UK merchants are undergoing a unique time in the payments space, as they are preparing for an exponential increase in Chinese tourism. B+S Card Service, one of Germany’s largest acquirers and solution providers for electronic payment processing in Europe, is shifting concentration to the UK market and helping them handle the changes in consumer behavior.
More Chinese tourists are expected to be visiting the British high streets due to UK visa laws having recently become more lax. The visa revisions were made in April 2013, and merchants are beginning to update payment systems in order to accept higher China Union Pay (CUP) card acceptance.
The new consumer changes are not to be taken lightly, but how prepared are the UK shop owners? PYMNTS.com spoke with director of sales at B+S Card Service, Andreas Stendera, to find out more about the changes in the UK and how they are helping merchants to adapt.
According to Stendera, it seems many UK shops having been slacking.
He explained, “We were actually quite surprised how few merchants accepted the Chinese scheme in the UK, especially considering the average transaction is about 2,000 pounds. CUP represents the biggest card scheme in Asia.”
He explained further, “There is more and more business with changes in the travel habit of the Chinese people, especially London. The UK is becoming more of an interested market for the Chinese population, especially for the affluent.”
Regardless whether UK businesses are apathetic or oblivious to the new increasing tourism, it seems someone needs to clue them in. PYMNTS.com asked Stendera about B+S Card Service’s consumer communications.
How is B+S marketing their services to UK shops, and are are they aware it’s important to update payments technology?
“We have several marketing actions and we are present in many retail and trade shows. We recently attended the retail business technology expo in London, and we also have a UK-based team in London,” he stated.
There are hundreds of payments providers serving UK merchants, so why does Stendera think B+S is any different?
“We provide a full package, not just in terms of solution but also customer contact, service and trust. We centralize our services and standardize our technical infrastructure that is not just POS based. We try and provide adaptable solutions to accommodate the merchant,” he said.
Some of those adaptable solutions include around-the-clock training and assistance.
He explained, “We have a merchant eccentric approach. B+S is one of the only providers that offer CUP acceptance in the UK. We offer quite a lot of on-ground support. We offer 24/7 local hotlines to provide merchants with on-site training by high scale processionals located in the UK. They are able to deliver high quality service that the merchant can rely on. The German-based experience is about focusing on reliance and quality.”
Stendera mentioned a German-based approach several times, so PYMNTS.com inquired further about exactly what he meant.
“The German principle is a very strong focus on delivering in time and in commitment. The German DNA is about getting things we committed done in the time that we committed them. The typical German approach is not in time, it’s a little bit before the time. Normally in a lot of European countries, they say that things made in Germany have a proven quality. That is what our approach is about. We offer a quality service approach to the customer. We are not the cheapest, but we give the highest quality solutions that will help the business,” he concluded.
Andreas Stendera, Director of Sales
Mr Stendera joined B+S Card Service in 2012 and as Director of Sales he oversees 7 departments covering 100 employees. Mr Stendera previously worked at IBM heading up the SEM business and indirect sales units for the entire product portfolio.
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