Data reference
What CAR Financial needs for an initial review
Provide the interest rate, total down payment, payment frequency and amount, contract date, last paid date, oldest unpaid installment date, actual amount currently due including late fees, vehicle year, make, mileage, and full VIN. Identify each contract as IB or PC and provide the principal balance for IB accounts or gross balance for PC accounts. A payoff balance cannot be substituted.
These are Robert Hicks's requirements for a CAR Financial account review. They do not describe every buyer's submission requirements. The blank template has 15 columns because it includes both balance columns; each account needs the balance that matches its contract type.
Download the blank CSV template or download two fictional example rows. Your existing DMS export can be used if it contains the required information.
IB and PC: send the matching balance
IB means interest bearing. Dealers may describe these as simple-interest contracts. Send the current principal balance.
PC means precomputed. Send the current gross balance. The difference concerns how interest is earned. CAR Financial can review either type; label the type and balance clearly.
Do not send a payoff balance in place of the required balance. On a mixed tape, mark every row IB or PC. Fill Principal Balance for IB rows and Gross Balance for PC rows, leaving the other balance column blank.
Required field definitions
| Field | What to send |
|---|---|
| Interest Rate Required | The interest rate stated on the contract. Use a clearly labeled percentage, such as 24.99 for 24.99%. |
| Principal Balance Required for IB accounts | The current principal balance on an interest-bearing contract. A payoff balance cannot be substituted. Leave this column blank for a PC account when using this template. |
| Gross Balance Required for PC accounts | The current gross balance on a precomputed contract. A payoff balance cannot be substituted. Leave this column blank for an IB account when using this template. |
| Down Payment Required | The total down payment: the amount put down on the day of sale, plus pickup notes and trade equity. Report the full total, rather than only the cash collected on the sale date. |
| Payment Frequency Required | How often the customer is scheduled to pay. Spell out Weekly, Biweekly, Semimonthly, or Monthly so the schedule is clear. Biweekly means every two weeks; semimonthly means twice a month. |
| Payment Amount Required | The regular scheduled installment amount for the stated payment frequency. This is separate from the actual Next Due Amount. |
| Date of Contract Required | The contract date shown in the dealer records. Use a consistent, unambiguous date format, such as 2026-02-03. |
| Last Paid Date Required | The most recent date the customer made a payment, including a partial payment. Do not limit this field to the date of the last full installment. |
| Next Due Date Required | The due date of the oldest unpaid installment. Do not replace it with a future scheduled installment date when an older installment remains unpaid. |
| Next Due Amount Required | The actual amount the customer currently owes, including late fees. Do not substitute the regular scheduled installment amount. The two amounts can differ because of unpaid installments, partial payments, and late fees. |
| Vehicle Year Required | The model year of the vehicle securing the account, such as 2018. |
| Vehicle Make Required | The vehicle manufacturer, such as Toyota or Ford. |
| Vehicle Mileage Required | The vehicle mileage provided in the dealer records for the account review. Report a numeric mileage value, such as 98500. |
| Vehicle VIN Required | The full vehicle identification number for the vehicle securing the account. The VIN is required for the account review; a shortened VIN is not a substitute. |
| IB or PC Required | Identify each contract as IB (interest bearing, also described as simple interest) or PC (precomputed). Either contract type can be reviewed. Use the matching principal or gross balance for that row. |
Vehicle model, internal account ID, export date, account status, original amount financed, remaining term, payment count, and total collected are not additional required columns for this initial review. Supporting records can be requested later as a purchase moves forward.
Payment dates and the amount actually due
Last Paid Date includes partial payments. Next Due Date is the oldest unpaid installment date. A recent partial payment does not necessarily bring an older installment current.
Payment Amount and Next Due Amount are different fields. Payment Amount is the scheduled installment. Next Due Amount is the actual current amount due, including late fees. Export the actual customer due amount from the account records rather than copying the scheduled installment into both columns.
Report the full down payment
Include the amount put down on the day of sale, pickup notes, and trade equity. For example, $1,500 put down on the sale date plus a $500 pickup note and $500 in trade equity gives a total down payment of $2,500.
Fictional IB and PC examples
The downloadable example has one IB row with a principal balance and one PC row with a gross balance. Both show a scheduled payment separately from a larger actual amount due. The IB example also shows a recent partial-payment date alongside an older unpaid installment date.
All example figures are fictional. DEMO-IB-VIN and DEMO-PC-VIN are deliberately invalid placeholders. Replace them with the actual full VINs when preparing your own review file. The example contains no real customer or dealer records.
Download the fictional CSV example
Three common export problems
- Missing contract type. Specify IB or PC for every account so the balance can be interpreted correctly.
- Scheduled payment substituted for actual due. Provide the actual current amount due, including late fees, and use the oldest unpaid installment for Next Due Date.
- Missing required columns. Check the export against this dictionary, including mileage and the full VIN.
Customer contact information for a purchase
Customer names and phone numbers are required when proceeding with a purchase. Customer addresses and email addresses are preferred. These contact fields are not required for the initial account review and are not included in the first-review CSV template.
Use the secure process provided for purchase-stage customer information. The initial review without customer contact information guide explains the stages.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send a payoff balance instead?
No. CAR Financial requires the principal balance for an IB contract and the gross balance for a PC contract. A payoff balance is not a substitute for either field.
Does the amount due include late fees?
Yes. Next Due Amount must show what the customer actually currently owes, including late fees. Payment Amount separately shows the regular scheduled installment.
Does a partial payment count for Last Paid Date?
Yes. Use the date of the most recent payment, including a partial payment. Next Due Date still identifies the oldest unpaid installment.
Do I need to fill both balance columns?
For each account, identify IB or PC and fill the applicable balance: principal for IB or gross for PC. Leave the inapplicable balance blank in the template.
What customer contact information is needed for a purchase?
When proceeding with a purchase, customer names and phone numbers are required. Customer addresses and email addresses are preferred. These contact fields are not required for the initial account review.
Source and related resources
Definitions and submission requirements supplied by Robert Hicks, Senior Portfolio Buyer at CAR Financial Services, on October 23, 2026.