Most pet owners consider a dog or cat a member of the family. When furry family members slip out of the door and down the street, go missing for hours, or have a close call with a car, safety assurances rise to the top of the priority list. Pet containment is rarely a planned household expense, but once the need is felt, it’s no longer optional.
Consumer financing helps pet fence dealers convert that urgency into a signed contract and completed project, giving pet parents peace of mind sooner rather than later. By partnering with a trusted financing partner, pet fence companies can close more sales and keep more pets safe, even when homeowners didn’t budget for it.
The Urgency of Pet Containment Purchases
Pet parents don’t typically consider invisible fencing a home-improvement purchase. Most homeowners plan their improvement projects for months or years (e.g., a kitchen remodel or new deck). Contrast that with the short, event-triggered decision period for pet fencing. When a consumer reaches the consideration stage for pet containment systems, they don’t stay there long. These common triggers bring pet safety to the front of mind and put homeowners on an urgent (and often stressful) search for containment fencing:
- New puppy or rescue dog:Pet containment becomes urgent before the dog has fully tested the yard.
- An escape or near-miss with a car:This is the single most common conversion trigger and is often the actual reason a homeowner calls.
- A move to a new property:With no existing containment or fencing, the dog now has unrestricted access and needs safe boundaries.
These reasons and more lead pet owners to purchase a pet containment system as soon as possible. But urgent need doesn’t translate into the ability to pay. Emotional readiness is there immediately after a trigger event, but financial readiness almost always lags.
What Happens When the Financing Gap Isn’t Bridged
Homeowners need flexible, affordable payment options, especially for big-ticket purchases like invisible fencing. Most consumers don’t have cash to install a new pet safety system, and the high interest on revolving credit can add hundreds or even thousands of dollars to the purchase. If a pet fencing company offers limited payment options, like cash or credit only, concerned pet owners can feel stuck between wanting safety for their pet and not having the means to afford it.
Without financing options, pets go unprotected while fencing companies lose sales:
- The cost objection stalls momentum: Though homeowners often begin their fencing search with urgency, high price tags on invisible fence systems almost always stall the sale. If the price is out of reach, the consumer is forced to wait until they can save up. This price-realization moment is where urgency-driven sales lose momentum.
- Homeowners downgrade instead of walking away entirely: A tie-out, a partial-yard solution, or a cheap DIY containment product often fills the gap when a safer and more effective pet containment system isn’t affordable. None of these lesser options fully resolve the safety concern that drove the initial call. The fencing company loses a sale while pets remain at risk of harm.
- Training services are not selected: For pet fencing to be successful, training is needed. A homeowner must purchase an add-on package with several hours of invisible fence training. Trainers come to the home at least two or three times to work with the pet and pet owner. Without training, a pet fence installation might not totally protect the pet. Consumer financing allows a pet owner to add training for just a few dollars more each month.
- The sale goes to whichever dealer removes the friction first: If a competing pet fencing company offers an on-the-spot monthly payment, the consumer is significantly more likely to choose their product, even if it’s lower quality. Affordability is the main driver of invisible fencing systems and will be the primary differentiator in sales made and sales lost.
How Consumer Financing Helps Increase Pet Fence Sales
Cash- or credit-only payment options can stop sales and leave pet owners in a difficult spot, especially if a stressful event has triggered their search for safe pet fencing. But when pet fencing companies offer accessible consumer financing options, that tension between affordability and a hope for safety is more easily resolved. By offering financing options early and often, dealers can increase sales and revenue.
- Overcoming sticker shock to facilitate emergency purchase: Safety is at the top of every good pet owner’s priority list. But even the most loving, caring pet parent can’t overcome an unaffordable price tag. Leading with a low monthly payment, not the total price of the fence, relieves some of the sticker shock that comes with a quality pet containment system. Reframing the cost from a lump sum to affordable payments over time shows homeowners that they can keep their pets safe while sticking to their planned monthly budgets. In turn, fence companies sign more contracts and complete more projects.
- Same-day deals and a shorter sales cycle: Any emotional or financial friction in a big-ticket purchase like pet fencing can derail the sale completely. Even a few minutes’ pause to reconsider can lead a customer to abandon their fencing purchase or shop around for cheaper (and often lower quality) options. A compassion-driven pet owner responds better to same-day options than mulling over lump sum ticket values. Presenting affordable monthly payment options helps maintain sales momentum, shorten the sales cycle, and eliminate the need to second-guess the fence purchase.
- Increased affordability leading to more sales: Regardless of the urgency of the need, if a pet owner can’t afford their invisible fence, they will walk away from the sale. Consumer financing options break down a huge lump sum payment into affordable installments that work –– even for value-conscious consumers. Payment plans make invisible fencing more affordable, leading to more sales.
Affordable, accessible financing options help pet fence companies expand their markets and close more deals without sacrificing their bottom lines.
Close More Pet Fencing Deals with United Consumer Financial Services
Invisible fencing keeps pets happy, safe, and within their designated spaces. On top of that, it gives owners peace of mind and saves them time, not needing to walk their pet all the time. Pet fence financing options ensure that sense of safety while helping dealers close more sales.
By partnering with United Consumer Financial Services, pet fence companies make their products more affordable to more pet parents. In turn, they sell more systems, increase order values, and do so without increasing marketing or overhead costs.
When customers feel the weight of emotional urgency and the unplanned expense of pet fencing, financing makes the purchase more affordable and helps your business close the deal. As a Marmon company and a division of Berkshire Hathaway, UCFS has the expertise and resources to deliver conversion-driving financing programs that help increase sales starting now. If you’re ready to capture more customers with simple, same-day financing options, contact UCFS today.
