To date, PDQ Print Hub orders have been processed via direct debits and invoicing, offering credit terms to customers.
This meant users required account approval or a pre-agreed purchasing arrangement to use the platform.
With the new card payment functionality that was introduced last Monday (9 June), however, Market Harborough, Leicestershire-based Haybrooke said any business, regardless of size or structure, can instantly access the full range of printed products available in the system, removing this barrier to entry.
The update brings PDQ Print Hub in line with the purchasing experience of other online print providers, the business added, but with PaaS customers are able to continue to select the fulfiller of their choice from a national roster of printing suppliers.
The update will be especially beneficial for smaller businesses, project-based print buyers, or resellers working to tight deadlines, Haybrooke added, with the ability to pay at point-of-order removing delays caused by credit approval processes and reducing the admin overhead associated with invoice reconciliation.
“With this update, we’re eliminating unnecessary friction in the print buying process,” said John Roche, CEO of Haybrooke.
“It’s a natural evolution of PDQ Print Hub. Card payments mean our users can respond faster, act independently, and manage budgets with greater clarity. It also allows new buyers to begin using PDQ right away, without the need to open a credit account.”
Haybrooke said the new feature also improves access to PDQ Print Hub for organisations with strict purchasing protocols or more complex approval processes.
All card transactions are fully secure and processed through a PCI-compliant payment gateway. Users are automatically presented with the card payment option during the standard checkout process. There are no additional charges for using a card, and payments are instantly confirmed.
Roche told Printweek: “We became aware of the need for the facility when we had new customers registering to use PaaS who then didn’t follow through with our account application form.
“We had other customers who had passed our accounts approval process and attempted to place an order but then cancelled when they couldn’t make a payment by card. This, along with our desire to align ourselves with other print buying portals generally, were the key drivers of the card payment development process.”
Haybrooke currently has nine staff as well as six consultants working with the business. It is aiming to increase its turnover by 20-30% in the next financial year with a focus on the office sector where it said it already has established partnerships with the major buying groups and its industry federation, Boss.
“This year has been another good year for product development and business growth. We are actively working on a number of global opportunities for our products and services,” Roche added.
The business recently launched a new support service for print buyers, ‘PDQ Managed Print’.
