Getting Started
How quickly can my dealership start using Clearcoat?
2 min read
The same day, usually within minutes. Sign in to Clearcoat with Google or an emailed sign-in link, and the account starts with 6 free Credits, no credit card required. Add a car with the lot photos you already have, choose a Showroom and generate. Each finished photo is ready in about a minute. There is no sales call to book, no equipment to install and no training to sit through.
What are the steps to get the first finished photos?
- Sign in. Use Google or an emailed sign-in link. Clearcoat has no passwords.
- Add a Vehicle. Give the car a name and, if you like, its stock number, then add up to 24 lot photos (JPEG, PNG, WebP or AVIF, up to 20 MB each). Photos already on your phone or computer work, as long as each shows the whole car.
- Choose a car. In the Studio, pick the Vehicle. All its photos are selected; tap one to leave it out.
- Choose a showroom. Pick a room from the library, or make one from a photo of your own dealership.
- Finish. Set Number plates (Hide is the default) and Format (3:2 is the default). The Studio shows how many Credits the set costs.
- Generate. Each lot photo comes back as one finished photo from the same angle, in about a minute. Open it to switch between Showroom and Original, then Download.
The 6 free Credits make six finished photos, enough for the exterior walk-around of one car. Every Showroom, format and plate setting costs the same one Credit, and the free Credits work with all of them.
Does my dealership need a photo studio, booth or special camera?
No. Clearcoat works from the photos your team already takes on the lot, and a phone camera is enough. The car stays where it is parked. Our guide to photographing used cars on the lot covers how to shoot them so they work well in a Showroom.
Who at the dealership can set it up?
Anyone. The person who signs up becomes the Team's Owner and can invite teammates by email. Everyone on the Team adds Vehicles, uses Showrooms and generates photos with the same access, and they share the Team's Credits. The Owner also manages billing and membership. How Teams work covers the details.
What happens when the free Credits run out?
The Owner picks a Plan from the pricing page, with no quote to request. Plans start at $25 a month, and each finished photo costs one Credit (what each Plan costs per photo).
