Car and truck shoppers might think the money in between the sticker price and the invoice is the sole source of profit for dealers. Guess. However, there are a wide-range of tools available to dealers to turn a profit. The dealer may even reveal a dealer document sent by the manufacturer that shows the invoice price, the price the dealer allegedly paid to purchase that car. Even at so-called invoice pricing or dealer costthere are ways the dealer can make a profit on each sale. Most automakers have used holdback for decades. Holdback or portions whta the holdback money is a potential profit source, but some dealers rely on it to pay expenses. Chevrolet, Buick and GMC return 3 percent of the sticker price to the dealer.