Desking worksheet and payment grid
Pencil a deal the way a desk does: price, tax, fees and trade to an out-the-door total, then the payment on every term for three cash down options. The math is the same AutoDealer.io uses on its deal desk. Fill it in and print it.
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Desking worksheet
The deal
Out the door
- Taxable amount
- $18,995.00
- Sales tax
- $1,139.70
- Fees
- $549.00
- Trade equity
- $1,500.00
- Out-the-door total
- $25,183.70
Payment grid
Monthly payment for each cash down option and term at the APR above.
| Cash down | Amount financed | 36 mo | 48 mo | 60 mo | 72 mo |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A$1,000.00 | $24,183.70 | $756.71/mo | $589.26/mo | $489.20/mo | $422.84/mo |
| B$2,500.00 | $22,683.70 | $709.78/mo | $552.71/mo | $458.86/mo | $396.61/mo |
| C$5,000.00 | $20,183.70 | $631.55/mo | $491.80/mo | $408.29/mo | $352.90/mo |
A worksheet, not a credit approval or a lender quote. The lender sets the APR, the term and any fees it adds; confirm every figure on the buyer’s order and the retail installment contract.
What desking is
One sheet, four numbers, every option at once
A desk sheet holds the four numbers every car deal turns on: the price, the trade, the cash down and the payment. The old four-square put them in four boxes; a payment grid goes one step further and shows the payment for several down payments across several terms, so the customer can pick a row and a column instead of hearing one number at a time.
This worksheet does that in the order a desk works: it prices the car out the door (tax on the price after the trade credit, plus the doc fee and the title and registration fees), carries any negative equity on the trade into the loan, and then runs the payment for three cash down options on 36, 48, 60 and 72 months.
How the numbers are built
The formulas behind the grid
Out the door = price + sales tax + fees − trade allowance − rebate
Amount financed = out the door − cash down + trade payoff
Payment = amount financed × r ÷ (1 − (1 + r) ^ −months), r = APR ÷ 12
The amount financed is what Regulation Z calls the credit provided to the buyer. A trade payoff above the allowance is negative equity: it raises the amount financed one for one, and every payment in the grid carries it.
Term against total cost
A longer term lowers the payment and raises the interest
| Term | Monthly payment | Total interest |
|---|---|---|
| 36 months | $597 | $1,498 |
| 48 months | $458 | $1,999 |
| 60 months | $375 | $2,508 |
| 72 months | $320 | $3,024 |
Figures from the CFPB’s auto loan comparison example, not from this worksheet. They show why a grid that puts terms side by side tells the customer more than one payment does.
Desk it clean
Four habits that keep a payment grid honest
Show the total, not only the payment
The FTC tells buyers to know the total cost, not just the monthly payment. Put the out-the-door total and the amount financed on the same sheet as the grid.
Never pack the payment
Quoting a payment higher than the agreed price needs, then filling the gap with add-ons, is the practice the FTC calls payment packing and has brought cases over.
The lender sets the rate and the term
The APR and the longest term depend on the lender’s approval. Use the grid to show choices, then confirm the buy rate and the term on the approval.
Say the negative equity out loud
When the payoff is more than the allowance, the difference is borrowed again. Show the trade equity line so the customer sees it, not just a bigger payment.
Doc fee and state fees
FAQ
Desking worksheet FAQ
What is a desking worksheet?
It is the sheet a sales or desk manager uses to work out a deal: the vehicle price, the trade-in, the cash down and the payment. A payment grid on the sheet shows the payment for several down payments and terms at once, so the customer can choose.
How is the amount financed calculated?
Out-the-door total minus cash down, plus the payoff still owed on the trade. The out-the-door total already takes the trade allowance and any rebate off, so a trade worth less than its payoff adds the difference to the loan.
Does the worksheet use a lender’s rates?
No. You type the APR, and the grid uses it for every term. Real approvals often price longer terms higher and limit the term by the car’s age and miles, so confirm the rate and term with the lender before you present them.
Is the doc fee taxed here?
No. The worksheet taxes the selling price, after the trade-in credit when the box is ticked, and adds the fees untaxed. Some states tax the doc fee; in those states add it to the price or adjust the tax rate.
Is anything I type saved or sent?
No. The customer name, the vehicle and every figure stay in your browser. Nothing is sent to a server, and reloading the page clears the sheet.
Desk the deal where the deal lives
AutoDealer.io keeps the vehicle, the buyer, the trade, taxes, fees and payments on one deal record, then prepares the paperwork from the same figures.