IMPORTANT: As of 2025, the only Fullpath products eligible for Subaru co-op reimbursement are digital advertising and VINs Acceleration. Reimbursement is submitted automatically for enrolled dealers through our monthly billing files.
Subaru's Co-op Advertising Program is called the Subaru Advertising Fund Program (SAF) and is available to all Subaru of America retailers. Independent distributors, like Subaru of New England, are not eligible.
The SAF guidelines are apply to all forms of retailer advertising of Subaru branding, vehicles, parts, and service, including advertising and marketing by the retailer or on the retailer's behalf and including retailer employee websites, social media sites, and third-party automotive websites. The SAF program guidelines do not apply to direct, one-on-one communications, including online and email, such as internet lead responses, with individual customers who have opted in to being contacted by providing personally identifiable information, like phone number and email address.
Subaru retailers are automatically enrolled in the SAF program. To maintain eligibility, retailers must keep their "active retailer" status and adhere to the following:
- Maintain good overall standing with Subaru of America.
- Maintain at least one of every Subaru model (carline, not trim level) in inventory at all times.
- Subaru of America reserves the right to restrict, suspend, prohibit, or terminate a retailer's participation in the SAF program at any time, for due cause.
SAF Accrual Distribution
Retailers earn SAF funds for each new Subaru purchased from Subaru of America, including Subaru Service Loaner vehicles and fleet vehicles.
SAF funds are split into 4 separate accrual buckets: New Car, Parts & Service, Flex, and Love Promise.
Accrued funds are available for 120 days. When a retailer submits an advertising claim for reimbursement, the oldest available SAF funds are applied first. This allows retailers to take advantage of the oldest funds before they expire. New Car accruals must be used before Flex accruals can be applied to New Car claims, and, similarly, Parts & Service accruals must be applied before Flex accruals can be applied to Parts & Service advertising.
Love Promise funds are available for retailers to use to help increase Love Promise messaging. To be eligible for SAF reimbursement under the Love Promise Funds, retailer advertisements must be Love Promise central and not include an offer, vehicle, or incentive promotion and must obtain pre-approval. To submit Love Promise campaigns for reimbursement, providers will need the retailer's Love Promise Pre-Approval Reference Number. This is an 8-digit code provided to the retailer from Ansira when a Love Promise ad is submitted for pre-approval and subsequently approved.
Reimbursement Rates
The three reimbursement rates are Base rate, Bonus rate, and Agency Commission rate. Reimbursement rates for Parts & Service are the same as the rate for New Car reimbursement and are based on specific retailer performance criteria. Each retailer will know their reimbursement rate.
Level 1: Base Rate - up to 40%
Level 2: Bonus Rate - up to 60%
Level 3: Agency Commission Rate - up to 55%
Eligible Advertising Content
New Subaru Vehicle Advertising
- Limited to $300 per $500 allocated of a retailer's monthly accruals plus whatever portion of the Flex fund ($100 per $500 allocated) the retailer chooses to allocate.
Parts & Service Advertising
- Parts & Service advertising can account for up to 100% of a specific ad but is limited to $50 per $500 allocated plus whatever portion of the Flex fund the retailer chooses to allocate to parts and service.
Subaru Certified Pre-Owned (CPO) Advertising
- Subaru CPO ads are eligible for retailers enrolled in the CPO Program and actively participating.
- CPO advertising can account for up to 100% of a specific ad. The eligible ad will be reimbursed through the retailer's available New Car and Flex funds based on the media type, up to 25% of a retailer's New Car accruals for the eligible accrual period.
- Retailers must also meet the following criteria:
- Steadily maintaining 3+ CPO units in inventory.
- Correctly following the CPO policies and procedures as published on Subarunet.
- Using Subaru CPO exclusive wrap-around plans in conjunction with the program for upgrades.
Ineligible Advertising Content
The following advertising content examples and any ads bearing similarity are ineligible for reimbursement:
- Used vehicles and/or messaging.
- Retailer-owned body shop or collision centers - unless the retailer participates in the Subaru Certified Collision Center Program, paid from Parts & Service or Flex funds. Retailers must include the Subaru Certified Collision program logo.
- Other vehicle manufacturers, DBA names, or references to other manufacturers' vehicles.
- Competitive keywords related to any other automotive franchises the retailer owns, has a minority interest in, or is associated with in the same Area of Responsibility (AOR) as their Subaru retailer.
- Content that falsifies, misrepresents, or jeopardizes the Subaru brand and/or disparages Subaru is not eligible.
