First Data Triumphs at the CEPI Asia Awards

First Data, a global leader in commerce-enabling technology and solutions, today announced that it has won the Best Merchant CRM Programme at the 2016 Cards & Electronic Payments International (CEPI) Asia Awards, which were held on the 8th September 2016 at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel Singapore.

First Data won the award based on the Digital Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution it designed on behalf of ICICI Merchant Services, which is a joint venture between First Data and ICICI Bank. The primary objective of the solution was to revamp and renew the customer experience by empowering and enabling ICICI Merchant Services’ merchant clients. ICICI Merchant Services is one of the largest merchant acquirers in India, serving large and small merchants across the country with a portfolio of innovative payment solutions.

Working closely with the team from First Data, ICICI Merchant Services introduced two seamless digital self-serve features:

· Merchant Mobile App: Allows merchants to download a secure, user-friendly app on Android, iOS or Windows phones and with a simple click raise multiple service requests, which include paper roll requests, terminal service requests, account statement requests and more.

· Digital Service with IVR: Allows merchants to avoid lengthy call centre queues and speaking to a customer representative. The self-service IVR with simple and easy to use features lets you raise service requests from the convenience of your keypad.

After launching the service in July 2015, ICICI Merchant Services saw a 60% conversion to Digital Self-Serve channels in just six months. There has also been a drastic improvement in overall efficiency and productivity at the Contact Center with a 30% call reduction in the first six months. Furthermore, the mobile app enables merchants to accept mobile payments via QR code, and further enhancements are being made to provide even more value-added services.

“Winning a CEPI Asia Award is a tremendous achievement for the First Data team in India. Our principle philosophy is to help our clients grow their business and run it more efficiently, and this has been clearly demonstrated in the self-service mobile app we have designed,” commented Ivo Distelbrink, EVP, Head of APAC Region. “This award win is testament that First Data stands at the centre of the fast-paced payments ecosystem, collaborating to deliver next-generation digital technology solutions that our clients have been asking for.”