Why this market is different
There is no car market in America quite like Metro Detroit. Three of the world's largest automakers — General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis — have their global headquarters here. Tens of thousands of people work directly for these companies. Tens of thousands more work for the supplier companies that feed them. And virtually everyone else knows someone who does.
The result is a market where employee pricing isn't exceptional — it's the baseline. A buyer in Dallas who gets Ford X-Plan pricing feels like they found a secret. A buyer in Northville feels like everyone has it, because most people do.
And yet most buyers still don't know exactly what they have, how much it's worth, or how to use it. They show up at a dealership and mention employee pricing, and the conversation moves on before they fully understand what they just unlocked — or whether they could have stacked it with something else to get an even better number.
This guide fixes that.
The Metro Detroit reality
In Metro Detroit, almost everyone qualifies for at least one tier of employee pricing from at least one manufacturer. If you don't have it yourself, your parent does. Or your sibling. Or your neighbor. Or a coworker's spouse. The question isn't whether you can get employee pricing — it's which programs you qualify for and how to stack them.
GM Family First — Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Cadillac
General Motors has one of the most generous and broadly available employee programs in the automotive industry. It's called GM Family First, and it's accessed through gmfamilyfirst.com.
Who qualifies:
✓Active and retired GM and GM Financial employees
✓Spouses and registered domestic partners
✓Children and stepchildren (up to age 25 if full-time student)
✓Grandchildren and step-grandchildren
✓Parents, stepparents, and grandparents — including in-laws and step-grandparents
✓Siblings, half-siblings, and step-siblings — including siblings-in-law
✓Aunts, uncles, nieces, and nephews
✓Active employees at authorized GM dealerships
✓Former GM employees with 5+ years of service can sponsor spouses and dependent children
How to use it
The GM employee or retiree logs into gmfamilyfirst.com and generates an Authorization Number for the buyer. Up to 6 authorization numbers per year for active employees and retirees. The buyer brings this number to any participating GM dealer. The price is set — the dealer cannot inflate it above the program price.
The stacking advantage
GM Family First pricing can typically be combined with most current national incentives, loyalty bonuses, conquest cash, and Costco member incentives. In a strong month, a GM employee buyer in Metro Detroit can have $4,000-8,000 in combined incentives working simultaneously. This is why GM vehicles consistently dominate our Lease Intelligence rankings in this market.
Ford AXZ Plans — Ford & Lincoln
Ford's employee pricing system is called the AXZ Plan and it has four tiers — A, Z, D, and X — each covering a different group of people. The most important one for Metro Detroit buyers to understand is X-Plan, because it extends to friends and neighbors and most people don't know it exists.
A-Plan
Active Ford corporate employees and their immediate family
The deepest Ford discount available. Calculated at invoice minus holdback minus advertising fee plus a $275 program fee. Up to 4 PINs per year. Generate at axz.ford.com.
Z-Plan
Retired Ford employees, surviving spouses, and their immediate family
Identical pricing to A-Plan. Same 4 PINs per year. Z-Plan holders access the same program at axz.ford.com.
D-Plan
Ford dealership employees and their immediate family
Almost as deep as A-Plan with a small $100 fee. Up to 2 PINs per year. Designed for the salespeople and service staff at local Ford stores.
X-Plan
Anyone sponsored by a Ford employee or retiree — friends, neighbors, extended family, partner company employees
Slightly less deep than A-Plan but still significant. A Ford employee or retiree can sponsor up to 4 people per year. They generate a PIN at myplan.ford.com — you must have this PIN before you go to the dealer. Does not apply to F-150 Raptor or Mustang Dark Horse.
The X-Plan opportunity most Metro Detroit buyers miss
Ford employees can sponsor up to 4 people per year with X-Plan PINs. Many employees have unused PINs every single year. If you know anyone who works or worked at Ford — a neighbor, a coworker's spouse, a family friend — ask if they have a PIN available. In Metro Detroit, you almost certainly know someone. The PIN is generated in minutes at myplan.ford.com. You need it before you walk into the dealer.
