Improving acceptance rate and adding new payment methods for better customer experience

Newmarket Holidays is a UK tour operator providing escorted holidays, resort-based stays, tours, and cruises to destinations worldwide. After encountering several issues with their previous payment provider, Newmarket began the search for a new partnership, which resulted in a collaboration with Ecommpay after a recommendation from a travel industry specialist.

Newmarket Holidays were keen to improve acceptance rates, add new payment methods and find a solution to a complex integration required by their telephone booking centre.

Finally, and perhaps of equal importance, Newmarket required a new payment provider fast, with tight deadlines to ensure they wouldn’t miss the first post-COVID summer season.

During 2020, we only sent 7000 people away due to COVID restrictions. We normally would send 75,000. After the experience of operating during COVID, and putting in the hard work that stood us in good stead for 2021, we were keen to turn things around quickly.” — Marc Vincent, CFO, Newmarket Holidays.

Marc Vincent

CFO of Newmarket Holidays

Marc explained that first and foremost, Newmarket was looking for a payment provider who could process transactions in a robust manner, with high acceptance rates and a focus on excellent customer service.

It was refreshing to hear that high acceptance rates were a primary concern for Ecommpay, who seemed to be focused on continually improving their service. It was important for me personally to find a company that was passionate about what they do before signing any contracts, in order that we were able to get the level of service we required.

We were one of our previous payment provider’s original clients, and had been with them for many years, turning over anything between £80 to £90 million per year, but I feel like they had lost their way when it came to customer service, which was another area where Ecommpay seemed to stand out to us.

Newmarket’s technological requirements

Many of Newmarket Holidays clients prefer to book (and pay) for holiday packages over the phone, which requires a dedicated contact centre, as well as some fairly complex integrations to enable smooth and efficient card transactions.

We needed integrations on two levels. We required an integration for our over-the-phone payments, as well as with Syntek, a third party developer further down the chain. In our contact centre, we use a solution called CardEasy. When you’re about to take a customer’s booking details, the system takes over and offers a method for customers to input their card details over the phone. Everything stays PCI compliant because the agent can’t hear what’s going on until the input has been completed.

Newmarket required a solution that would allow them to integrate their system and process transactions with the minimum amount of information possible, as it’s impractical (or even impossible) for customers to key in billing information such as postcodes or addresses using landline telephones, for example.

Ecommpay has been a pleasure to work with over a number of different levels. The level of service and support that we have received has been really pleasing, especially from the technical team during the integration and onboarding process.

The level of customisation and flexibility has been amazing. Our previous provider wasn’t very flexible at all. We had to fit in with their way of doing things, whereas Ecommpay has been the exact opposite. It feels like a real collaboration with proper flexibility from a partner who actually listens to us.

A shift in customer payment trends

Until around ten years ago, Marc points out that bank and credit cards were the only realistic way to pay for holidays online. These days, he’s noticed a shift in the 45-to-55 age bracket to more modern payment methods, with customers increasingly happy to tap on smartphone screens to make a booking.

People are now very used to using a phone to pay in a restaurant, so they’re happy to do the same to pay for other things online. However, we do have an older age bracket that we also need to cater towards, and many are hesitant to use newer payment methods to pay for the trip of a lifetime that might cost upwards of £9,000.

Marc also points out that holiday packages and travel itineraries are becoming more complex (and costly) each year, especially post-COVID, with multi-generational holidays and lots of group trips being booked.

The trend for more expensive trips means that it’s becoming increasingly important to ensure that whatever method clients use to pay, those large transactions go through smoothly without being declined. This was a primary concern for us when choosing a new payment provider.

Marc’s insights into the changing face of the travel sector come from years of experience, but he’s also able to gain valuable data using Ecommpay’s Merchant Dashboard, as well as managing the company’s payments and payouts from a central, unified location.

The Ecommpay dashboard has been awesome. It’s so intuitive and flexible. We’re able to monitor everything from one place, tracking all the bookings as they come in by unique identifiers all the way back to the contact centre. We can also analyse payment trends and other important insights all in one place.

Broadening Newmarket’s payment method portfolio

Since partnering with Ecommpay, Newmarket Holidays have already implemented Google Pay and Apple Pay, and are in the process of adding Open Banking to their portfolio of options. As well as improving conversion and providing a better payment experience for clients, Marc thinks that multiple payment options also help to raise the profile of a business too.

We now live in an age where there are a plethora of choices, so we need to offer as many payment methods as possible to give our clients the best experience and keep them engaged. I think perhaps that the clients themselves perceive that a business is progressive and forward-thinking if they see multiple payment choices. It’s an easy win and helps to make your business look more modern.

The speed in which things like Apple Pay have been implemented by Ecommpay has been phenomenal. We had a solution in motion within days after discussing it, rather than having to wait twelve or more weeks for implementation.

A successful partnership with a bright future

The Ecommpay team has been a pleasure to work with on a number of different levels. The service and support that we have received have been really pleasing, especially from the technical team during the integration and onboarding process.

Ecommpay has been completely focused on maintaining a proactive, caring partnership, where any issues are dealt with right away. There’s always a rapid response with someone on the phone that we can talk to, rather than an endless chain of support tickets.

Overall, this has been a great journey with a team who continue to over-deliver and exceed expectations, allowing both companies to grow together.

Improving acceptance rate and adding new payment methods for better customer experience

Newmarket’s technological requirements

A shift in customer payment trends

Broadening Newmarket’s payment method portfolio

A successful partnership with a bright future

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