BMW

The challenge

Sandal BMW is a high-end retailer of both new and used BMWs, including MINIs. The dealership first opened in Wakefield during the 1980s and subsequently acquired BMW Huddersfield in 2008.

The twin dealerships offer sales and aftersales at both locations, managing hundreds of transactions each week. Their prior payments providers were complex, out-of-date, and caused frustration.

Like all car dealerships, managing multiple departments with different services and payment methods in a single building can lead to a substantial administrative burden, especially when it comes to payment reconciliation.

Before switching to Blink Payment in 2021, Sandal BMW took initial deposits through card payments online. They also used two other e-commerce payment methods, had 14 card machines across two sites, and accepted bank transfers.

Issues with their card machines were frequent, and payments could only be taken during standard office hours. This was inconvenient for customers as they couldn't place orders outside of normal working times nor place deposits for vehicles, which in turn led to a longer payment process and a reduced number of sales.

Sandal BMW needed to seek a newer, more straightforward, and more flexible payment solution that would streamline operations throughout the business and enable payments to be taken outside of regular business hours.

One of the main attractions of making the switch was the simplicity of payment links. They enable payments to be made whenever it's convenient for the customer — no calling the dealership and no hassle setting up payments via bank transfer. Blink Payment was also far more cost-effective than their previous provider.

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"Payment links have made a world of a difference. Our customers can pay at their convenience and not just office hours"
- Paul Harris, Accountant at Sandal BMW.

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The solution

Sandals BMW recognised that managing multiple payment types across various departments, coupled with issues with their card machines, was consuming a significant amount of administrative time and complicating the process for customers to pay for products and services.

One of the biggest changes is that Blink Payment offers next-day funding instead of waiting 3-5 days for payments to clear as with most providers. And thanks to their payment link platform, they reduced the number of card machines from 14 to 7, which has helped cut costs.

The ability to live chat and speak with Blink Payment during the transition made it much easier. Any questions were answered 'real quick'; there was no waiting on the phone for support or relying solely on emails, which could go unanswered for days.

The team at Sandals BMW remarked on how stress-free the implementation and training on Blink Payment was. A five-minute demonstration being more than enough to ensure the teams were confident on how to use the new payment system, which was ideal in the busy showroom environment where time is always precious.

Users can also be given different access levels to Blink Payment depending on their position within the business, allowing them to have more or less control as needed.

Whenever issues arose, the Blink Payment support team were there to help with quick resolutions no matter the problem. The reduced downtime helped keep payments and business flowing and minimised time lost.
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The outcome

Sandal BMW has found the move to Blink Payment transformative for the business.

Paul Harris said "Next-day funding has been a game changer"

Next-day funding has helped speed up sales across the dealership. It also makes it incredibly easy to reconcile payments, thus reducing the accounts team's administrative burden.

Automatically generating receipts for both the dealership and the customer has also been a helpful addition, as it provides proof of payment — other than the funds simply moving from the customer's account. The dealership and sales staff can also easily track their sales via the receipts.

Status updates and notifications for payment links add an extra layer of reassurance; it's quick and easy to check the payment link to see the status.

“Just an easy process and it has made the accountant's and sales teams' lives easier, so much easier to send payment links for front of house"

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