The best companies listen to their clients; for The Shepstone Experience, listening really did pay off.
Nestled in the heart of Johannesburg, South Africa, the premier wedding venue, The Shepstone Experience has been a haven of tranquility and elegance for over 25 years. Boasting iconic architecture and lush greenery, it has hosted thousands of "I do" moments, offering something for every couple’s dream and budget, whether that be R250,000 (roughly $13,500 USD) or R1.2 million ($65,116 USD).
Such is its reputation, couples from all over the world book their nuptials at The Shepstone Experience, some without having viewed it in person, and place immense trust in their dedicated wedding coordinators to meticulously plan each detail to ensure a seamless, stress-free wedding day.
What wasn’t seamless? The experience of making payments…
About The Shepstone Experience
Problem: Complex payments created unnecessary wedding planning stress
Couples typically make three payments to The Shepstone Experience in order to secure their date, the final of which (due a month before the wedding) could potentially be as much as R835,000 (about $45,300 USD). Given that many international couples interact virtually until their wedding day, each payment is a crucial client touchpoint.
International clients struggled with card payments, whether they were unable to access the payment portal or understand the total cost of the payment due to currency conversion fees and FX markup. For the venue, funds were not automatically transferred to their bank account, and took a long time to clear. International bank transfers often resulted in short payments due to unexpected bank and currency conversion fees and missing reference information complicated reconciliation. All in all, these difficulties led to regular delays in confirming wedding dates and supplier bookings.
Solution: Flywire, the stress-free payment solution
A groom, having experienced difficulties paying The Shepstone Experience himself, recommended the venue look at Flywire to improve payments. In this case, listening to the client meant The Shepstone Experience improved their payment experience dramatically.
Couples now receive a white-labeled payment request email containing a link to access the Flywire payment page. They can pay in their local currency via bank transfer or card, and the familiar branding gives clients confidence their payment is secure. Clients see exactly what they owe at the time of payment, and can pay in longer installment plans for added flexibility. Importantly, if clients have any difficulties or concerns at all, they can call on Flywire’s around-the-clock payer support.
Results
Account Manager Amanda Verster no longer has to manually withdraw funds. Flywire automatically delivers payments, in full and in South African Rand. Pre-populated data in the payment request simplifies payment identification and reconciliation. The Flywire dashboard gives Amanda visibility of client activity and functionality to resend payment requests, Flywire also provides a dedicated point of contact for support in case there are any issues.
For couples and the venue, payments are now quicker and simpler than ever before, and everyone can focus on what really matters.
I absolutely love Flywire. It's hassle-free, and I appreciate the automatic bank deposits, eliminating manual payouts. I'm recommending it to all our clients because the experience is so great.