Nissan South Africa has become the first vehicle manufacturer to launch a new intuitive digital application technology to assist customers when applying for vehicle finance online.

The Nissan pre-finance tool is powered by WesBank and allows customers to check their affordability by completing a pre-approval form before applying for finance. This tool is integrated into the bank’s engine.

Nissan is the first vehicle manufacturer in South Africa to offer pre-financial approval within their website which is linked to the credit bureau. The intelligence or algorithms built into the tool provides immediate confirmation of approval or declined status while allowing the customer the flexibility to structure their deal using balloon payments or deposits.

The process is seamless, convenient and quick. Removing the hassle of the full vehicle application process which is usually tedious and time consuming. Once the customer receives an approval, a reference number is issue with the full downloadable pdf. deal structure for the customer to utilize at their dealer once they are ready to purchase. Nissan continues to explore innovate solutions to ensure that the vehicle purchase process is seamless and simplified for their customers.

“As the first OEM to partner with WesBank, we are excited for this collaboration to respond to our customer’s needs using digital innovative solutions. The integration of WesBank’s digital application technology into our website will enhance Nissan and Nissan Finance’s offering to prospective Nissan vehicle owners,” says Nancy Moodley, Nissan South Africa’s Head of Customer Experience and Digital.

As the coronavirus creates significant challenges for the automotive industry, it has become more important than ever to use technology to deliver the full bouquet of virtual customer solutions including e-commerce. This impactful tool launched by WesBank and Nissan allows customers get car finance approval in minutes from the comfort of their mobile devices. The laborious and complicated process of applying for vehicle finance has now been simplified offering potential & current Nissan customers a tailor-made deal suited to their budget.

“When developing this platform, our goal was to make the online journey of applying for vehicle finance a stress-free conversation, not an interrogation, for our customers - simple as that. We ask the applicants to tell us a bit about themselves and the car they are interested in purchasing and in under 10 minutes, we can tell them whether they are approved for the requested vehicle financing or not. If not, we can offer them alternative options to fit their budget,” says Dane Reddy, WesBank’s Head of Digital.

Nissan recently introduced a host of digital services as part of its Shop@Home platform to make it easier for customers to interact with their products particularly during these times when we are observing best practice in managing COVID-19.