Category: Case studies

MediHelp International works with B4B cards to streamline the insurance claims process

About MediHelp

MediHelp International is a market leader in private health insurance offering premium service and support, and a wide range of private health insurance products for individuals and companies. 

With offices in Romania, Hungary, Poland, and Bulgaria, and with top medical partners, MediHelp International successfully combines international health insurance coverage with international medical assistance for the benefit of its clients.

For over 18 years, MediHelp has revolutionised the health insurance market by creating and developing unique solutions tailored to best serve its clients and partners.

The situation

The insurance claims process is not only lengthy and can cause stress for customers who are already dealing with the aftermath of an accident or disease, but it is also costly and inefficient, as it requires a large amount of manual work. 

After an unpleasant event, the people involved, and the insurance company want to return to normal as soon as possible without any delay during the claiming process.

Health insurance providers such as MediHelp are looking to streamline this process so that it is more efficient, and B4B Payments offer a simple and fast method of distributing funds that works for both Medihelp and their policyholders. 

Previously, Medihelp’s process was very labour intensive and, by using banks, expensive too. Customers had to manually fill in paper forms, which needed to be processed.

By utilising B4B’s system, Medihelp’s customers can be both pre-authorised for expenditure whilst taking advantage of a much slicker post-expenditure process. 

The solution

MediHelp was looking for a better solution for its customers to use their health insurance plan and B4B cards were the perfect answer.

B4B cards provide a hassle-free solution for customers navigating lengthy insurance claims procedures and unprecedented delays, with funds transferred easily, eliminating the stress of tedious paperwork and minimising waiting time. This can be particularly important when medical expenses have been approved.

“The onboarding process was not complicated with B4B. After we signed the contract, we were set up on the B4B system and received training on their platform and then we were ready to go!” says Laura Afrăsine, Medihelp’s Executive Manager. “Our customers are very happy that they are now able to pay for their medical costs with Medihelp’s funds using the virtual card installed in their wallet which can be linked to Apple or Google Pay.”

The benefits

By leveraging B4B solutions MediHelp International is setting itself apart with advanced features, cutting-edge innovation and superior customer service in order to remain on the leading edge of the competition while keeping customers happy and engaged.

Medihelp believes they differentiate itself from its competitors by leveraging the process innovation made available by B4B’s system. “The most significant achievement for our business was the recognition of our customers and the fact that we could come to them with a creative and innovative solution,” says Laura.

Medihelp is looking forward to working further with B4B in the future and extending the partnership into other countries and potentially, other currencies.

B4B Account Director says, “This is a good example of a successful partnership where B4B uses its technical expertise to solve a real-life process issue for the benefit of both the partner and their ultimate customers.”

Tim Robson

Prizeshark is a leading provider of loyalty and incentive programmes specialising in rewards, gifting platforms and prize fulfilment solutions.

About Prizeshark

Founded in 2004, the Prizeshark team has grown every year and now has more than 70 years of combined front-line experience.

They provide their 140+ clients with an end-to-end solution comprising planning and strategy, solution design and build, prize sourcing and fulfilment.

The situation

Prizeshark typically offers great experiences and prizes – for example, recently some lucky prize winners got to go to the US to see the set of the popular sitcom Friends and have dinner with a cast member. To meet the growing demand for cash rewards, Prizeshark partnered with B4B to offer customers a secure card payment solution. This lucrative collaboration opened up new opportunities and provides users with an unmatched reward experience.

The solution

Prizeshark and B4B Payments have worked together for several years, starting small and growing the relationship. The need for a cash payout programme meant that Prizeshark wanted a partner who had experience in administering large-scale fund distribution. 

Prizeshark finds that using B4B’s award-winning portal, combined with both virtual and physical card distribution, means that reward recipients get their funds quickly, safely and fully branded. Bulk card issuance and card loads are very important to Prizeshark so that they can manage large amounts of card recipients efficiently at the same time. B4B’s portal allows them the flexibility to do this and delight their customers.

“We have worked with B4B for some years now,” says James Kelly, Prizeshark commercial director. 

“The team at B4B are always responsive and we feel confident offering pay-out cards within our client offerings. We look forward to growing the relationship.” 

The benefits

B4B provides Mastercards, both virtual and branded plastic cards, to support reward programmes. Open loop cards, which are usable wherever Mastercard is accepted, are another option Prizeshark can offer their clients. Cardholders are free to spend their rewards in shops or online making the reward even more personal.

B4B Payments has watched the partnership grow over the years, “We work well together offering cash prizes and bonuses to businesses. I look forward to helping Prizeshark with this aspect of their business over the coming years.”

Tim Robson, Account Director

Voly, a Fintech provider for the Yacht and multi-assets industry, works with B4B Payments to provide a 360 financial solution to niche verticals.

About Voly

Voly is an award-winning fintech provider specialising in financial management for the yacht and multi-assets industry. Founded in 2016 and within a relatively short space of time, Voly has become the market-leading treasury financial management organisation used by superyacht owners, yacht management companies and family offices globally.

