The Role of Digital Payments in Enhancing Customer Loyalty

Digital payments have been around for over a decade, but the pandemic has catalyzed its adoption across countries and virtually all categories. 

As McKinsey reports in a 2023 survey, for the first time, more than nine out of ten consumers mentioned that they had used some form of digital payment during the year. 

The scene is no different in the UAE region. 

Statista mentions that the total transaction value in the digital payments market is projected to reach US$29.75bn in 2024.

Digital payments have been gaining popularity and quick adoption as a convenient and secure way of transacting. 

They’re fast, hassle-free, and can be done on the go. 

But have you ever thought digital payments can also help you build loyalty? 

In this article, we will discuss how you can leverage digital payments to enhance your customer loyalty. 

But before that, let's do a quick recap to understand why digital payments are getting so popular. 

Why is the demand for digital payments increasing? 

There’s not one but multiple reasons behind the growing appetite for digital payments: 

1. Convenience

As customers are becoming more tech-savvy, they prefer quick solutions and convenience. 

Digital payments offer convenience as a digital transaction doesn't take more than a couple of minutes.

Moreover, it can be done anytime and anywhere. 

2. Personalization

Digital payments offer a variety of payment modes.

So, brands can offer various modes of digital transaction, such as credit/debit cards, UPI, mobile wallets, internet banking, mobile banking, etc., to facilitate a smooth transaction.

Brands can analyze customer behavior, preferences, and buying patterns to personalize these options. 

3. Digital transformation

The past decade has been an era of digital transformation. 

The years between 2011 and 2020 have witnessed how digital technologies have reshaped the business world. 

The digital transformation journey is still on. 

According to the IMD World Digital Competitiveness Ranking 2023 report, the UAE was ranked 12th among 64 countries reviewed globally and 6th among 40 countries in the European and MENA group in terms of digital competitiveness.

As businesses undergo a digital transformation, digital payments become a natural part of the process. 

4. Better security and trust 

Digital payments are safe and secure.

Some of the key security measures behind digital systems include two-factor authentication, encryption, authorization, biometrics, tokenization, email validation and authentication, and secure socket layer (SSL) and transport layer security (TLS). 

This is one of the main reasons consumers today trust digital transactions and rely on it. 

How do digital payments build loyalty? 

We all will agree that building customer loyalty is paramount today for every brand, irrespective of its size and nature of business. 

Today, every brand strives to meet and exceed customer expectations, so the shift is now towards creating a seamless experience for the customer.

Digital payments powered by BaaS are at the forefront of this journey and play a crucial role in building customer loyalty. 

Let’s understand how:

1. Creating a seamless checkout experience

The checkout process is the final touchpoint between a consumer and a brand, and the ease or difficulty determines if the consumer will close the transaction.

A seamless and hassle-free checkout process can be a game-changer. As a study mentions, 88% of customers are less likely to return to a brand if they had a bad previous experience. 

So, focus on creating a seamless checkout experience to build your base of loyal customers. 

2. Frictionless experience

Frictionless experiences have become an industry benchmark in the digital landscape, and BaaS products play a pivotal role in creating a frictionless experience for the consumer. 

Integrating a BaaS layer in their product not only works as a payment gateway for the brand but also creates a frictional experience for the customer's entire checkout journey. 

By optimizing the transaction process and minimizing redirects, the entire checkout journey becomes faster and more intuitive for the customer.

Customers who value their time and prefer convenience are likely to incline towards platforms that offer frictionless experiences, making them likely to return to you for future purchases. 

Remember that a frictionless experience can be your most significant differentiator in a hyper-competitive market. 

3. Personalized experience

Digital payments can be customized based on the user preference and previous purchase behavior.

For example, if a consumer has previously used digital wallets to make a payment, brands can display the same digital wallet at the top of the payment options on the checkout page to help close the transaction faster. 

Similarly, offering loyalty rewards with their preferred digital payment options can make them feel valued and understood, which works as the foundation for building strong brand loyalty. 

The different embedded payment systems can give businesses essential insights into customer behavior, preferences, and spending habits. 

Using these data, brands can send personalized discounts, recommendations, and loyalty rewards that will help strengthen brand loyalty further. 

4. Diverse payment options

Embedded digital payment solutions are revolutionizing how businesses manage transactions. 

One of the biggest advantages of digital payments is its versatility to offer different payment modes. 

From the good old credit/debit cards to the modern digital wallets, these integrated payment options ensure businesses can meet consumers' diverse preferences. 

This flexibility to choose the preferred payment method not only improves the transaction process but also offers a great customer experience. 

And we all know how continued good customer experience helps foster loyalty in the long run. 

5. Better security 

As Statista mentions, from July 2022 to June 2023, around 38 percent of cyberattacks and network intrusions occurred in the MENA region, with the UAE in second place among the most targeted countries in the region. 

The topmost priority for the BaaS platforms is to enhance their security measures and make them a fundamental part of their services. 

Some measures the BaaS providers take include a multi-layered approach to safeguard crucial data. 

This is achieved by multi-layered encryption techniques where all transactions are encoded. 

Such strong measures not only stop cyberattacks from happening but also instill confidence and trust among brands and their customers, reinforcing the fact that digital transactions are secured. 

Foster customer loyalty with digital payments

In this digital era, businesses are revolutionizing their payment solutions with digital payments, thus reshaping the customer-business relationship. 

Businesses are streamlining their transactions by seamlessly integrating different digital payment solutions into their platforms and enhancing user experience and customer loyalty. 

You, too, can tap into the potential of digital payment systems to build loyalty. 

But this is only possible when you have the right systems in place. 

PayBy can help you get started. 

PayBy enables businesses to make cashless payments and increases their revenue with customer-first, innovative, and secure omnichannel digital payment solutions. 

You can integrate PayBy with your website to set up a payment gateway. 

PayBy also lets you enable cashless transactions, online payments via domestic and international debit and credit cards, and over 1.5 billion wallets. 

Want to enable in-app payments? 

Worry not! 

Integrate with PayBy to offer in-app payment solutions with an optimized mobile pay page and secure transaction interface.

And did we tell you that PayBy is trusted by leading brands in the UAE and licensed by The Central Bank of the UAE, which demonstrates its highest level of financial service approvals to conduct Stored Value Facility and Retail Payment Service Operations? 

Sign up today.