Encoded, a leading Payment Service Provider and pioneer of innovative secure payment solutions for contact centres and e-commerce, has announced that The Wine Society has successfully implemented its Gateway Services, Agent Assisted and E-Commerce Payments technology to meet increased demand as orders soared during the pandemic.
Using Encoded, The Society’s 50-strong contact centre has dramatically improved the security of telephone payments and enhanced the customer experience for 180,000 members. In addition, Encoded’s Gateway integrates directly with The Society’s acquirer Cashflows to process over 70,000 transactions every month.
The selection of Encoded in the early part of 2020 was part of an ongoing modernisation programme at The Wine Society to introduce more secure, Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS),compliant payment processes and advanced e-Commerce capabilities, including a new website. The success of the programme was vital to meet the increased demand of a rapidly growing member base as restaurants and bars closed and more people were ordering on-line for home delivery.
As a member-owned co-operative, and therefore particularly mindful of the need to be as cost-effective as possible, The Wine Society was looking for a vendor that offered blue-chip functionality and good customer service at a competitive price. Sustainability was also a prerequisite with the preferred solution needing to support future projects such as the new website. After evaluating the market place The Wine Society selected Encoded.
Karen Coates, Chief Operations Officer at The Wine Society commented, “Encoded won hands down when it came to good customer service. We really liked the team and the fact they had done their homework. We were confident they could offer us an immediate service and be a provider that actually cared about our members. They demonstrated high levels of flexibility, even suggesting additional creative ways to use Encoded technology. From the outset, they were exploring new ideas to help us work even smarter and this relationship aspect came across strongly. Since then, the team at Encoded have delivered on their promise. They are always extremely helpful, very responsive, attentive, thorough and professional.”
The Wine Society initially implemented Encoded to support the organisation’s contact centre. Encoded’s Gateway and Agent Assisted Payments give agents one simple-to-use interface to process members’ card payments quickly and securely over any channel. Today, the solution links directly to The Society’s acquirer Cashflows to process over 70,000 transactions every month with the scalability to accommodate increased demand in the future.
Rob Crutchington, Managing Director of Encoded said, “Not-for-profit organisations like The Wine Society can trust us to deliver totally integrated, robust technology that keeps their entire payment environment safe, is flexible enough to futureproof their operations and gives excellent value for money. They can also rely on us to be with them every step of the way. We offer a partnership approach that focuses on finding creative ways to tackle the unique operational challenges of a rapidly changing and often unpredictable business climate.”
Encoded offers a range of card payment solutions designed to help organisations comply with GDPR, PCI DSS and the newly introduced Payment Services Directive (PSD2). Encoded’s automated secure payments are designed to free up valuable contact centre agent time allowing people to focus on customer service, more complex enquiries and revenue generating activities. For more information, visit www.encoded.co.uk
About The Wine Society
Established in 1874, The Wine Society is the world’s oldest member-owned community of wine lovers. As a not-for-profit organisation without external shareholders, all profits are put back into lower prices and better services for the people who enjoy wine as well as for those who make them. Today, The Wine Society has over 180,000 members and reported gross revenues of £160 million in 2021. For more information, visit www.thewinesociety.com
About Encoded
Encoded is an independent payment services provider and payment gateway, with secure and innovative solutions for all of your organisation’s payment channels; Payment Gateway Services, IVR Payments, Agent Assisted Payments with Fraud Prevention Platform, eCommerce Payments, Mobile Apps, Open Banking and PayByLink – to increase your payment acceptance rates.
Encoded’s solutions and expertise are trusted by many of the world’s leading brands including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Mini, Toyota, Lexus and retailers such as Samsung, Lush and The Wine Society plus a host of UK utility companies such as Shell Energy and Severn Trent Water.