- Foreign language advertising that does not provide a fully translated English version.
- Retailers are prohibited from advertising any non-genuine Subaru Parts or accessories on Subaru-owned platforms.
- Programs or services that have not been tested and proven to support Subaru's Marketing Strategy.
Eligible Media Types
TV/Video: Traditional, cable/satellite, and internet/digital TV stations. This includes but is not limited to: Local broadcast TV station websites, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix, etc.
Radio: Traditional, satellite, and internet/digital TV stations/audio channels. This includes but is not limited to: Streaming local AM/FM broadcast radio stations, Pandora, etc.
Print: Newspaper & magazines. These media are limited to a maximum 25% of accruals. Spend beyond the 25% cap is not eligible for SAF reimbursement.
Digital:
- Subaru Certified Retailer Website Program
- Digital Banner Advertising:
- Third-party sites - Includes but is not limited to: Local websites, Endemic websites like AutoTrader or Cars.com, lifestyle or demographic websites, etc.
- Social Media - Includes but is not limited to: Social media banner ads, promoted posts, custom audience posts, etc. on platforms such as Facebook, X, YouTube.
- Mobile Media - Advertising delivered to smartphones, tablets, and other devices in a mobile friendly format, including but not limited to: Local websites, endemic websites like AutoTrader or Cars.com, lifestyle or demographic websites, etc.
- Managed Display Advertising (Subaru Certified Retailer Website Marketing Package) - Claims are automatically submitted for retailers using digital advertising through the Subaru Certified Program. The monthly ad spend and license fee (if applicable) is automatically submitted on behalf of the retailer for SAF reimbursement, and retailers do not need to take any additional action to receive reimbursement.
- Online Video - Subaru exclusive digital videos on a website's video player before or in the middle of content.
- Search Engine Marketing:
- Paid keyword search terms are eligible based on the following criteria:
- Click-through URLs for all paid keyword search terms must link directly to the retailer's Subaru Certified Retailer Website.
- Keywords that link to the used vehicle section will not be eligible for reimbursement.
- All Subaru retailers can purchase keyword search for new Subaru vehicles and Subaru CPO or variations of the term CPO. Retailers may purchase terms relating to used vehicles only if they link directly to the New or Subaru CPO inventory. Subaru Parts & Service and their own Subaru retailer campaigns, i.e. keywords focused on individual Subaru retailer name but not competitive Subaru retailer names or competitive Subaru parts, service, or accessory centers.
- Notarized list of the keywords on vendor letterhead purchased on third-party search engine, costs for each word, plus itemization of each click-through URL address for every keyword.
- Retailers cannot purchase keywords relating to competitive Subaru retailers' trade names, forms of competitive Subaru retailers' trade names, and/or competitive Subaru retailers' DBA names. Violating retailers will be subject to a one-strike penalty for each violation under the three-strike policy and lose SAF reimbursement eligibility for the associated claim.
- Competitive keywords relating to any other automotive franchises the retailer owns, has a minority interest in, or is associated with in the same Area of Responsibility as their Subaru retailer are ineligible.
- Retailers may be required to submit additional proof, such as a copy of negative keyword lists or provide access to Google Ads Account.
- Search Engine Optimization:
- Search Engine Optimization outside the Subaru Certified Retailer Website Core Package is an SAF eligible expense. Only Subaru Certified Retailer Websites are eligible for SEO reimbursement. Initial vendor consultation charges or start-up fees are not eligible. The vendor must promote responsible retailer advertising practices, and content must be compliant.
- Management of retailer dedicated and Subaru exclusive social media/networking properties and online reputation for the Subaru brand.
- Online reputation management expenses must state the tool or service is for the Subaru brand exclusively. This includes, but is not limited to, a tool or service which updates posts/tweets, responds to consumer posts/tweets, uploads inventory, monitors online rating and review websites, and responds to reviews and disputes.
- Social media, online reputation, and business listing management are limited to a maximum of 15% of a retailer's monthly accrual. For the social media or online reputation management expense to be eligible, the retailer or retailer group must not be the vendor's only client, and verification from the vendor may be requested.
- Non-Subaru exclusive management of social media/networking properties and custom apps, custom tabs, creative, IT programming, production, packages/services offered by the vendor outside of social media and online reputation management are not eligible for reimbursement.
- Chat: Exclusive to chat providers who participate in the Subaru Certified Third Party Digital Tool Program. Only Subaru Certified Digital Program Providers are SAF eligible. Fullpath's ChatGPT tool is not eligible for reimbursement.