The situation

Voly provides an all-in-one expense management solution for both the yacht industry and – more recently – the music industry. Using their deep understanding of the necessity to manage expenses, Voly designed a bespoke system to enable superyacht owners and yacht management companies to manage the outgoings. The lessons learnt from this have been transferred to the music industry where management of the music tour finances is incredibly important.

B4B’s payment rails and cards fit in seamlessly with Voly’s product offering. Each Voly client can make low-cost and easy-to-use payments as well as distribute branded Mastercard prepaid cards on the yachts for in-cruise expenses.

The solution

By leveraging B4B trusted card issuing and payment platform, Voly focuses on developing the advanced features and innovations that make them unique, with the confidence that the basics are taken care of via a robust, established, and secure technology platform.

B4B and Voly have developed their partnership over several years. The two companies together provide a 360 financial solution to niche verticals that have been underserved in the past. Using Voly’s core accountancy product and B4B’s payments knowledge, the two have built a powerful partnership. Initially, this joint offering was used in the yachting world where tracking expenditure can sometimes be difficult. This has now been extended to Voly’s new venture in the music industry for managing artists and music tours where tracking expenditure is also difficult. The partnership has also developed from a card-based solution to a complete payment offering for Voly’s international clientele.

The benefits

The partnership between Voly & B4B has been hugely successful due to the deep understanding of each other’s business needs. The financial services landscape has changed significantly since we first started working together but both companies are committed to staying at the forefront of our industries. We have worked hard to adapt and evolve our offerings to ensure our clients have the best available solution.

Voly’s collaboration with B4B has been a great success. B4B understands our product and the industries in which we provide financial management services. In working with B4B, we have built a relationship that provides a market-leading treasury management solution for the yachting and music space. It was definitely a learning experience for both parties to begin with, but one which has gone from strength to strength over the years and we look forward to continued growth and collaboration with B4B.

Ian Flanagan – Voly Group Founder & CEO 

To find out more, contact us today!

Patientprimary, a division of mdgroup, works with B4B Payments to provide swift and easy expense reimbursement to support clinical trial participation.

About Patientprimary

Patientprimary, division of mdgroup, facilitates remarkable patient experiences at every stage of the clinical journey. Powered by next-generation care management tools and technologies, their solutions focus on the four key metrics of a successful clinical trial: recruitment, engagement, retention, and trial outcomes.

The situation

When founded in 2017, Patientprimary supported rare trials with ultra-hard-to-find participants. That all changed in 2020 as governments and research centres provided additional support to get patients to trial fast. Patientprimary responded by widening its reach to support trials for less rare diseases. With global reporting on the high-profile vaccine and COVID treatment trials throwing the clinical research process into the spotlight, there was increased interest and an uptick in people signing up to participate. Between 2020 and 2021, there were over 20,000 clinical trials in the US alone.

With increased participant numbers come more opportunities to develop life-changing treatments, but increased scale also brings a need for innovation to ensure that trials continue to run smoothly and efficiently. Delays in the reimbursement of expenses incurred, for example travelling to clinics, can lead to participants having a negative experience, which can often result in them not completing the trial.  Like many industries, the clinical research industry has had to look to digital technologies to deliver trials at an increased scale while maintaining safe working practices in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The solution

The global clinical trials market is expected to grow at a rate of 5.7% annually until 2028. An essential aspect of clinical trials is keeping participants engaged and appropriately reimbursed for expenses incurred. Card-based reward schemes can offer participants immediate return on their contributions and the ability to spend in millions of locations worldwide.

Patientprimary seamlessly used B4B’s programme to distribute funds to participants in a wide range of countries using GBP, EUR or USD cards. The ease of use for both the clinics and participants as a method of reimbursing trial participants improves the trial experience and crucially increases the retention in follow-ups, reducing the need to recruit additional participants. In addition to reimbursing participants, they supported participants who were incurring significant costs travelling from home by preloading the card ahead of time to support them along their journey. 

Our card-based reward programme also encouraged ongoing engagement by offering instant compensation for completing tasks such as diary entries, meaning that researchers can ensure that data is gathered promptly and that participants are kept engaged for the duration of the trial, improving data quality. Our iOS and Android app allows cardholders to view their balance and transactions and upload photo expense receipts where required, with the latest biometric login features for the highest levels of cardholder security. 

The benefits

‘’B4B payments’ innovative solutions offered an effective method of reimbursing and compensating trial participants, increasing the likelihood of compliance and of attendance at follow-up visits, and potential participation in follow-up and future trials.’’

Our card solutions paired with Patientprimary services and processes, eliminated the need for trial participants to pay up-front and apply for reimbursement, encouraged ongoing compliance by offering instant rewards with a card-based reward scheme and ensured Patientprimary will be kept in front of mind for returning participants with our fully branded card solution.

B4B played a vital part in supporting Patientprimary in their journey, helping to drive improved participation levels and maintaining smoother and more efficient processes.

To find out more, contact us today!

We are proud that our solutions have helped protect the homeless during the pandemic by providing shelter.

