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If you’re already offering customers an interest free buy now, pay later option at the checkout then you’re one of a growing number of retailers doing so. And it’s no wonder, a recent survey of UK consumers found that seven out of 10 shoppers preferred Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) options to using a credit card.
But are you, the retailer, getting the most you can from the relationship? We look at a variety of ways in which consumer credit lenders can support retailers to help ensure that the working relationship is a partnership that provides the best possible service to retailers, consumers and benefits all parties.
1. Offering a streamlined checkout process
One thing that many retailers worry about when implementing a BNPL solution on their website is that the checkout process will be lengthier and more complicated if the shopper has to register and complete the transaction via the third-party credit provider too. There is a concern that this will cause a high percentage of customers to abandon their transaction, or give them an opportunity to get distracted and therefore not complete the purchase for another reason.
At DivideBuy, we’ve developed an application process that involves our own streamlined checkout, which can be completed easily and quickly. Our integration with all of the major eCommerce platforms, such as Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento and Craft Commerce, enables us to offer both retailers and consumers a quick and hassle-free experience when using our interest-free credit solution for purchases.
2. Offering flexibility for retailers
Depending on your product range, you may not want to offer finance on every single thing that you sell. If your eCommerce site is built with Magento or WooCommerce, our platform’s functionality enables you to pick and choose which products you want to offer our finance options on. This flexibility means that you can find the combination that works best for your business and customers.
For Shopify, all products must be activated for finance due to the way their platform functions.
You may also want to offer your customers the choice to spread their repayments over a longer period of time. Many BNPL solutions offer a standard three-month repayment schedule, but for retailers selling higher value items this isn’t always the best option for your customers. Providing the flexibility of being able to spread the cost over a period as long as 12 months benefits the customer and gives you, as the retailer, an additional selling point over competitors.
3. Ability to deliver high acceptance rates
If a potential customer tries to complete a purchase using a BNPL solution but is not approved, they are unlikely to then simply pay the amount in full having previously decided to apply for interest free credit. Retailers, naturally, are concerned that if the credit provider’s acceptance rates are low, sales will be low too.
Responsible lending is hugely important and it’s essential that consumers can afford the repayments for their purchase, but some interest free credit providers rely solely on a single credit check as their risk-assessment criteria, which doesn’t always give an up-to-date or accurate reflection of the consumer’s suitability for borrowing.
At DivideBuy, as responsible lenders, we use our unique credit decision engine and credit searches to check customers’ financial status and creditworthiness before we make a decision on lending. Most shoppers can also choose to do a ‘soft credit check’, which doesn’t appear on their credit file, to find out whether they are likely to be accepted for credit before making their purchase. This can help to maximise the number of applicants who are accepted for credit and go on to successfully complete their purchase.
4. Offering risk reduction and quick payments for retailers
If you, as the retailer, have to wait until your customer has completed several or all of their repayments before you are paid for the original transaction, the delay can make managing cash flow tricky.
At DivideBuy, we pay the retailer for the goods when they have been delivered to the customer, meaning that the wait times for receiving payments are greatly reduced. We can do this because we take on the risk of each customer that decides to pay using our interest free credit solution, so the payment can be made to you as soon as the customer receives their order and we receive proof of delivery.
Most POS credit lenders are essentially two or more parties i.e. credit brokers or a third party lender which is totally separate to the platform integration that enables the financing option through your website. However, DivideBuy is the sole lender of the credit solution that we provide, and this includes the way in which it integrates with your site, your checkout and internal processes, meaning we’re not reliant on other providers to join the dots. This means that we can offer genuine instant credit decisions and higher acceptance rates to help retailers drive more revenue.
5. Offering ongoing support for retailers
For many retailers using a checkout credit solution, once the website integration has been set up to offer customers this payment option, that’s where the support from their credit provider ends.
At DivideBuy, we approach things a little differently. Your success as a retailer is our success, and we provide ongoing support to help online stores improve their conversion rates and average order values to boost revenue. In addition to this, we also offer regular industry insights, guides and advice to help retailers achieve improved marketing performance and to better understand your target audience.
When it comes to making a success of offering interest free credit to customers at checkout, simplicity and ease of use is of huge importance for both customers and retailers. From a shopper’s point of view, having this kind of finance option needs to be easy and quick to apply for, and increasingly savvy consumers want to have the confidence that comes with a ‘soft search’ before they apply so they know the likely outcome.
Retailers need a credit solution that is not only appealing to customers and helps increase order values and conversions generally, but is also a platform that integrates seamlessly into your existing internal processes and website, to ensure it doesn’t add to your administrative burden.
If you want to find out more about DivideBuy, get in touch today using the form below, and you can also take a look at some of the ways in which we have helped our partner retailers to grow by viewing our success stories.
