The eCommerce market has seen an upsurge in the use of buy now, pay later services over the past couple of years. Offering this option doesn’t just cater to modern purchasing preferences, it’s a strategic move that can drive conversions, increase average order values, and foster lasting brand loyalty. The aim of this article is to provide all essential information your business needs to know about Zinia.
What is Zinia
Zinia is a buy now, pay later (BNPL) platform launched by the Santander Group in January 2022. However, the technology behind Zinia has been operating in Germany since 2021. During that time, it has won more than 2 million customers, making Santander one of the leading BNPL players in Europe.
As of May 2023, Zinia was available to customers in Germany, the Netherlands, and Spain. The supported currency for payments and settlements is the euro. The company plans an expansion to several countries in the future. It is therefore likely that other currencies will be added to the platform.
How Zinia works for customers
The opportunity to pay in interest-free instalments either online or at a physical POS is available to customers over the age of 18. By default, Zinia is available to carts with a value between €50 and €750.
At Axelgate, we automatically implement the limits in our MSDK, preventing the customer from seeing the payment option if the total value of their shopping cart falls outside the limits.
When customers decide to buy an item in your online store, they can select Zinia at checkout with the following options available:
pay later within 30 days
pay in 3 instalments
Subsequently, shoppers provide their date of birth as well as a phone number. To verify their identity and ensure they are of legal age, they also need to upload a photo of both the back and front of their ID card.
They can complete their purchase if they pass all necessary inspections and the transaction is authorized. The customer is shown a success message and, depending on your integration type and settings, is forwarded to your shop’s order confirmation page. If the authorization is unsuccessful, the customer is requested to select another payment method.
I’ve created a short video to give you a clearer idea of how Zinia payments work from a customer’s perspective.
How Zinia works for merchants
Zinia has no fixed costs, which means that when a customer makes a purchase after choosing this payment method, you pay a small fee for each transaction.
Although customers can pay later, as a merchant you are always paid in full up front. It’s typically the next working day after an order is sent. For instance, all orders delivered on a Monday will be combined into a single invoice and paid for on the following Tuesday.
The payouts will be transferred directly to your bank account. Depending on your preferences, you can decide on a daily, weekly, or monthly payout plan. After Zinia has started the payout, it typically takes 1–2 working days for the money to be sent to your bank account.
Why use Zinia if you’re a merchant
In general, buy now, pay later services enjoy great popularity. For instance, the 2023 Amazon Prime Day confirms that, as the BNPL options saw 20 % year-over-year growth. Online shoppers were more likely to use this payment method for apparel, home appliances, furniture, and electronics.
Zinia offers various benefits to both your business and customers:
Reduced risk: You will receive the money for customers' purchases in advance, and Zinia will take on the credit risk. That means even if a customer doesn’t pay, it will collect the payment and you as a web retailer will still receive the payment.
Reliability: Zinia was developed by Santander Consumer Finance SCF and Openbank, with SCF having a base of 19 million consumers and 130,000 points of sale.
New audience: Zinia can help you attract new customers, who are more likely to make a purchase. For example, almost 50% of Gen Z shoppers are expected to use BNPL by 2025.
Convenience: Customers who use Zinia will receive their goods right away while postponing the payment.
No additional costs: Consumers won’t have to worry about paying more money if they pay on time because Zinia payments are interest-free.
Conclusion
In an era where consumer preferences are swiftly leaning towards flexible payment options, Zinia emerges as a promising solution for both merchants and shoppers in the eCommerce landscape. As a product of the renowned Santander Group, its robust foundation in Europe has already drawn over two million customers. Given its potential trajectory and upcoming expansion plans, Zinia might just be the BNPL solution that sets a new standard in the global market.
Therefore, it is advisable to consider adding BNPL services, such as Zinia into your online store, because it is certainly something that customers want to use. Our senior-level team has developed many payment solutions and can integrate Zinia into your eCommerce business. Feel free to contact us.