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How Does Lease End Make Money?
Published 1/21/26
Updated 1/26/26
TL;DR (4-minute read): Lease End makes money through commissions from our partners when a driver chooses a loan or coverage product through our platform. The commission is paid by the partner—not the driver—and we do not mark up your buyout price or charge doc fees.
“Okay…so, Lease End is free to work with, but how do you make money?”
Totally fair question.
Lease End exists to make lease buyouts less confusing and less time-consuming.
And we’re big believers that if we’re asking drivers to trust us with a major financial decision, we should be crystal clear about how our business works.
So here it is: plain wording, no weird fine print.
The short answer
Lease End makes money through commissions from our partners when a driver chooses a loan offer or vehicle coverage plan through our platform.
That’s it.
We don’t make money by charging fees. (We do NOT charge a doc fee!)
We don’t make money by “marking up” your buyout price.
We don’t make money by selling your personal info.
We make money the same way many other financial marketplaces do: if you use one of our lending partners to finance your lease buyout, we earn a commission from that partner.
The longer answer
When you buy out your lease, you’re basically doing a purchase transaction:
- You pay your lease’s buyout price (residual value)
- Taxes and state fees
- Administrative costs depending on your lender and state
Most drivers don’t want to pay all of that in cash. So they finance it with an auto loan (your lease buyout is usually treated like a used car loan, because it’s a vehicle with history—even if you’re the only one who’s driven it).
Lease End helps you:
- Understand your buyout
- Compare loan options
- Secure financing
- Complete the process without dealership runaround
When you choose a loan through one of our lending partners, that lender pays Lease End a commission for facilitating the connection, they same way they would likely pay an on-site employee.
*Important: the commission is paid by the lender, not by you*
You are not writing Lease End a commission check.
The lender is paying Lease End for customer acquisition—basically, for bringing them a qualified borrower who actually wants a loan.
Does that mean Lease End pushes certain lenders?
Nope—and this is a big deal.
Lease End’s goal is to help you make the best decision for your situation. That might mean:
- Completing a lease buyout with a top-tier lending partner, or
- Deciding not to buy out at all because you don't want to, or it doesn’t make financial sense.
We’re not here to “force” a buyout. We’re here to make sure if you do buy out, you can do it confidently and without getting squeezed.
Do drivers pay Lease End any fees?
There are fees involved in a lease buyout, and you'll pay them through us—but it’s important to separate what’s what. These payments are going towards several different entities involved in your transaction.
Let's break it down:
1) Government fees and taxes
These are unavoidable and depend on your state:
- sales tax (in most states)
- title/registration
- DMV fees
Lease End doesn’t control these.
2) Lender-related fees
Some lenders charge:
- origination fees
- document fees
- state processing fees
These aren’t “Lease End fees.” They’re lender fees, and they should be disclosed clearly in your loan details.
3) Lease-specific fees (from your leasing company)
Your leasing company might charge:
- purchase option fees
- administrative fees
- payoff processing fees
Again: not Lease End’s fees.
Lease End’s job is to help you see the full picture so you’re not surprised by costs at the finish line. Our financial specialists are here to assist you every step of the way.
Read More: The Complete Guide to Lease Buyout Costs
Why would lenders pay Lease End a commission?
Because lease buyouts are weirdly complicated.
A normal auto loan is usually tied to:
- a dealership purchase, or
- a private party sale
Lease buyouts involve:
- the leasing company
- payoff instructions
- titles
- state-specific rules
- timelines
- paperwork
Most lenders don’t want to deal with the headache unless the process is streamlined.
Lease End helps streamline it—and lenders are willing to pay for that.
Is Lease End incentivized for you to buy out your lease?
Lease End only earns money from a financing partner when a driver uses one of those loans.
So, yes: if you finance through our platform, that’s how we generate revenue. And generating revenue is how we keep the lights on, pay our staff, and grow our company to help more drivers and continue disrupting the industry.
But the bigger picture matters:
- If we push drivers into bad deals, they won’t complete the process.
- If we aren’t transparent, people won’t trust us.
- If we aren’t helpful, drivers won’t recommend us.
For all these reasons, our priority is to be the most loved end-of-lease experience. Period.
Basically, a lease buyout is a high-trust moment. We’re building a business around long-term trust, not short-term pressure.
Read More: TrustPilot Reviews
Do you make money on GAP and VSC coverage?
Yes, and we’re upfront about it.
Lease End offers optional protection products that many drivers choose to add during the buyout process:
- GAP insurance (coverage if your vehicle is totaled and you owe more than it’s worth)
- Vehicle Service Contracts (VSC) (help with certain repair costs after you own the car)
These are not required to buy out your lease through Lease End. You can absolutely move forward without them.
But if you do choose to add GAP or a VSC, Lease End earns revenue on those products—similar to how insurance and protection products work in other auto financing scenarios.
Our stance is simple: we’ll explain what each one is, how you can benefit, and let you decide. No pressure, no “gotcha,” and no bundling it in like it’s mandatory.
What if I don’t finance through Lease End?
That’s okay.
Some drivers:
- Pay cash
- Use their credit union and deal with the dealership, DMV, and other documentation themselves
- Decide to return the car instead
We’ll still help you understand your options. Our north star is that you make a confident decision—not that you choose us no matter what.
OK, remind me—why use Lease End instead of a credit union/DIY buyout?
Credit unions can be awesome. And if you love paperwork and have a bunch of time to kill, a lease buyout can be doable on your own.
But here’s the part most people don’t realize until they’re knee-deep in it:
A lease buyout isn’t just a loan. It’s a title + registration project.
That means:
- coordinating payoff instructions,
- tracking documents,
- dealing with your leasing company’s process, and then
- making sure your title and registration actually get completed correctly for your state.
It’s not hard because it’s “complicated”… it’s hard because it’s annoying...and one missing form can turn into weeks of delays.
Lease End doesn’t just help you get financing—we help handle the title and registration work too. That’s a big deal because it’s the part drivers least want to touch, and it’s where a lot of buyouts get stuck in limbo.
So if you want the best of both worlds—
1. competitive financing options and
2. someone handling the paperwork-heavy parts—
Lease End is built for exactly that.
Why Lease End’s model is better than the “traditional” alternative
The traditional end-of-lease experience often looks like:
- confusion
- dealership pressure
- unclear pricing
- a bunch of time wasted just to get basic answers
Lease End’s model is more like:
- clarity first
- compare options
- keep control
- make the decision that actually benefits you
And we fund that by partnering with lenders—so we can keep the platform accessible while building tools and support that make lease buyouts less of a mess.