For years, Alvin Melendez, Executive Director of the Virginia Independent Automobile Dealers Association (VIADA), treated credit card processing fees as an unavoidable cost of doing business, money that simply disappeared before it ever reached the association's books. That changed when VIADA turned on Zero Fee Payments.
“We went through the full GrowthZone interaction a couple of months ago, and it really improved the way we work on a day-to-day basis.” — Alvin Melendez, Executive Director
The Number That Changed Everything
Before switching, VIADA was absorbing an estimated $30,000 to $40,000 per year in processing costs, roughly 3% on credit transactions, with no mechanism to recover any of it.
"That alone is a humongous savings to the association. We're a non-profit association, we don't get funding from the state, so every penny counts."
Alvin is candid about where that money had gone before; it wasn’t delivering any value. “It was simply a cost we were absorbing year after year,” he says.
The Old Way: Fees Nobody Could Track
VIADA had used a different payment processor for years. The relationship wasn't hostile, Alvin notes that the provider shared some income back with the association, but it offered no way to actually see or itemize what the association was paying in fees. Multiple systems were involved in processing a single transaction, each taking its own cut.
"There's no way to know how much you're really paying in fees. You have different companies collecting small amounts of money from you – hard to track, but it all adds up."
That opacity showed up hardest during quarterly reconciliation. Running a report on total fees paid was, in Alvin's words, “almost an impossible task.” It took his two-person accounting team an estimated three to five hours per quarter to try to pull apart which fees came from which processor, and even then, the results weren't reliable.
"I can't honestly tell you they were not that accurate. There was no way to give it to me where I could pinpoint exactly what those reported fees were."
What Changed: One System, Full Visibility
With GrowthZone consolidating payment processing into a single system, the same reconciliation work Alvin used to dread now takes minutes.
"You're talking about something I can run now in 5 minutes, versus what would take us three to five hours and still not being able to say I'm confident that it is correct."
Turning it on was fast. Alvin called GrowthZone's team one afternoon; the association was live processing under the new setup the very next day.
Passing Fees to Members: Zero Pushback
One of the biggest hesitations any association has before turning on Zero Fee Payments is member reaction. VIADA represents over 1,100 members, and Alvin reports no complaints after the switch.
"Zero pushback. Not one person complained. Not one. They all charge it at their own stores. So, the fact that we started to charge it, they get it."
A Streamlined Member Experience Too
The change wasn't just internal. Members now pay dues and make purchases through a single portal, rather than juggling multiple systems or processes. “It's very easy, streamlined, when everything is in one portal,” Alvin says.
Group Pricing Through NIADA
As a state affiliate of the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association, VIADA also benefits from negotiated processing rates available through that network. Alvin specifically credits GrowthZone for working with large, multi-state associations to lower costs across participating members.
What Alvin Would Tell Other Association Leaders
Asked what he'd say to another executive director or finance lead considering the switch, Alvin didn't hesitate.
"I should have done this years ago. All the recommendations that GrowthZone made, we applied, and the savings is more than what we pay for the entire program in a year's time."
He's candid about what held him back at first: the comfort of the status quo and a sense of loyalty to longstanding vendor relationships. “We're so used to doing things the way we've always done them. We get into this mindset that certain companies are giving us something that only they can provide. His advice to other state executives is simple: keep an open mind and be willing to change, because there are better ways of doing things - ways that can save you time and money.”
On the fear of passing fees to members specifically, his answer is just as direct:
"Don't be. At the end of the day, we have to survive. We have to raise money to run the association properly and provide the education, information, and representation we exist to provide."
On the GrowthZone Team
Alvin closes on the relationship itself, not just the product. “Your team is amazing. Always available online, by phone, by chat, and that's what makes a difference. We're in the people business, and I believe GrowthZone understands that.”
Results Summary
- $30,000–$40,000/year in processing costs recovered, previously fully absorbed by the association
- 3–5 hours reduced to 5 minutes for quarterly fee reconciliation reporting
- Zero member complaints across 1,000+ members
- Next-day implementation from initial call to going live
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