Ferryhopper's journey to streamlined payment solutions

In the world of travel, ferry journeys often occupy a unique niche, offering travelers an alternative mode of transport that is often more scenic and sometimes more adventurous. Ferryhopper offers this unique travel experience to its customers. The business emerged from the shores of Greece with a mission to revolutionize ferry travel—which it has more than exceeded by modernizing the booking experience. 

However, the journey was not without its challenges, particularly in navigating the complexities of digital transformation and optimizing payment solutions for customers who increasingly demand more seamless digital payments.

Challenge

The slow digital transformation of the industry and, in particular, the cumbersome process of booking ferry tickets between Greek islands led to the inception of Ferryhopper. Initially, only 5% of companies offered customers the option of etickets, with most transactions requiring physical presence and paper tickets. 

Additionally, the payment process was fraught with inefficiencies, security concerns, and a lack of trust among customers, who would experience long waits and uncertain service conditions. This scenario presented a multifaceted problem for the Ferryhopper team—how could they streamline the ferry booking process, ensure payment security, and enhance customer trust and convenience in a largely traditional market?

Solution

Ferryhopper sought innovative solutions to transform the way its consumers paid for their travel. To achieve this, Ferryhopper recognized the importance of partnering with a reliable payment solution provider and they turned to Checkout.com for assistance. 

Ferryhopper and Checkout.com devised strategies to streamline the payment process, reduce transaction costs, and enhance acceptance rates. By utilizing Checkout.com's API capabilities, Ferryhopper integrated seamless payment options into its booking platform, offering customers a hassle-free experience from reservation to boarding.

Focusing on improving transaction security, reducing fees, and enhancing global payment acceptance rates, the partnership led to notable improvements:

• Better account support from Checkout.com enabled Ferryhopper to navigate payment challenges more effectively, ensuring smoother operations and customer transactions.
• The acceptance rate for cards from France and Germany improved significantly, from 85% to 91%. This increase is crucial for a company serving a diverse, international customer base and highlights the effectiveness of Checkout.com's payment gateway.
• Ferryhopper achieved lower average commissions on EU card transactions, enhancing their profitability and allowing them to offer more competitive pricing to their customers.

Results

The implementation of these solutions and improvements led to significant achievements for Ferryhopper, notably:

• An increase in market share, selling 20-25% of all ferry tickets in Greece.
• A significant reduction in transaction costs and improvement in payment acceptance rates, thanks to the partnership with Checkout.com.
• Enhanced customer satisfaction and trust, evidenced by positive feedback and repeat bookings.
• Expansion into new markets, including Italy and Spain, with the company becoming a key player in the Mediterranean ferry booking industry.

By addressing the challenges of digital transformation, payment security, and customer trust head-on, Ferryhopper has not only simplified ferry travel for millions but also set a new standard for service in the industry. 

The partnership between Ferryhopper and Checkout.com has fueled significant improvements in transaction costs, acceptance rates, and customer satisfaction for Ferryhopper. 

As the company looks to the future, its continued focus on innovation, partnership, and expansion will undoubtedly propel it forward on its growth trajectory.