With the help of full-service payment provider Concardis, Galeries Lafayette Berlin is simplifying its payment processes: for orders placed either by telephone or in writing, customers now receive an email with an integrated payment link so that they can settle their invoices. The link leads to a payment form, as is familiar from online shopping. Customers simply enter their payment information there and confirm the purchase. After the successful transaction, both the merchant and the customer automatically receive payment confirmation. By using Paylink, the customer’s credit card data no longer has to be collected and processed by the staff of the historic department store – which simplifies processes and increases security.

‘We at Galeries Lafayette rely very heavily on personal consultation, so many of our customers choose to call us to place their order. Thanks to Paylink, we can now offer them convenient online payment, which means that our staff no longer come into direct contact with card details – an important aspect with regard to security. In addition, the processing time of telephone and written orders has decreased significantly due to Paylink, and there are fewer erroneous transactions. A real added value – for both ends of the transaction,’ says Louisa Baron, head of marketing and communication at Galeries Lafayette Berlin.

‘Galeries Lafayette has special requirements with regard to payments: the department store has its own website, but it does not operate an online shop in the classic sense. In order to offer online payments, however, and therefore optimise the customer journey, Paylink is the perfect tool. Additionally, it can be used as a sleek web shop, the so-called One Page Shop. This function is ideal for online campaigns and marketing promotions,’ says Christoph Jung, Vice President Innovation and eCommerce at Concardis.

The French fashion house plans to use the Paylink shop function to drive online sales in future: depending on the target group and promotion, products and vouchers are quickly and simply integrated into the One Page Shop, and the corresponding link is shared via email, on social media and in messenger apps. The customers can then access the offer in only a few clicks and can pay directly, thereby increasing reach and customer retention in a targeted manner.

Entering the world of online sales is worth it, both for small businesses and established department stores like Galeries Lafayette Berlin: in 2017 alone, some 49 billion euros were spent in German e-commerce according to Handelsverband Deutschland (HDE), and in 2018, sales increased to 53.4 billion euros.