Ask the people who build dealership ads every day, and they’ll tell you the hardest number to sell is the big one. “I’d rather see ‘save up to $10,000’ than ’Sale Price: $47,000,” said Alannah Gallagher-Nat, the Head of Marketing at More Than Cars. “The latter is a much harder sell.”
That tension has defined dealer advertising since the FTC put price transparency at the top of its list.
The most prominent number in a dealer ad now has to be the one customers will actually pay.
FTC Dealer Advertising Rules: What Changed in 2026
The pressure has built all year:
When | What happened |
|---|---|
March | The FTC sent warning letters to 97 dealer groups about advertised prices that left out mandatory fees |
June | MTC’s creative team began reworking how it builds dealer ads |
Sept. 15 | The FTC published FAQs explaining its expectations |
Oct. 1 | California’s CARS Act took effect |
Oct. 8 | The FTC announced a proposed settlement with Greenway Automotive |
Under the FTC’s guidance, the most prominent price in an ad must be the all-in price any customer can pay, including dealer fees like doc fees. Only government-required charges, such as tax, title, and registration, can be left out. Dealers can still show MSRP or discounts, as long as the actual price stays most prominent.
Gallagher-Nat says her team now builds every ad around three pressures at once:
The FTC’s rules, which require the all-in price to lead
OEM brand guidelines, which she says don’t always line up with the FTC’s expectations
The dealer’s need to sell cars in a competitive market
Doc fees are non-negotiable on the team’s ads, and anything excluded is spelled out in large type. Not every dealer has embraced the change. “We’re advocating that they do the right thing and that they not get a letter from the FTC,” she said. The most common pushback: competitors down the street aren’t following the rules.
In the market, she’s seeing more offers that span multiple vehicles, like a dealer discount across a model line, and more percent-off offers from automakers. She isn’t a fan of the latter. “12% means nothing to the consumer,” she said. Dealers using either approach should confirm with counsel that their ads still meet the FTC’s all-in price expectations.
“For the first time in probably four or five years, we have no choice. Affordability has to be the message. Affordability has to be at the center of the message. Advertising a discount isn't enough. We have to make it clear what that means for the buyer.” Alannah Gallagher-Nat, More Than Cars
How Dealers Can Advertise Price and Still Stand Out
When regulators limit how you compete on price, you compete everywhere else. Airlines learned that decades ago when fares were regulated, and they started selling the experience instead.
Gallagher-Nat says dealers now have to play in three areas at once: a competitive price, a clear affordability message, and a brand that carries real value. Added-value programs, like extended benefits for buyers, can help a store stand apart when prices look similar.
Brian Payne, the Head of Brand Strategy at More Than Cars Creative, warns against the easy way out. Many dealers ask for ads that mimic automaker templates. Those may be compliant and safe, he says, “but then you’re not as differentiated.” The opportunity is building a memorable brand system that follows every rule.
The dealers who win this era will be the ones whose honest price is the start of the story.
More Than Cars’ creative team builds dealership advertising.
