Make secure, fast and easy payments with Saferpay

Fragmented payments

Van Marcke sells to professionals via technical shops, an online store and an internal solutions centre. Customers can also come directly to the showrooms. "Payments came in in different ways. Some customers have a credit line with us, others paid via payment terminals, bank transfer or even cash", says Michèle Adams. "Processing of all those payments manually for all countries took up a lot of time. In addition to the risk of errors, such a slow process wasn't really customer-friendly. Moreover, cash payments are not safe. We also ran into logistical problems when customers proved unable to pay at the time of delivery. With Saferpay, we've overcome all those stumbling blocks."

"We process more than 2,000 payments every day and they all need to be linked to the right invoice. With Saferpay we now have one efficient solution.”
Michèle Adams, CFO Van Marcke

Integrated and rapid solution

"Saferpay consists of two modules", adds Stefanie Vanden Bossche, Credit Manager at Van Marcke. "Either the customer orders through the online shop and pays there instantly, which can be done in no time at all using a QR code or a credit card on the payment page, or they order through one of our other channels and pay using what we call 'Payment before delivery'. Once an order has been placed or is ready for shipment, the customer will receive a payment link via e-mail and can pay immediately. We receive the payment straight away and can load and deliver the order quickly and correctly."

Fully transparent

Saferpay's major advantage is centralisation. The solution is integrated into Van Marcke's ERP system, so everything runs automatically. "CRM, stock management and payments will all be linked from now on", continues Stefanie Vanden Bossche. "Going forward, we'll have only one partner for all payments, but above all one point of contact if we have any questions or issues. In addition to a very responsive helpdesk, we can also request online support through a ticket system. We get assistance within 24 hours, which saves a lot of time. We also receive a daily overview of all payments within each country, and this even includes payments made using electronic eco-cheques. We used to have to sort a lot out ourselves, but everything's clear and very transparent now."

One-stop shop

The fact that Van Marcke chose BNP Paribas Fortis as a partner for their payment solution isn't that surprising. "Saferpay was just the right solution for us. But the excellent relationship with the bank also played a role. We've been through a lot together over the last 25 years", smiles Michèle Adams. "For us, the bank is almost like a family doctor for all our financial challenges. Having such a one-stop shop is very comforting, and we genuinely feel supported. Our relationship manager knows our company inside out and defends our interests, but is also an excellent ambassador within the bank."

Coronavirus as a catalyst

The Saferpay project was drawn up together with the bank at the end of last year. But that was before the world was hit by the coronavirus pandemic. However, everything has been live since October. "We were already working on digitalisation, and we've continued to roll out our plans over the past year. We didn't have to change course as a result of the coronavirus crisis, although it's naturally brought about a digital acceleration. Our online shop has certainly received a boost and our integrated payment solution is a great added value, but we didn't have to go in any other directions despite Covid-19."

Company of the Year

This resilience in a unique year after an intense wave of investments is one of the reasons why Van Marcke was one of the four finalists for this year's 'Company of the Year' award. "Making the final was a great honour, and we're immensely proud of it. We feel that this is recognition of what we've done in recent years. In particular for our staff, who've had to deal with lots of change."