Staples Canada: Experiencing Rapid Program Growth with TreviPay

The Client Staples Canada was founded in 1991 and has grown to become the leading global brand for office supplies. Today it has more than 300 stores in Canada. The Staples organization has outposts across North America, South America and Europe and achieves global revenues of $10 billion a year. Staples has a strong presence in both consumer and B2B markets. Since its early days, Staples has offered a line of credit to B2B customers and the ability to pay on terms. The Challenge A need for an enhanced credit experience for best SMB customers Staples Canada was searching for a new trade credit program in Canada to provide their SMB customers with an enhanced payments experience both online and in-store. As part of this process, Staples realized there was an opportunity to source a solution with more advanced technology capabilities and richer functionality than had been available from its previous bank partner. In parallel, Staples was also looking for a way to drive foot traffic to its stores post pandemic.

The Solution – New Technology and Elevated Service Staples evaluated several possible partners to provide its trade credit services. There were several key reasons why Staples chose TreviPay. “The technology offered by TreviPay was an important factor and a marked improvement over our previous bank partner,” said Ramzi Domloge, Senior Director Payment Solutions at Staples. The self-service functionality of the online portal enabled customers to perform useful tasks such as easy bill payments, reviewing invoices, and performing reconciliations online. TreviPay also offered extra visibility in terms of reporting. “We also got a strong sense of collaboration from TreviPay,” said Domloge. “Turnaround was prompt on a series of improvements we wanted to make, based on our ideation sessions and customer feedback.” The design of the invoices was updated to be more customer friendly, and the portal was updated with a help center and FAQs.

An App to Drive Store Visits As part of the implementation, Staples also rolled out the TreviPay mobile app to its B2B customers across 305 of its stores in Canada. This market-leading innovation means customers can access a credit line immediately, without having to wait for a physical card. It gives buyers the ability to make in-store business purchases as easy as online or with a salesperson. Staples was able to brand the TreviPay solution as its own, creating continuity and a seamless omnichannel customer experience across its website and mobile app experiences. Staples deployed the TreviPay solution in its Canadian business in June 2021 with their market leading small business membership program—Staples Preferred. TreviPay’s long history of setting up and running trade credit programs means the team can expertly navigate the roles within the buyers’ organization and can quickly locate the appropriate contact for training on the program’s use. This means Staples customers understand how and where to make payments and are set for success in navigating the portal.

How TreviPay Works Business customers can apply for a line of credit that can be spent exclusively with Staples online or in-store with their mobile payment app. The account application and risk assessment process take place in just a few seconds as part of an entirely digital experience. Approved buyers can begin spending their credit immediately with a one-click ordering process, making large orders quick and easy. As the credit is usable only with Staples, it has created a competitive advantage that not only encourages more sales but also drives customer loyalty. In addition, fraud is minimized with the TreviPay closed loop and mobile app options. The company can offer a line of instant credit to its business customers while leaving responsibility for risk assessment and underwriting to TreviPay. That means Staples is always paid on time, even if their business customers default on a payment.

Benefits – Ample Credit in the Hands of Customers Since launch, the number of registered members of the Staples Commercial Credit program has nearly doubled and volume has grown 112% over the Year to Date. The enhancements made to the invoicing and support channels has earned positive feedback from both Staples and its B2B clients, ensuring a great customer experience and strong foundation for program growth. “TreviPay are experts at the welcome calls every new client receives when signing up for our program,” said Domloge. “They know who to reach out to in our clients’ organization and make sure they understand how to use the online tools. With their training, remittance improved significantly, and our clients can use the useful tools such as setting user roles so certain team members can perform tasks on the account such as increasing limits.” The TreviPay mobile app is playing a strategic role in driving footfall back to stores post-pandemic. It means customers now have the convenience of stopping off at any Staples store in Canada, spend using their trade credit and taking their products away immediately. With no need for Staples to upgrade its point-of-sale (POS) system, the TreviPay mobile app brings a business-to-consumer (B2C)-like experience to the B2B space.

Summary In choosing TreviPay, Staples was able to access new technology and services that makes it stand out in the market. Unlike credit or corporate cards, the line of credit offered is for exclusive use at Staples so helps build loyalty and encourage repeat business. And because the trade credit is underwritten by TreviPay, Staples never needs to chase late payments or bad debts. TreviPay is facilitating process innovation that delivers a seamless customer payment experience and competitive advantage for its clients.