Construction Artisans: How Do Payment Links Guarantee Your Payments?
Increasingly, the craft industry is moving into the age of digital technology and online payment. The sector is known for having professionals who are largely focused on delivering the services for which their customers call on them, and who wish to minimise technical complexities. Setting up online payment systems therefore seemed out of the question. But the situation is changing thanks to payment links.
What is a payment link?
These payment tools, which are simple, quick and economical to use, enable all types of professionals in the sector, such as tilers, plumbers, heating engineers, electricians and many others, to benefit from secure and guaranteed payments that facilitate transactions and enable them to increase their number of customers.
Payment links are links generated via payment interfaces, such as Obvy, which publishes a payment solution that is particularly popular with tradespeople, and which enable professionals to offer digitised financial transactions without going through an application or website.
The link, specially dedicated to the transaction, is sent by the craftsman to his customer who, by clicking on it, is redirected to a secure payment page where he can pay the professional.
Payment links offer major advantages for tradespeople
In addition to the obvious ease of use of payment links, which require no technical skills or specific knowledge to create or distribute, payment links can also be used to offer customers a wide range of payment methods.
Payment links like Obvy's can be used to pay by credit card or bank transfer, as well as in instalments (3 times, 4 times, 10 times) and deferred payment.
Craftsmen can also choose the payment method according to the stage of the service, by requesting payment of a reservation, a deposit, staggered payments for interim payments, or the balance once the work has been completed.
In addition to standard payments, payment links can also be used to set up payments with blocked funds, which is particularly useful, reassuring and generates confidence for the customer!
Blocked funds will enable the customer's funds to be deposited in a secure, blocked account, guaranteeing the craftsman's solvency. On the customer's side, there is a guarantee that payment will only be made definitively once the service for which the craftsman has been asked has been completed. It's a win-win relationship based on trust.
This notion of trust is generally reinforced by payment links, which offer the craftsman an image of a modern player, offering secure and reliable systems that benefit the company's image.
Finally, using a payment link is simple and highly flexible. A payment link can be sent by email or text message, or incorporated into a quote, invoice or order form.
Use of payment links for tradespeople by trade
All tradespeople in the building industry can use payment links to make their transactions more viable and secure their payments. Here are a few examples of use cases:
- Electricians: following a diagnosis or inspection, if the repairs and work require the purchase of specific parts or an intervention, the electrician can create a payment link in just a few clicks to send to his customer.
- Tilers: after the survey and measurement phase, tilers can use a payment link to request immediate payment of a deposit by sending their customer a secure payment link. They can then use a payment link again to request payment for the installation service once the tiles have been installed.
- Carpenters: carpentry professionals can create a payment link to receive payment for the purchase of specific materials before the order is placed.
- Plumbers and heating engineers: in addition to deposits and balance payments, plumbers can create a link on the fly for emergency work and then pass it on to their customers, so that they get paid straight away and don't have to travel.
- Painters and plasterers: once the cost estimates have been established for the areas to be covered (painting, fitting, etc.), a payment link is generated and sent to the customer, enabling them to make the advance payment needed to purchase the supplies. When the job is finished, the balance, including labour costs, can also be paid via the payment link.
- Bricklayers: bricklaying work can extend over fairly long periods, and staggering payments according to the stages of construction can be done using a payment link. Each key stage of the project then triggers payment for part of the work.
- Carpenters: a customised order or service can be accompanied by a payment link so that the deposit can be paid in a matter of seconds.
Payment links for energy renovation work
Laying underfloor heating systems for tilers, installing green roofs or thermal insulation for carpenters, installing solar panels for electricians, installing energy-efficient heating systems such as heat pumps or rainwater harvesters for plumbers and heating engineers, installing double- or triple-glazed windows for joiners... Energy-efficient renovation work is taking centre stage!
Generally quite expensive, tradesmen who offer payment links with secure payment and payment facilities are at an advantage and build up a relationship of trust with their customers, while enabling them to choose the best services by partly removing the price barrier.
Obvy payment links are tailored to the needs of builders and renovators
Obvy payment links are fully customisable, configurable in just a few clicks with no skills or knowledge required, and guarantee payments for tradespeople thanks to their state-of-the-art security and payment methods such as block funding.
By integrating various payment methods, including payment in instalments, into their payment links, tradespeople can make life easier for their customers while enabling them to afford the best services and materials, which not only increases customer satisfaction but also the average basket and the number of transactions.