By the fact that you are reading this, you are clearly aware of the advantages consumer finance (CF) has to offer retailers selling high-ticket items. To recap:
- Sales Increase – companies that implemented an online POS financing option experienced a 32% increase in sales.
- High Aov – It allows customers to purchase more expensive items. The average increase in “order value” of 75% for companies that offer POS financing.
- Increase coverage – POS financing widens your customer base.
The growth in POS financing in recent years has created a wide variety of solutions available to retailers, all of which work differently in terms of user experience and implementation.
We have gathered here all the key considerations you should take into account when examining to implement POS financing in your store.
These are the 5 main considerations that you need to look at when selecting:
1. Level of Effort (LOE). The most important aspect of your solution to consider is the requirements to get the operation up and running. Integrating the system onto the site can take a lot of time, as well as financial and IT resources from the retailer. It is important that you understand in advance what resources are required for each solution. Complex integration means a much higher level of effort involved, and this investment will make it harder to justify testing other solutions or switching providers further down the line.Reconciliation demands should also be examined. How you receive the funds from your lending platform will determine the work required from your accounting team.
2. Business as Usual (BAU). Look at what internal changes are needed in order to support the financing solution. These might include staff training, new hardware and accepting ACH from the lender. Will you be able to allow purchase at the POS without receiving funds? In the fast paced world of retail, it is essential that your solution does not disrupt your ongoing operations.
3. Point of Sale (POS). Are you an online retailer only or do you have a physical store as well? You must ensure that any new system is able to work seamlessly with both your website and physical POS. You want to be able to offer a unified omnichannel experience whether your shopper is online or in store, and your system should be set up to support that.
4. Branding. Customers prefer to feel that they are applying for financing through the retailer that they are shopping with. Sending them out to a third party to apply for a loan can affect trust between the retailer and consumer, and hinder the conversion rate. Examine the branding options and user journey that your customer will experience, ensuring that it is as seamless and efficient as possible. It is essential that you check who owns your consumer’s data when they apply and receive financing.
5. Acceptance rate. As a retailer looking to provide consumer finance, it is important that you first gain an intimate understanding of your client demographic and their average credit score. Knowledge of this will help you to pick the most appropriate lender in order to maximize the acceptance rate. Another way to optimize the acceptance rate is to work with more than one lender; a primary lender to focus on your principal shopper and a secondary lender who has the ability to extend coverage to shoppers that are not approved by the primary lender.
Need more assistance? Let us know how we can help. Feel free to reach out to our General Manager of Consumer Financing directly at nufar@jifiti.com.
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