Streamline, part of the WorldPay group and the leading provider of card payment processing in the UK and Europe, has today announced a partnership with the Acupuncture Association of Chartered Physiotherapists (AACP), in a drive to modernise payment methods provided in this part of the health sector.
The agreement will see the AACP, the professional body representing acupuncture practising physiotherapists in the UK, working exclusively with Streamline to encourage its 6,000 members to offer card payment facilities.
Streamline already works with nearly 2,500 businesses in this sector, processing transactions worth over £150 million each year. The company provides a one stop shop for all face-to-face, online, mail or telephone payments, helping health practitioners take card payments quicker and more securely, freeing them up to spend more time with their patients. Businesses will also benefit from Streamline's UK-based call centre, now open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Commenting on the partnership, Caspar Van Dongen, Chief Executive Officer at the AACP said: "There's a growing recognition amongst our members that patients need alternative methods of payment and are less likely to carry cash or cheques on their person. We saw the benefits in teaming up with the market leader in payment processing to offer our members preferential rates and vital support in implementing these new methods into their businesses."
Research from WorldPay has shown the decline in cash as the dominant payment method for purchases today. 38% of people often don't have cash when it's the only way to pay, and 42% of people are using card payments more often, even for relatively small transactions.
Dave Hobday, Managing Director of Streamline at WorldPay commented: "As our research has shown, the days of dealing wholly in cash are in the past and this agreement helps practitioners use technology to take payments in a way that meets the needs of their customers. But it also sets them on a path for the future. People today are using their smartphones to research purchases, comment on their experiences and increasingly to make payments. They're also looking for faster payments, which is why we're also seeing a rise in the use of contactless paymeents among small businesses. Accepting card payments is just one step, but a vital one, in helping future proof these businesses."