Smarter Billing pays off – 3 Companies share their results
Do you see invoices as a “necessary evil” to get paid – or as a valuable tool that helps you achieve key business goals? Don’t overlook the hidden potential in the payment moment. Get inspired by well-known companies from different industries that actively work with billing and payments. Discover how they have achieved remarkable results in KPIs ranging from customer experience to cash flow.
But first: how much does the payment experience influence customer satisfaction and loyalty? More than you might think. At Billogram, we regularly partner with Novus to study consumer attitudes toward their providers of “silent” products (such as insurance, electricity, home security, broadband, and mobile services). Our reports show that:
Around 80% say the invoice is the only contact they have with their provider.
80% consider smooth payment a key factor in staying with their provider.
As a service provider, you have every reason to make the payment experience as seamless as possible. With the right partner and digital tools, the invoice can even become an effective channel for communication and upselling.
3 companies that exceeded their goals through Smarter Billing
What can you achieve by optimizing your payment processes? Here are three inspiring examples from companies across different industries, all leveraging digitalization to enhance customer satisfaction and profitability.
1. Fyrfasen Energi: from 70% paper invoices to nearly 80% digital
Energy provider Fyrfasen aimed to streamline its invoicing process and reduce its environmental footprint by digitizing its payment flows. When they partnered with Billogram, over 70% of their invoices were paper-based. But through strategic communication and digital tools, they quickly reversed the trend.
After the first billing cycle with Billogram, they exceeded their internal target of 60% digital invoices. Within five months, paper invoices had dropped by 33%, and the number of customers using direct debit (autogiro) increased by 31%, thanks to the ease of signing up directly through the digital invoice.
Since then, Fyrfasen has continued to simplify and digitize its payment processes. Today, nearly 80% of their invoices are digital – and customers appreciate it. In a large customer satisfaction survey (NKI), Fyrfasen’s invoice received a 4.18 out of 5 rating, with customers highlighting its clarity, ease of understanding, and accessibility. The interactive invoice also makes it simple to communicate with customer service, benefiting both customers and staff.
It was important for us to work with a partner that could drive digitalization forward while keeping the end customer in focus. We wanted to make invoicing as simple and convenient as possible for both our customers and ourselves. Seeing how satisfied our customers are today, we really feel that we’ve succeeded.
2. 95% of Sector Alarm’s Swedish customers pay on time
Sector Alarm has ambitious international growth goals. To scale efficiently across new European markets, they automated and digitized their billing and payment processes with Billogram.
The new, more efficient processes not only save time internally but have also enhanced the customer experience with interactive invoices, smoother payments, and clearer information.
After using Billogram’s digital platform in three Nordic countries for a year, the percentage of customers paying on time increased to 95% in Sweden, 92% in Norway, and 84% in Finland. The payment rate after 60 days is 98-99% across all three markets.
It has become much easier for our customers to receive, understand, and pay their invoices. More timely payments have also improved our cash flow.
3. 80% fewer debt collection cases for hallon
Swedish mobile operator Hallon has taken digitalized invoicing one step further. By analyzing payment data, they found smarter ways to handle late payments – in line with one of their social sustainability goals: reducing household debt.
With support from Billogram’s data analysts, Hallon ran randomized experiments, testing different actions for different customer groups. The results showed that 80% of customers pay even without being sent to debt collection, while referring customers to collection agencies actually increases the risk of churn. Softer approaches, like a friendly SMS reminder, proved to be more effective.
Using these insights, Hallon built machine learning models to better predict customer behavior and apply the right action at the right time. The impact? 80% fewer debt collection cases – with the added benefit of fewer customer service inquiries.
We want to avoid disrupting customers unnecessarily. We only contact them when it’s really needed. Even a minor disruption to the wrong group can have a big impact on churn – and now we have the data to prove it.
Learn more about Value-Driven Billing in our on-demand webinar
Want to transform your invoicing process from an administrative function to a strategic tool for achieving your business goals? Stream our on-demand webinar, where Value Engineering expert Magnus Ekenstam explains:
Why how you charge is just as important as getting paid
How the invoice-to-cash process can be tailored to support your business strategy
The impact this has across the entire organization – not just the finance department
Want to discuss your specific needs, challenges, and opportunities for smarter payment flows and better customer experiences? Get in touch with us today!