Delivering ready-to-use payment terminals within a maximum period of 10 working days after the conclusion of a contract is an objective that is close to our hearts at Axepta BNP Paribas. In a rapidly changing world, it is a quality that is much appreciated by clients. Christopher, who has been working in the boarding department of Axepta BNP Paribas for 3 years, tells us more about the onboarding process for new clients.

Effectively onboarding a new client is not a last-minute task that should be undertaken lightly. “First of all, our main task consists of collecting, verifying and processing the prospect’s information”, Christopher explains.

Well begun is half done

As a financial institution and part of the BNP Paribas Fortis group, Axepta BNP Paribas is subject to strict verification procedures regarding the identity of the prospect and his or her company. These aim to protect consumers and prevent any form of abuse of our products such as fraud or scams. This is done through various predefined parameters and by means of cross-referential databases that analyze the information automatically. “The advantage of such an approach is that it reduces the risks of slipping through the cracks, which in turn increases the probability of a successful and lasting customer relationship”, Christopher says.

“In a second phase, we establish the link between sales and logistics, which are the first point of contact for customers and the final shipper of their terminal”, Christopher adds further. “We make sure that the requirements communicated to the sales team by the customer are correctly integrated into our system and thus transmitted to the logistics department responsible for the installation and shipment of the device. This, in order to send the right terminal with the requested features to the right merchant at the right address so that he can use it upon receipt with absolute autonomy.”

A third aspect and integral part of our work closely mirrors the role generally assigned to customer service, with the difference that our intervention is limited to requests exclusively related to transaction processing (also known as “acquiring”). So questions about merchants’ transactions, a customer’s reimbursement, bank account changes, functionality modifications, system configuration changes to support the customer’s lifecycle, etc. therefore fall under the responsibility of the onboarding team.

Varied function with impact

“What I like about this job, in addition to the variety and technical complexity of cases, is the multi-faceted responsibility that we carry”, Christopher indicates. “I do not only refer to the final decision of whether or not to accept the merchant as a client according to the existing rules. Our reception and support directly impact future collaboration. You never get a second chance to make a first impression. If the customer encounters obstacles of any kind at the start of the journey, it might be perceived as if we are failing in our promise to provide excellent service. That is why it is important to organize the onboarding down to the smallest detail. Taken this into account, the delivery within 10 working days is not bad, right?