It’s frustrating for both the customer and the dealer when a deal is made only to hit a snag when financing becomes an issue.

A new partnership between Autocorp.ai and TransUnion Canada aims to keep that from happening by helping Canadian car buyers understand their financing options earlier in the shopping process — without impacting their credit score.

With the integration, dealerships can access a full TransUnion credit report and score via Autocorp’s AVA platform through a dealer‑initiated soft inquiry before a test drive and before a buyer completes a formal credit application.

In a news release, the companies said the new capability can reduce customers’ stress from the uncertainty that comes when financing details only become clear late in the process. Providing earlier insight into financing options without triggering a hard inquiry, they said, allows buyers to shop with more confidence, focusing on vehicles that match their budget and avoiding last‑minute surprises while protecting their credit health.

The partnership is designed to give a more complete view of credit information than the limited data often found in Canadian dealer‑initiated soft inquiries, provided by TransUnion’s bureau data.

And that data, which is often used by finance companies to make final lending decisions, enters the process early, the companies said, helping align the first conversations in the showroom or online with the realities of financing and creating a smoother experience for consumers with various credit profiles.

“This isn’t an incremental integration,” Autocorp CEO Andrew Lemoine said. “It’s a category shift for Canadian automotive. Dealers and OEMs have been asking for full bureau-grade, dealer-initiated insight at the top of the funnel for years, and until now, the infrastructure simply didn’t exist in this market.

“Partnering with TransUnion — a name every dealer, OEM, lender and consumer already trusts — means we can deliver the full CreditVision Report and score inside the tools our customers are already using, and let them focus their time on the buyers who are qualified on the right vehicles and programs.”

The companies said the integration helps dealers identify qualified buyers earlier, prioritize outreach more effectively and guide consumers toward vehicles and programs that fit their financing options, resulting in fewer dead‑ends, less back‑and‑forth and more productive conversations for both dealership staff and car shoppers.

“At TransUnion Canada, we believe better information leads to better experiences for businesses and the consumers they serve,” TransUnion Canada CEO/regional president Juan Sebastian D’Achiardi said. “By bringing a full credit report into a dealer-initiated soft inquiry, we’re helping Canadian car buyers have a clearer view of their financing options earlier in the journey, while protecting the credit health they’ve worked to build.

“We’re proud to extend the reach of TransUnion’s credit insights through Autocorp.ai’s platform and to support responsible credit access at a key moment in the consumer journey.”