- Digital Retailing: Exclusive to providers who participate in the Subaru Certified Third Party Digital Tool Program. Only Subaru Certified Digital Program Providers are SAF eligible. Only Certified Digital Retailing Tools can be integrated onto retailer websites. Integration of a non-certified digital retailing tool could result in a one-strike penalty.
- Vehicle Trade Evaluation: Exclusive to providers who participate in the Subaru Certified Third Party Digital Tool Program. No other providers are SAF eligible.
- Inventory Listings: Inventory listings for new Subaru vehicles and CPO vehicles are eligible for reimbursement. No other vehicle listings are eligible.
- Build & Price: Exclusive to providers who participate in the Subaru Certified Third Party Digital Tool Program. No other Build & Price providers are SAF eligible.
- Paid keyword search terms are eligible based on the following criteria:
Ineligible Media Types
Retailers may contact the SAF Support Center to consult with administrators about advertising or media expenses prior to advertising. The following ineligible media types is not a comprehensive list, and the SAF Support Center reserves the right to deem media as ineligible at its sole discretion.
- Infomercials
- Donations (monetary and non-monetary)
- Third-party internet leads (except for Subaru ILM Program)
- Shopping/grocery cart displays or grocery register receipts
- E-newsletter subscriptions
- TrueCar and similar endemic websites fees (outside of banner or display advertising)
- Bus shelters
- Media trade outs
- Search Engine Marketing for used vehicles
- Search Engine Marketing for New Car outside of the Subaru Certified Paid Search Program
- Performance Max outside of the Subaru Certified Paid Search Program
- Podcasts
- Accessories eCatalogue - Insignia
- Accessories Sales Center displays
- Competitive shopping
- Customer service improvement initiative
- Direct mail and e-mail (excluding CareConnect)
- JD Power Dealer of Excellence Award
- List sourcing
- Lot Linx
- OEC Performance Coaching
- Revolution Parts
Ineligible Advertising Costs
Retailers are encouraged to contact the SAF Support Center to consult about any advertising or media expense prior to production of advertising.
The cost of the ad space/cost of running the ad is the only portion eligible for reimbursement. Every ad must be accompanied by proper documentation to ensure it supports new Subaru vehicles only and/or Subaru CPO.
- Agency commission for media buying may or may not be eligible and varies by retailer.
- If the retailer has opted in to the Agency Commission and meets the requirements, they will receive reimbursement for agency commission for media buying up to a maximum 15% of the total eligible media expense billed on the agency invoice.
- Only retailers who have opted in to the agency tier reimbursement level are eligible to receive reimbursement on their agency commission.
- Digital vendors must either show the agency commission on their invoice or provide the invoice from the media provider, i.e. Google, showing the actual cost of the media buy.
- If the digital vendor invoices do not comply with the above, 15% will automatically be deducted out of the eligible ad cost.
- Retailer POP Materials ordered outside of the Print On Demand feature of the Subaru MRC.
- Creative development
- Advertising production costs
- Program/project management costs
- Personnel expenses/time expenses
- Blogging expenses
- Social media/networking expenses outside of an eligible service or tool
- Subaru CPO advertising costs more than 25% of a retailer's total monthly SAF accruals
- Grand prize giveaways and sweepstakes prizes, such as a vehicle or vacation/cruise, mountain bicycle, lease agreements, and consumer oriented donations
- Subaru Gear Official Merchandise in excess of $5,000 associated with any approved events and/or sponsorships
- Third-party vendor giveaways and merchandise
- Mailing lists (rent or purchase), including but not limited to direct mail and email
- Subaru brochures
- Performance Max outside of the Subaru Certified Paid Search Program
- Point-of-purchase materials that are directly shipped and initiated by Subaru of America
- Sales tax, shipping, service, set-up, rush fees, and charge fees
- Vehicle depreciation and mileage
- Miscellaneous retailer marketing expenses
- Media purchased using the value of a vehicle or the value of a vehicle lease
- Retailer facility signage, showroom balloons (not associated with an event), business cards, letterhead, staff apparel, showroom decor, etc.
- Costs designated as "non-media"
- Gratuity associated with events or sponsorships
- Legal fees associated with any advertising medium
- Database marketing expenses
- Third-party mobile application expenses
- Digital service or tool set-up fees, digital showroom, and digital retailer directories
- Podcasts
- Ad placement in religious or politically focused media affiliates