
Each company name links to the page its fee comes from. Fees and terms as published on each company’s site, checked October 18, 2026. Drive Right’s fees do not include the car, taxes, registration, inspection, financing, insurance or delivery.
Lower-cost and do-it-yourself options
These cost less or nothing up front, but no person takes on your whole deal the way the services above do.
| Option | Price to you | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| CarEdge AI Buying Agent | $49.99 during its beta (normally $149) | Software runs the deal, and a person steps in when something unusual comes up. Refund if dealer outreach hasn’t started. |
| Authority Auto Free deal review | Free unless they beat your deal, then you split the savings | You send a written quote and they try to beat it. |
| Car Pal Beat your best deal | Half of the extra savings, with Car Pal’s share capped at $1,500 | You bring your best deal and they try to beat it. |
| Costco Auto Program | No program fee listed; Costco membership required | A price prearranged with a participating dealer. You go to the dealer and finish the purchase yourself. |
| Consumer Reports Build & Buy | No service fee listed; member savings need a CR Digital or All Access membership | Run by TrueCar, with prices from TrueCar’s dealer network. Nobody negotiates for you. |
| Do it yourself | Free | Ask several dealers for written out-the-door quotes on the same car and compare them in our quote comparison worksheet. |
How each one works
Drive Right
Drive Right is based in Austin and works with buyers nationwide, remotely. You pay the flat fee through Stripe, then tell us the car. Mason replies within one business day of payment to confirm the search and when it starts. We search new, used and CPO inventory, work the dealers by phone and email, negotiate for a price below MSRP and check the fees before you sign. Most searches take one to two weeks from payment to a signed deal. Rare specs and factory orders take longer, and we tell you that up front.
Good fit if you want one advisor to handle the dealers for a flat fee, including for used and CPO cars. For a hard-to-find car, Ultimate Concierge adds auctions, private sellers and out-of-state dealers to the search. Full Service is $395 and Ultimate Concierge is $695.
CarEdge
CarEdge’s Concierge costs $999 per car search, paid when the search starts. According to its service page, a dedicated expert handles research, dealer outreach, test drives, negotiation, paperwork review and delivery logistics. It covers new or used cars, bought or leased. CarEdge says it has closed deals in all 50 states and that a deal typically takes 7 to 10 days from sign-up to taking the car. Its AI Buying Agent costs $49.99 during the beta: software runs the deal and a person steps in when something goes sideways. CarEdge also publishes free research tools, such as dealer ratings. Our CarEdge alternatives page has the full breakdown.
Good fit if you want free research tools, a low-cost AI agent, or a large company with a big library of guides.
Delivrd
Delivrd (no “e”; it’s often typed as “Delivered”) is a founder-led negotiation service with a team of deal coordinators and negotiators. Its Insta-Pay Deal Negotiation costs $1,000 per deal, paid up front. Delivrd gets out-the-door pricing from several dealers, gives you at least two options and helps you close, with trade-in and financing review included. On October 18, 2026, its checkout notice said it was only negotiating new cars. Its service agreement allows a refund only before work starts. Our Delivrd alternatives page has the full breakdown.
Good fit if you are buying new, you know the exact configuration, and you can wait for the start date it quotes: within 7 to 10 business days of your consult, per its Insta-Pay page.
Car Pal
Car Pal is based in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and works with buyers nationwide. Its full service costs $1,195 for cars and SUVs and $1,695 for trucks, and its pricing page says some scarce vehicles may add a $200 to $500 surcharge. It covers new and used cars, bought or leased, and arranges third-party inspections for used cars and home or office delivery. Car Pal also sells $495 consulting and a “beat your best deal” option that splits any extra savings with you, with Car Pal’s share capped at $1,500.
Good fit if you want inspection and delivery arranged as part of the service and are comfortable paying more for it.
Automatch Consulting
Automatch Consulting, created by Tom McParland, lists two packages on its payments page: $499 when you already know the car you want, and $599 when you want help choosing or want several deals compared. Unusual and specialty cars get a custom quote. Packages cover new, used and leased cars.
Good fit if you want a founder-run service and a fee under $600.
Authority Auto
Authority Auto negotiates with several dealerships and handles the new-car buying or leasing process, with full-service pricing by phone. It also runs a free deal review: send a written quote, and if it gets you a better deal, you split the savings.
Good fit if you already have a written quote on a new car or lease and want someone to try to beat it.
Costco Auto Program
The Costco Auto Program is run by Affinity Auto Programs. Members get a price prearranged with a participating dealer, then go to that dealer and complete the purchase themselves. Its terms say Costco doesn’t negotiate individual deals.
Good fit if you are already a member and want a set price at a participating dealer near you, without haggling.
Consumer Reports Build & Buy
Consumer Reports’ Build & Buy service is run by TrueCar and shows new-car prices from TrueCar’s dealer network, with extra savings for CR Digital or All Access members. You take the price to the dealer yourself.
Good fit if you are a CR member and want a quick price check on a new car.
