Jenni Hohenthal is Key account manager at AirPlus and helps companies in optimising their card payment processes to ensure seamless operations. For instance, she supports larger companies planning to expand their operations to new European markets.
The conditions for establishing efficient card payment solutions in a new market have significantly improved in recent years, she says.
"New digital solutions enable companies to have one uniform corporate payment solution with a common set of rules across multiple countries. Ten years ago, it was more common to have different solutions and local agreements, which generally made things more complex."
Regardless of the industry or the products and services offered, a company's payment methods need to function from day one. And Jenni Hohenthal has three concrete pieces of advice for companies to achieve this:
Plan ahead and take the mandate
Assign clear areas of responsibilities within the company early on, such as who will handle contact with the business travel agency and who will handle the card payment administration. Also, consider what types of payment solutions are needed in the new market. This will determine whether you need physical or virtual corporate cards or a company account for travel agency purchases. It also clarifies which other additional services are required to, for example, get a complete overview of the companies transactions and receipts in real-time.
Choose one uniform payment solution
Focus on finding one strong uniform corporate payment solution that works seamlessly across different countries. This approach allows you to just have one agreement to maintain, one solution to communicate internally to employees and one solution to administrate in the daily operations.
Turn to external expertise
Whether establishing a physical (with stores/offices) or digital presence (on the internet) in a new market, there are many new rules and regulations to comply with, which can be time-consuming and demanding. My advice is to, early in the process, seek expert help from a payment provider who understands your business and the various regulatory aspects, both locally and regionally.
Eurocard for corporates has been renamed AirPlus
With the joining of Eurocard for corporates and AirPlus – a leading provider of corporate payment services – Eurocard is strengthening its corporate offering by combining the experience and expertise of both brands under the AirPlus name.
