Small Businesses and Organizations Pivot in Response to COVID-19 with Help from Payment Facilitators
With detailed insights and a deep understanding of their customers’ businesses, payment facilitators have a unique view into the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on different verticals.
In a bit of good news, some PFs have shared how their business customers and others in their industries are adapting to this new environment.
According to Blackbaud, its customers – many of which are nonprofits, educational institutions and religious organizations – have moved much of their activity online. Groups have moved to hosting virtual fundraisers and bringing cultural offerings to their audiences through live streaming and videos.
“The intersection of technology and social good has never been more important than it is today,” Walter Loiselle, senior vice president of customer operations, Blackbaud, said in a press release.
“We’re committed to supporting all our customers as quickly and creatively as possible, while helping new customers achieve the time to value and time to ROI they need during this unprecedented time.”
Blackbaud cited several examples of organizations that were using the company’s online tools to continue their missions.
For example, the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden is offering both live and on-demand videos to viewers. The zoo has set up a donation program using Blackbaud as a partner to solicit support while its facility is closed, and its donors have increased 487%.
“It’s been so successful, and it really speaks to the opportunity to creatively fulfill our mission while meeting a need for the community right now,” said the zoo’s Director of Donor Engagement Krista Powers. “We believe in hope. We want to provide a little seed of joy and brightness in people’s lives, and this is allowing us to do that.”
Restaurant platform Toast recently gathered stories about the creative ways restaurants across the country – which are some of the businesses hardest-hit by the crisis, as the company acknowledges in a post from its CEO – are finding to survive.
Some are going beyond simply offering their usual menu through takeout or delivery, expanding to offer creative new takeout options. One, Guerrilla Tacos in Los Angeles, has created an “Emergency Taco Kit,” which it bills as a survival pack that includes rolls of toilet paper.
Still others are tapping into their supply chains to offer pop-up grocery stores and meal kits. The company pointed to the web site of hot dog chain Dog Haus, which explained: “While we continue to serve our signature Dog Haus items via pickup and delivery, we are also offering a vast list of essential foods that you can purchase to prepare for yourself and your loved ones at home.”
To help its restaurant customers, Toast has offered a one-month credit of software fees, as well as easy access to its products that support online ordering, takeout options and gift cards.
Leading payment facilitator Shopify recently shared data about changes it has seen on its platform since the outbreak began. The company said that it is seeing sales trends that align to industries based on current consumer need, brick-and-mortar businesses are transition to online offerings as their foot traffic drops off, and many of its businesses are offering discounts to attract customers.
Shopify is helping its customers by offering 90-day free trials to new customers, expanded loans through Shopify Capital, and offerings for its POS customers that support local delivery and in-store and curbside pickup options.
(The company also noted that it terminated “thousands of merchants” making false claims about COVID-19-related products or price gouging. PaymentFacilitator has more on protecting your merchant portfolio from COVID-related risks here.)