About Thames Reach

Thames Reach is a charity based in London, supporting people facing homelessness through prevention, response, and recovery. The charity specialises in helping people with complex and multiple needs, including mental health, drug and alcohol use. It manages a range of services, including street outreach, frontline hostels, and day services, specialising in support of housing and employment schemes. Thames Reach’s mission is to assist homeless and vulnerable adults in finding decent homes, building supportive relationships, and leading fulfilling lives.

The situation

The financial exclusion was a massive hurdle for homelessness during the pandemic. Homeless people don’t have the facilities and documentation to open a typical bank account. As measures were introduced to curb the virus, many services moved online and being unbanked created additional problems with day-to-day payments and accessing government support systems. At the height of COVID-19, when paying for things in person became a problem, this group of individuals was more excluded than ever.

During the pandemic, payments were provided under Government contracts, following an order to get everyone off the streets. This allowed Thames Reach to provide essential payments to help victims during the most challenging times of need. 

An issue for them was how to pay government aid in a way that doesn’t put support victims at risk of being targeted as known carriers of cash.

They wanted to implement better control over expenditure and reduce the risks associated with the distribution of funds for both the recipient and the charity workers.

The solution

Thames Reach plays a crucial role in helping to address social inequality and providing intervention to individuals at critical times of need. Its mission is to assist the homeless and vulnerable men and women to find decent homes, build supportive relationships and lead fulfilling lives off the streets of London.

B4B Payments expense cards have been one of the critical measures put in place to help support those who are homeless and at risk.

Working with B4B Payments, Thames Reach found an easy-to-use digital solution to help clear the streets of homelessness during the pandemic. Homeless people were deemed the most at-risk group due to their inability to shelter and protect themselves against COVID-19.

The B4B payments system and card allowed outreach workers to make direct payments to support vulnerable people on the capital’s streets. Their team leaders used the B4B system to keep track of government disbursements when buying food, clothing and shelter, subsequently helping at-risk individuals get on with their lives and reach more positive outcomes. 

The benefits

With their B4B prepaid cards, Thames Reach received unique login details for the management portal that enabled access only via their fixed IP address.  The burden and risks associated with cash handling were eliminated by putting funds on a virtual prepaid card. Our prepaid cards have reduced administrative strain and overall cost for the charity, making them more efficient and agile and ensuring more donations and payments were spent supporting the victims in need rather than paying for support services. 

Once an individual was identified as at risk and in need of support, the process of paying for accommodation was fulfilled digitally – benefitting both workers within the Thames Reach offices and the people they serve.  Funds were safely transferred to the B4B float, and payment was made to the merchants without needing cash or vouchers, all administered by an intuitive, easy-to-use payment card and management portal.  

Here is what Martin Hubbard, Head of Finance had to say:

By providing our front-line staff with pre-paid credit cards we enable them to provide immediate support to our clients but within a framework that gives us control over how much can be spent by each employee

Fintechs have a considerable responsibility to break down legacy barriers within the banking and financial services and make financial services more accessible to those in need. With our help, Thames Reach has now achieved the best possible system for supporting victims’ homelessness, allowing payments to at-risk individuals remotely and securely.

To find out more, contact us today!

He has been awarded a virtual card sent to his email, where he can spend online or in-store.

We are incredibly proud to announce that Steve Meacher, the Customer Service Manager for B4B Payments, has won the B4B Above and Beyond Award (UK)!

Being recognised for your hard work is always a great feeling. It’s even better when that recognition comes from your colleagues. That’s why we hold this award to give all employees the opportunity, to nominate a colleague they believe embodies our core company values.

This award is also a way to show appreciation for those who go above and beyond in their work. We believe rewarding our employees is essential in creating a positive and supportive work environment where everyone can succeed. Here is what Steve had to say:

1. How do you feel about winning the award?

At first, I was surprised as I didn’t expect to be nominated. It’s lovely being recognised for my contribution to the business by colleagues.

2. Was it easy to get started?

Registering for my virtual Mastercard was very simple when using the B4B Payments app. It took no more than two minutes; the longest part was trying to choose a username! Once I was registered, it was easy to find the card details. There is also information on how to use the virtual card and the contact us button so I can send a message to Customer Service should I have any additional questions.

3. Where and when do you plan to spend your virtual card?

I plan on spending my virtual card funds on new winter clothes, as it’s just around the corner. It’s great that I can use my virtual card online, add it to my Apple wallet and use it in-store to pay, should I see anything I like whilst I’m out shopping.

4. Why do you think this is an excellent way to reward employees?

I think it’s a great way to reward staff because they will feel acknowledged for their hard work by their employee and colleagues.

Prepaid virtual cards are the perfect choice

Organising an effective reward and recognition scheme in the workplace can be a challenge. You want to give your employees something that will boost motivation and productivity, but you also don’t want to break the bank. Our prepaid virtual cards are the perfect solution! They’re flexible so that you can tailor them to everyone’s needs. They’re a great way to attract top talent into your business. You’ll stand out from the competition by giving them something they want.

We provide the option to brand your cards with a cardholder app fully. Your employees can also add the card to their Google Pay and Apple Pay wallets!

Our prepaid virtual cards are the perfect choice if you’re looking for a way to give your employees the recognition they deserve. To find out more, contact us today!