5 Key Factors When Selecting a Consumer Financing Platform in 2023
In the dynamic world of consumer finance, the point-of-sale (POS) financing platform you choose can be essential to your success. As modern shoppers become more discerning and technology-savvy, their expectations for seamless and flexible purchasing experiences have soared. This shift in consumer behavior underscores why the right POS financing platform is crucial for merchants aiming to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
A cutting-edge POS financing platform goes beyond simply processing transactions—it plays a pivotal role in shaping the customer journey. Offering many financing options empowers customers with financial flexibility, enhancing their purchasing power. POS financing turns potential browsers into confident buyers for high-ticket items that may otherwise be out of reach.
Simultaneously, these platforms open up new opportunities for businesses. An efficient POS financing system can increase conversion rates, boost average transaction values, and foster customer loyalty. By offering consumer financing options, businesses demonstrate an understanding of customers’ financial needs and position themselves as supportive partners rather than just vendors.
In essence, the right POS financing platform forms the backbone of your consumer financing strategy. It merges convenience with financial accessibility, making shopping a less daunting experience for budget-conscious customers. As such, your choice of POS platform is a decision that reverberates throughout your entire operation, impacting sales, customer satisfaction, and long-term business growth. This is why investing time and resources into choosing the ideal POS financing platform is an absolute necessity rather than an optional luxury.
Here are 5 crucial factors when choosing the best POS financing platform for your business:
- Omnichannel experience
- Wide network of lenders
- Easy integration and management
- Comprehensive analytics and data
- White-label capabilities
1. Omnichannel Experience
In the age of digital innovation, customers crave seamless, personalized experiences. An omnichannel lending approach, which merges in-store financing with online financing options, is critical to meeting these expectations. With this approach, your customers can access financing solutions anywhere they wish to interact with your brand, be it in-store, through an online platform, or via a call center, door-to-door service, or any other point of sale in a seamless experience.
Your POS financing platform should provide a genuine omnichannel experience. In-store, customers could scan a QR code, browse a link, or use an in-store device. For e-commerce financing, the platform should support pre-approval applications, enhancing the user experience and expediting the purchase process. Integration with call centers, enabling agents to send links or codes, ensures customers can access support and services conveniently. By accommodating customers wherever they make their purchases, you’re embracing the power of omnichannel financing.
2. Wide Network of Lenders
A vital aspect of any POS financing platform is its network of lenders. A platform with a network of lenders that covers the entire credit spectrum and includes B2B as well as B2C lenders, and different geographies, positions you to meet the financing needs of all of your customers, even as their needs change.
During this period of high interest rates and inflation, traditional prime consumers are qualifying for near-prime loans, while previous near-prime consumers may slide into the subprime category. This cascading effect can leave a significant population underserved, especially considering that only 17% of retailers offer subprime options, according to a survey by ChargeAfter.
The more comprehensive your lender network, the more safeguarded you are against changes made by single lenders, such as a lender adjusting their credit box, changing their merchant discount rates, or even ceasing operations, which can leave you and your customers without an alternative. It also puts you in a stronger position to negotiate terms with lenders who are vying for your customers’ business.
The flexibility provided by an extensive network ensures a continued seamless operation and robust approval rates.
3. Easy Integration and Management
Your POS system should offer straightforward integration and management as an embedded finance platform. Customers should find it easy to use, with a single application connecting them to multiple lenders within seconds. Additionally, it should provide real-time automated matching at the point of sale, utilizing a waterfall finance method to match customers to the best offers for their credit profile.
For merchants, an embedded lending platform should offer effective post-sales management, including dispute resolution, refunds, and reconciliations. Real-time updates on performance, volume, and order information are essential to optimize lending programs. Direct communication with lenders and tools to track, process, and resolve cases should be standard features of your chosen platform.
4. Comprehensive Analytics and Data
Any worthwhile embedded lending platform should offer actionable analytics and data. A complete view of lending data makes optimizing financing offerings and adapting to shifting market trends possible. With this data at your fingertips, you can plan marketing and retargeting campaigns that build strong customer relationships, enhancing their lifetime and average order value.
Analytics from your platform should also help you to understand and optimize your customers’ journey, showing you where and when customers drop out and where and when they convert, so that you can easily optimize your lending program within your customers’ journeys and improve your ecommerce website performance.
5. White Label Capabilities
A white-label POS system allows you to customize the platform to match your brand identity, increasing customer recognition and loyalty. Whether you’re looking for a white-label BNPL solution or comprehensive white-label consumer financing, your platform should be able to deliver.
Choosing a POS financing platform can be complex, given the broad range of features to consider and the multitude of providers in the market. However, by keeping these five critical factors in mind—omnichannel experience, vast lender network, easy integration and management, comprehensive financing analytics, and white-label capabilities—you’re well on your way to selecting a platform that meets your business needs and enhances your customers’ shopping experience.
Conclusion – The Market-Leading Platform for POS Financing
Retailers are increasingly selecting ChargeAfter’s embedded lending platform for point-of-sale financing. It offers everything you need to provide your customers with a fast and smooth experience at their moment of need. The platform streamlines your financing offer and is easy to manage. Its network of over 40 lenders increases the likelihood that shoppers who seek financing will be approved, with approval rates reaching up to 85%. This broader access to financing options enhances the customer experience, fosters loyalty, and ultimately drives higher sales and AOV.
Are you ready to get your financing right? Book a Demo
About Mark Denman
Mark has worked in the near-prime and tertiary lending space for 30 years. As EVP of Merchants Sales & Success at ChargeAfter, he is responsible for ensuring merchants and lenders get the best care possible.