Who pays them, and why it matters
A flat fee doesn’t always mean the buyer is the only one paying. A service can also earn money from dealers, lenders, warranty sellers or insurers, and that can shape which dealers it calls first. Here is what each company says on its own site.
| Company | What it says about money from dealers or others |
|---|---|
| Drive Right | Dealers and lenders pay us nothing. You pay the flat fee, and you’re the only one we work for. |
| Delivrd | Its About page says it never accepts kickbacks or bonuses from dealerships or manufacturers. |
| Authority Auto | Its FAQ says it “will never accept any type of commission from a dealer.” |
| CarEdge | Its pricing page says: “One-time. No commissions, no dealer kickbacks.” CarEdge also runs CarEdge Certified, a paid program for dealerships: its dealer page says enrollment “bills a card” and that certified dealers “show up first” when a CarEdge shopper is looking for a car they have. Its terms say CarEdge “may receive compensation or other consideration in connection with referrals, sponsored placements, marketplace activity or Consumer-requested services.” |
| Costco Auto Program | Its terms say “A participation fee has been paid by the dealers participating in Costco Auto Program.” |
| Consumer Reports Build & Buy | CR says it “collects a fee from TrueCar for vehicles purchased from a TrueCar dealer.” |
| Car Pal | Its FAQ says a car broker “gets paid by a dealership” and that “Car Pal is not a car broker.” |
| Automatch Consulting | We found no statement either way on the pages we checked. |
Money from dealers doesn’t automatically mean bad advice. It is a reason to ask which dealers get contacted first, and why.
Questions to ask any car buying service before you pay
- Is the fee per car, per search or per deal? What happens if I change the trim, the color or the whole car halfway through?
- When do I pay, and how much do I get back if no deal happens?
- Who negotiates: a named person, a team or software?
- Will you take on used cars, CPO, private sellers or a dealer in another state?
- Do dealers, lenders, warranty companies or insurers pay you anything?
- What do I get in writing: the quotes, the dealers you contacted, your recommendation?
- How long does a typical search take, and what if the car is scarce?
- Who checks the final contract against the quote before I sign?
Whoever you hire, compare final offers on the out-the-door total, not the monthly payment. Our guide to comparing new-car quotes shows how.
Common questions
Which car buying service is the cheapest?
Where a person searches and negotiates for you, Drive Right’s Full Service has the lowest published fee in the first table, at $395. CarEdge’s AI Buying Agent costs $49.99 during its beta, but software runs the deal. Authority Auto’s deal review costs nothing unless it beats your quote.
Do I get my money back if no deal happens?
It depends on the service and on when you stop. At Drive Right, cancel before negotiations begin and you get a full refund. During negotiations, refund eligibility depends on the work already done. Delivrd refunds only before work starts. CarEdge’s Concierge fee becomes non-refundable 24 hours after your first consultation, or once you agree to proceed, whatever the outcome. Its AI agent refunds you before outreach to dealers starts. Get the terms in writing before you pay.
Is a person better than an AI agent?
An AI agent costs less and can collect quotes on a common car. A person can read each quote, spot the add-ons and fees, and keep pushing by phone. CarEdge’s own AI tier hands unusual problems to a person. A person is easier to work with when the car is scarce, used, or the deal includes a trade-in and financing.
Is a car buying service worth it?
It depends on your time, the car and how comfortable you are negotiating. If you know the exact car and like haggling by email, request written quotes yourself and compare them with our free worksheet. If you would rather hand the dealers to someone else, weigh the fees above against the hours you would spend.
Do car buying services work for used cars?
Many do. Drive Right, CarEdge, Car Pal and Automatch list used cars. Delivrd said on October 18, 2026 that it was only negotiating new cars, and Authority Auto describes its full service as the new-car buying or leasing process.
Do I have to live near the company?
No. The services in the first table work with buyers remotely. Drive Right is based in Austin and works with buyers anywhere in the U.S.
Does USAA still have a car buying service?
No. USAA’s program was run by TrueCar, and TrueCar’s quarterly report says the partnership ended on September 30, 2020.
Is CarBargains still running?
No. Consumers’ Checkbook says it stopped its CarBargains and LeaseWise services on September 15, 2023.
Want a person to handle the dealers? Full Service is $395: one advisor searches new, used and CPO inventory, negotiates and checks the fees. Ultimate Concierge is $695 and adds auctions, forums, private sellers, out-of-state dealers and help arranging shipping. Full refund if you cancel before negotiations begin. Dealers and lenders pay us nothing.
Sources and updates
Written by Mason, Drive Right’s founder and lead advisor. Every fee and term for another company comes from that company’s own pages, linked above, and was checked on October 18, 2026. We recheck them at least every three months and whenever a company changes its offer. Drive Right’s fees and terms are on our pricing page and in our refund policy.
CarEdge, Delivrd, Car Pal, Automatch Consulting, Authority Auto, Costco, Consumer Reports, TrueCar, USAA and Consumers’ Checkbook are names owned by their companies. Drive Right is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of them. If something here is out of date or wrong, email [email protected] and we will correct it.