How Tellow gets freelancers paid faster with an OPP payment link in every invoice

Tellow added a payment link to the invoices its 70,000 freelancers send. OPP handles the payment behind the link and the KYC check before it, so customers pay faster and with less effort.

Tellow started in 2016 as a corporate venture within Rabobank. It offers independent contractors and freelancers one place for administration, accounting, banking, taxes and financing, and was the first to combine banking, bookkeeping and tax filing in a single package. It serves 70,000 customers and is now part of the Danish company Ageras.

“We are constantly looking at how we can make it as easy as possible for our users, so that they can focus on their work. The cooperation with OPP is a great example of this. For independent contractors, it is important that customers pay quickly without having to put in a lot of effort themselves. Therefore, you have to make sure that the threshold to pay is as low as possible. Including a payment link in the invoice contributes to this.”

Thomas Vles, CEO of Tellow

The partnership: a lower threshold to pay, built into the invoice

A freelancer’s invoice is only useful once it is paid. Tellow wanted that payment to be one click away from the invoice itself, without becoming a payment provider or running identity checks on its users itself.

That is what OPP and Tellow built together. Every invoice a Tellow user sends can now carry a payment link. OPP processes the payment behind the link and runs the KYC (Know Your Customer) check a user completes before using it, so customers of the self-employed can pay in a few clicks and Tellow can stay focused on its own product.

The challenge: an integration that kept getting stuck

Tellow spoke to several parties that could integrate a payment link into its invoicing process and perform the associated KYC. Implementation often proved to be the stumbling block. OPP’s solution was relatively easy to integrate into Tellow’s platform, and it was not the only reason Tellow chose OPP.

“You really have to understand how payments work and what critical factors are for our users and their debtors. The culture also plays a role in this. You notice that international parties do look at our market differently and charge different rates. Furthermore, OPP’s personal approach and fast communication ensured a smooth cooperation.”

Thomas Vles, CEO of Tellow

Our solution: the payment link, and KYC taken off Tellow’s hands

Before a user can send invoices with a payment link, they complete a KYC check once. OPP runs it through its onboarding, pragmatically and within the rules, so Tellow’s team does not have to manage it. After that, the freelancer simply adds the link to an invoice, and OPP’s online payments take care of the rest when their customer clicks it and pays.

“Managing KYC can be complicated due to the laws and regulations involved. We notice that OPP has experience with this and takes a pragmatic approach. It is therefore both logical and pleasant for us that they can take this off our hands.”

Thomas Vles, CEO of Tellow

The impact: a better customer journey, and more invoices with a link

For freelancers, the payment link shortens the path from invoice to payment: their customers no longer have to copy bank details into a banking app, they click and pay. That is the customer journey Tellow set out to improve, and its users have picked it up.

“We also see an increase in the number of users adding the payment link to invoices. By introducing this kind of new functionality and continuously adding new solutions to our platform, we are giving self-employed people more control over their financial lives.”

Thomas Vles, CEO of Tellow

Tellow’s next step is to use machine learning to match transactions to bank statements automatically, one more task taken away from the self-employed, on the way to its ambition of becoming the market leader in Europe.

What this means for you: why SaaS platforms should embed payments

If you run a SaaS platform whose users send invoices, get paid or move money, Tellow’s logic applies: the shorter the path from invoice to payment, the sooner your users are paid, and the more they use your product.

With OPP, the payment link, the payment methods behind it and the KYC in front of it come as one integration.

Want to see how embedded payments could work in your product? Get in touch to learn more.

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Frequently asked questions

Can a SaaS platform add payment links to invoices without becoming a payment provider?

Yes. Tellow’s users include a payment link in the invoices they send, and OPP processes the payment behind it. Tellow offers the feature in its own product without taking on the role, or the licence, of a payment service provider.

Who handles KYC for the platform’s users?

OPP does. Before a Tellow user can send invoices with a payment link, they complete a KYC (Know Your Customer) check through OPP. Managing KYC is complicated by the laws and regulations involved, so Tellow leaves it to OPP.

How difficult is the integration?

Implementation was the stumbling block Tellow ran into with other providers. OPP’s solution was relatively easy to integrate into Tellow’s platform, which was one of the main reasons Tellow chose OPP.

Why does it matter that a payment partner knows the Dutch market?

Tellow found that international providers look at the Dutch market differently and charge different rates. OPP’s understanding of how Dutch freelancers and their customers pay, together with its personal approach and fast communication, made the difference.

What difference does a payment link on an invoice make?

It lowers the threshold to pay. Tellow has seen more of its users add the payment link to their invoices, which means their customers pay sooner with less chasing from the freelancer.

Services used

Online payments

Reporting

Business onboarding