Stellantis Employee Advantage — Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge
Stellantis — the company behind Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, and Dodge — operates its employee pricing through the FCA Employee Advantage Program. The structure is similar to Ford's but with one critical difference: Stellantis pricing often does not stack with public cash rebates. You typically have to choose one or the other.
Employee Purchase (EP)
Active Stellantis employees, retirees, surviving spouses, and immediate family
Fixed at 5% below dealer invoice plus a $200 program fee. Requires a Control Number generated through the Stellantis employee portal. Up to 6 Control Numbers per year.
Employee Choice
Anyone — literally anyone — sponsored by an active Stellantis employee
Active employees receive ONE Choice voucher per year that can go to any single person of their choosing — friend, neighbor, or acquaintance. Same full EP pricing. Extremely limited and extremely valuable. If a Stellantis employee offers you their Choice voucher, use it.
Friends Program
Extended family and friends sponsored by Stellantis employees
Approximately 1% below invoice plus a $75 fee. Meaningfully weaker than EP pricing or the Employee Choice voucher, but still better than retail on most models.
⚠️ The Stellantis stacking problem
Unlike GM and Ford — where employee pricing typically stacks with other incentives — Stellantis frequently requires you to choose between employee pricing OR the current public cash rebates. In months when Stellantis is running aggressive public incentives (which they do frequently due to high inventory), public rebates may actually be worth more than employee pricing. Always compare both options before committing to either one.
The stacking play — and why Metro Detroit is uniquely positioned
Here's something most buyers don't realize: you can qualify for incentives across multiple brands simultaneously. Having GM Family First pricing doesn't prevent you from also having Ford X-Plan access if you know a Ford employee. Both apply — to their respective brands.
In Metro Detroit, this cross-brand incentive access is extremely common. A GM household where dad works at GM and a neighbor works at Ford can legitimately access:
→GM Family First on any Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, or Cadillac — stacking with Costco cash and loyalty bonuses
→Ford X-Plan on any Ford or Lincoln — stacking with Ford loyalty or conquest cash
→Stellantis Friends Program on Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, or Dodge — if another connection exists
AutoBidly's Custom Lease Intelligence™ lets you enter every incentive you qualify for — across all brands simultaneously — and see personalized scores that reflect your actual situation. A GM employee with Costco who knows a Ford neighbor sees a completely different set of rankings than a buyer with no incentive access. Both are using the same platform. Both get the right answer for their situation.
How to use your employee pricing — a practical checklist
1
Identify everything you qualify for
Go through each manufacturer. Who in your family works or worked at GM, Ford, or Stellantis? Do you know a neighbor or coworker who could sponsor you for Ford X-Plan or Stellantis Friends? Do you have a Costco membership? Are you military or a veteran? Write it all down.
2
Get your authorization number, PIN, or control number before you go
GM requires an Authorization Number from gmfamilyfirst.com. Ford X-Plan requires a PIN generated at myplan.ford.com. Stellantis requires a Control Number from the employee portal. You cannot use any of these programs without the number in hand. Don't walk into a dealership without it.
3
Check current public incentives too
Especially for Stellantis — compare the employee price against the current public rebates. Sometimes public incentives are worth more, particularly when a manufacturer is running aggressive clearance promotions. Your employee contact can help you run both numbers.
4
Use AutoBidly to see your personalized score
Enter your incentive stack in Custom Lease Intelligence™ and see which vehicles score highest for your specific situation. The ranking for a GM employee buyer in June looks completely different from a buyer with no incentives. Your score reflects what's actually available to you.
5
Submit a BidLock™ at your target price
Once you know your vehicle and your incentive stack, submit a BidLock™. Verified dealers in your area see your bid — including your verified incentive eligibility. The dealer who accepts first is locked in. No negotiation. No games.