Meet the partner: Payplug

At BR-DGE we are growing our independent payment orchestration platform, which enables enterprise payment professionals to connect and collaborate with a global marketplace of payment services through one single integration.

Our partners play an important role in the payment journey, supporting merchants like you to deliver a seamless, end-to-end payment experience for your customers.

In our Meet the Partner series, we showcase how we join forces with our key partners, what products or functionality is available and how you can benefit from our broad range of integrations.

In this series, we sat down with Payplug to find out more about their French payment solution, designed for merchants and e-merchants of all sizes across travel, retail and online gaming. We discuss what makes Payplug unique, how we partner together with merchants and how Payplug has grown in recent years.

1. Share how the Payplug solution works.

Payplug is the French payment solution designed for e-merchants and fintechs. We support merchants throughout the creation of their payment strategy, encompassing operation and continuous improvement. We absorb the complexity of payments so they can take advantage of opportunities as they open up and we partner with payment players with similar convictions. With our cutting-edge technology platform, our dedicated conversion tools and our mastery of the payment chain, we give our customers the means to strive for, and exceed, their best.

Payplug addresses payment worldwide with a European License. We have a complementary approach to the french & international markets. We support merchants in euros and in 80 foreign currencies on Visa, MasterCard and American Express, thanks to performance optimization systems by region and by country with both adaptation of anti-fraud rules and adaptation of authentication systems.

2. How do you work in partnership with BR-DGE?

BR-DGE merchants are now able to benefit from Payplug's expertise and tools to maximize the performance of their payments in France and Europe. This partnership perfectly embodies Payplug's unique value proposition for merchants: improve their conversion rates simply thanks to localized payment methods and the highest acceptance rates on the French market.

What Payplug delivers is perfectly aligned with the promises of orchestration:

• Simplicity: we master the entire value chain to absorb the complexity of payments for the merchant.
• Performance: as an international acquirer and a part of Groupe BPCE (representing 20% of consumer transactions in France*, leading issuer of VISA cards in Europe) and as a key member of Cartes Bancaires, we enable our clients to benefit from advantageous programs, resulting in net acceptance rates reaching up to 98%.
• Geographic expansion speed: we also maximize performance by allowing merchants to deploy their payments simply, optimize their conversion rates, better manage their risks, and efficiently steer their business. Our team of specialists analyzes real-time payment data to help them make the best decisions, locally.

3. What makes your organisation different to others in your area of speciality? What is your market USP?

As for the french market, we are holding a unique position in the ecosystem: Payplug is part of Groupe BPCE, the second largest banking group in France, the first VISA issuer in Europe and the owner of a remarkable 20% of the issuing market in France*. This means Payplug has a deep understanding of payment dynamics and is well-equipped to meet the needs of businesses and their customers. Additionally, our partnership with BPCE enables us to implement a cutting-edge protocol in the PSD2 environment known as Fastpass. This not only enhances security but also ensures swift and seamless payment processes.

To top it off, Payplug holds a prominent position as a principal member of Cartes Bancaires, the renowned French card scheme. Cartes Bancaires gives Payplug access to a Low-Risk Merchant Program, ensuring a best acceptance rate.

Additionally, thanks to our collaboration with Cartes Bancaires and BPCE, we can boast an impressive 98% of frictionless requests approved. This results in a significant boost in conversion rates and, most importantly, greater acceptance for merchants.

In essence, Payplug combines the strength and stability of BPCE, the influence of Cartes Bancaires, and the innovation of Fastpass to provide a superior payment processing solution for businesses. If you're looking for a partner that can optimize payment flow, enhance acceptance rates, and ensure cost-effectiveness, Payplug is the way to go. Our team of 350 payment experts is here to make the payment experience as smooth as possible.

4. How important are partnerships to your organization?

The unique position of Payplug in the payment market today is largely attributed to the network of partners we have built over the past 10 years. Typically, recognizing our clients' needs, we facilitate the integration of their payments through orchestrators like BR-DGE and simplify their day-to-day management by co-piloting the card payment activity with them or on their behalf. We currently assist 17,000 merchants such as Maisons du Monde, Veepee, Autodoc and Ankama and more than 800 partners recommend our solution daily.

Our commitment to partnerships and our close relationships with them are key factors in our success in keeping promises to merchants. They can rely on:

• A highly responsive technical support, working closely with BR-DGE and our entire partner network;
• A granular and modern API;
• A connection between Payplug and BR-DGE that is not only maintained but also continually challenged to secure additional acceptance points for the merchant.

5. How was your organization founded? What was the market need?

In 2012, two French fintech companies were founded as online payment solutions for SMEs and major accounts. After opening offices in Amsterdam and Milan, both fintechs joined the Groupe BPCE in 2017. In 2019, PayPlug launched an omnichannel offer, and in 2021, Dalenys introduced the Payfac product. In 2022, PayPlug and Dalenys joined forces to become Payplug, strengthening their position in the payments industry. Since then, they have been sharing their expertise to maximize merchants payment performance, simply.

6. Describe your company culture.

We are passionate about payment. Payment is our core business, and we take our customers’ success to heart. We are supporting the performance of merchants who place their trust in us, by meeting consumers’ expectations in terms of security and simplicity.

The payment industry demands innovation as much as expertise, which is why we cherish the following 5 values:

• The Collective: we do not seek individual achievement but collective success. We win and lose together.
• Accuracy: payment is a regulated, complex and sensitive environment. Aside from our expertise, it is our attention to detail and high standards in everything we produce that make the difference.
• Perseverance: we progress by overcoming obstacles. We do not back down in the face of difficulty, we confront it head on, continuously advancing. We are always learning.
• Authenticity: we are transparent with each other and with our clients. We allow everyone to be themselves, and we accept our vulnerabilities, which is what creates trust and makes us better.
• Inventiveness: the entrepreneurial spirit is in our DNA. To achieve our goals, we are curious, daring and ingenious and we never hesitate to think outside the box.

For more information on how you can connect with Payplug and maximise the partnership through BR-DGE’s orchestration suite, get in touch with the team.

*Figure reference: BPCE 2023 figures