Integrated vs Standalone Payments in DealerWorks

Modified on Fri, Mar 6 at 12:52 PM

Integrated vs Standalone Payments in DealerWorks

How your dealership is set up affects how you start a payment and what information appears in transactions and reports. This article explains the difference between integrated (DMS-connected) and standalone (manual entry) dealerships.

Quick comparison

Setup type	How you start a payment	What shows in reporting
Integrated (DMS-connected)	Select a DMS-linked RO or invoice in Process Transactions	Includes DMS-linked references (RO/invoice details, where available)
Standalone (not integrated)	Enter customer name, reference, and amount manually in Process Transactions	Uses the references you entered — no DMS-linked record

Note

All payments start from Process Transactions regardless of setup type. The difference is how the payment context is created before you complete the payment.

Integrated dealerships

DealerWorks pulls DMS-backed orders directly into the payment workflow. You select an existing RO or invoice — you don't manually enter the context.

Search and select a recent DMS-linked RO or invoice.
The order reference and related details are pre-filled from the DMS record.
The amount may be pre-filled, depending on what's available from the DMS.

Standalone dealerships

DealerWorks does not have a DMS feed. You create the payment context manually at the start of each transaction.

Enter the customer name.
Enter the reference (RO number, invoice number, or deal number).
Enter the payment amount.

If something looks different from what you expect

What you see	What it likely means
No ROs appear to select	You may be at a standalone dealership, in a department that isn't integrated, or the integration may not support that workflow.
Amount shows $0.00 (integrated)	The DMS-linked amount may not be available or may be out of date. Use Sync Amount to pull the latest balance before collecting payment.
A payment method is missing	Payment method availability is controlled by dealership configuration and applies to both integrated and standalone setups.

Common questions

Does integration affect which payment methods I can use?

No. Integration affects how the payment context is created. Payment method availability is set by your dealership's configuration, not by integration type.

Can standalone dealerships still track customers and transactions?

Yes. Customer and transaction tracking is maintained within DealerWorks regardless of integration type.

Why does an integrated payment already show an amount?

Because the amount comes from the associated DMS-linked record — such as the repair order or invoice balance.

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