‘Number of donations did not go down’

Since the giro payment slip system was eliminated earlier this year, an increasing number of businesses are switching to Paypen – easy payment with your pen. So did animal welfare organisation IFAW. The foundation informed all its donors in detail earlier this year explaining the new payment method, and found that the vast majority of donors effortlessly made the switch to CDDN-developed Paypen. “Our donors appreciated our clear explanations. Many actually increased the amount of their donation, too.”

Niels van Dam is Global Donor Relations Manager at animal welfare organisation IFAW. He made preparations to replace the giro payment slip well in advance of its abolishment date. “I read about it in trade magazines, attended the occasional webinar and finally found CDDN through a consultant. What attracted me to their Paypen solution were the logical choices they made and the layout of their form. Their form is well-structured with a clear signalling function and an easy explanation.”

It was soon clear to Van Dam that he would not be able to reach most of IFAW’s donors – “incredibly loyal and generous givers and true animal lovers” – through the appropriate online channels alone. “After all, they had a reason to still be using giro payment slips. This group of people did not grow up with digital services. In addition to digital newsletters and the FAQ on our website, direct mail, physical flyers and leaflets play a very important role in communicating with this group.”

Another thing that struck Van Dam as the Global Donor Relations Manager, was how advanced the Dutch payment systems are – and were – compared to the rest of the world. “I suddenly realised how cheap, safe and trusted our systems are, including giro payment slips, iDeal and Tikkie, for example.”

Effortless transition

And since the beginning of this year, Paypen can be added to that list. Van Dam was pleased to see that the vast majority of IFAW donors switched effortlessly. “Before the introduction of the Paypen form, we were getting a lot of questions. But since its introduction, it has been quiet. Apparently our information campaign and certainly Paypen’s safe and fast operation and logical design, did the job. Admittedly, I do not yet have conclusive proof, but all signs indicate that the number of donations has hardly declined. In fact, some donors actually increased the amount of their donation. The average donation is relatively higher. What also stands out is the number of direct online payments. Apparently our explanations are catching on and our donors trust both us and our Paypen communications.”

Van Dam is also pleased with the user portal set up by Paypen. “We see the rejected forms and it allows us to follow up on them. If something does not add up, for example because the amount is not filled in, we can contact people personally and help. That works very well and is appreciated. We also see that donors sometimes include cash donations and questions for the donor department in the return envelope. That may have happened before, but then we didn’t get to see it. So all in all, the elimination of the giro payment slip seems to offer benefits.”

Learn more about Paypen? Read an explanation of quick and secure payment with your pen.