Predictions for Text-to-Pay in 2022

Mar 10
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3
min Read
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Payments

Pandemic restrictions are starting to let up and small businesses are trying to get back to normal, but there are some things that won’t change, including remote forms of payment.

Businesses turned to text-to-pay during the pandemic as a way to avoid face-to-face interactions and allow people to pay for things in the comfort of their own home.

This system has grown a lot over the past two years, and now customers don’t want to get rid of it.

Predictions for payment in 2022

Simplicity and convenience is the name of the game. Customers will continue to look for ways to improve their quality of life and cut down on the time they have to spend when buying things.

We have seen the data over the past two years, and customers have embraced text-to-pay. Here are some things to look out for as we move into 2022 (This information can be used by any small business, not just dealerships):

Business texting will increase.

From dealers who use Kenect, we have seen a dramatic increase in the number of texts being used. The trend was heading up before the pandemic and exploded once people were stuck in their homes.

Dealers are seeing a 55% increase in text messages year over year. Some dealers are completing entire transactions via text, that’s from lead to payment.

Customers have gotten used to the limited interactions, and the drop in the amount of time they are having to interact with dealerships. From hours on the phone in some cases, to just minutes via text.

Service Departments will turn to text-to-pay

This trend is already happening, but as word spreads, more service departments will turn to text-to-pay.

With staffing shortages and supply issues, service departments are sometimes stretched thin, and need ways to cut time. With texts, they are able to send customers quick messages with updates on parts, or updates on service so the department does not get backlogged, and employees don’t have to spend all day playing phone tag with customers.

With text-to-pay, customers can pre-pay for services, which allows them to pickup equipment anytime they want.

Through our data, we are seeing dealers running 80% of service and parts payments through text-to-pay, and that’s new!

Text-to-pay growth will continue

We are already seeing the growth, but this popularity with text-to-pay will not go away. Customers now expect this from businesses.

Dealers who started using the Kenect text-to-pay system during the pandemic are seeing an average 400% growth per location in revenue year over year. This is because customers are ready for it. They expect you to have it.

Also, as staffing shortages continue, businesses will be looking for ways to cut down on hours or tasks. With text-to-pay, you can take away some of that responsibility from workers. If customers are filling out the forms themselves and sending it back to you through a secure system, that’s less time an employee has to deal with billing or calling a customer for payment.

Businesses will embrace new payment technology

There is a digital transformation among small businesses. They are being forced to embrace business texting, and text-to-pay technology because the customer now wants it. Don’t get left behind. Make sure you are keeping up with the latest trends during 2022, to make sure you have the best payment platform available.

Get texting for your business