Building Stronger Partnerships: How Enterprises Benefit by Combining Financial Institutions and Tech Platforms (with FinMkt at the Helm)

January 14, 2025

The world of enterprise financing is evolving at a rapid pace. Gone are the days when businesses simply partnered with one bank for all their financial needs and called it a day. Today, enterprises understand that to remain competitive—especially in e-commerce and consumer-centric fields—they must offer dynamic, streamlined financing solutions that appeal to increasingly tech-savvy customers. This realization has driven many enterprises to explore point-of-sale (POS) financing: an offering that allows customers to finance purchases right when they’re ready to buy.

However, for many organizations, adopting POS financing has been easier said than done. Why? Because it often seems they must choose between working with a top-tier technology platform that lacks their preferred financial partners or forging a direct relationship with a financial institution that offers better rates yet provides a less user-friendly experience. The good news is that the industry is shifting to address these barriers—thanks in part to platforms like FinMkt, which facilitates collaboration with your chosen lenders and delivers a modern, user-centric interface.

The Evolving Relationship Between Enterprises and Financial Institutions

A Shift from Transactional to Strategic

Historically, enterprise relationships with financial institutions were often transactional. Banks provided loans and credit lines, and enterprises accepted these terms with little room for customization. Over time, however, digital transformation has led to new customer expectations, and these expectations ripple up the chain. According to McKinsey & Company, more than 60% of banking customers now expect seamless digital experiences. As a result, enterprises need banking partners capable of delivering the kind of efficient, user-friendly financing that modern consumers demand.

The Changing Needs of Enterprises

In today’s competitive environment, enterprises are seeking financial partners that offer more than just capital. They want:

  1. Flexible Payment Options: Including “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) and other forms of installment financing.
  2. Rapid Decisioning and Approvals: Because a drawn-out process increases the chance of cart abandonment and lost sales.
  3. Customizable Branding and User Flows: So the financing process feels integrated with the brand rather than an external add-on.

Moreover, companies often want to integrate multiple financial institutions, each offering specialized rates or terms that cater to different segments of their customer base. In short, enterprises need agility—and they need it yesterday.

Why Point-of-Sale Financing Matters

Defining POS Financing

Point-of-sale financing enables customers to secure financing for their purchases at checkout—whether online, in-store, or in the field. This could involve a “buy now, pay later” option, an installment loan, or another flexible payment plan. The key selling point is immediacy: offering financing exactly when the customer is most inclined to buy.

The Impact on Conversions and Loyalty

Statistics show the momentum behind POS financing:

  • A report by Research and Markets projects that the global BNPL market will reach $3.27 trillion by 2030.
  • Klarna’s public data indicates that merchants offering BNPL can see their average order value increase by 30% to 50%.
  • A 2022 Experian study found that 59% of consumers are more likely to complete a purchase if they can pay in installments.

From these figures, it’s clear that POS financing often boosts sales and cultivates ongoing loyalty. When consumers discover financing options that are user-friendly and competitively priced, they’re more likely to return—and to spread positive word-of-mouth.

Common Roadblocks to Adoption

Despite the advantages, many enterprises have been slow to adopt POS financing. Let’s look at three primary obstacles:

Partnering with the “Wrong” Financial Institution

One challenge occurs when a company wants to use a technology platform (complete with modern UX and advanced features) but the available financial institutions on that platform are not the ones the enterprise already has strong relationships with. If you’ve negotiated excellent terms with a bank or lender, you naturally want to maintain those benefits. However, not all tech platforms facilitate adding new lenders to their networks, leading to a forced compromise on pricing or user experience.

On the flip side, an enterprise can partner directly with their preferred financial institution—but might have to settle for less appealing user interfaces or longer integration timelines, especially if the institution’s platform is outdated. This “either-or” scenario often stifles an enterprise’s ability to offer truly optimized financing.

Limited Customization

Some POS financing solutions come with rigid frameworks that don’t allow much customization beyond basic branding. This can prevent enterprises from tailoring critical aspects of the user journey—like the application flow, data fields, or branding elements—to fit existing corporate policies or brand standards. If the enterprise cannot deliver a seamless, on-brand experience, customer confidence could erode.

Strain on Internal Resources

Building a POS financing solution internally can be resource-intensive. It generally requires a large development team, expertise in financial regulation, and a significant budget. To top it off, even with ample resources, building from scratch can take months (if not years), delaying time-to-market in a fiercely competitive environment. Many enterprises are therefore forced to outsource parts of the build or settle for an inadequate pre-built solution—again leading to suboptimal results.

The Power of Combining Financial Institutions and Tech Partners

A Unified Approach

Rather than settling for a single-provider model, many enterprises find success by adopting a twofold approach:

  1. A robust technology partner to manage the front-end experience, application flows, and integrations.
  2. Multiple financial institutions for a broad network of lending options that cater to various customer segments.

This approach ensures that customers enjoy a streamlined, sophisticated interface while the enterprise can negotiate competitive lending terms behind the scenes. It removes the “either-or” dilemma by combining best-in-class technology with an optimal array of financial partners.

Benefits to the Bottom Line

A collaborative model helps enterprises:

  • Optimize Conversion Rates: A pleasing UX reduces friction, driving more customers to finalize their purchases.
  • Improve Pricing and Terms: By integrating a network of lenders, enterprises can pass along more favorable terms to customers, thereby increasing satisfaction and loyalty.
  • Enhance Scalability: As the business expands or consumer demands shift, the enterprise can easily add new financial partners—without revamping the entire tech stack.

PwC research consistently highlights how meeting rising customer expectations in finance directly correlates with profitability. By offering intuitive, transparent financing, you are not only boosting sales but also forging deeper customer relationships that extend well beyond a single purchase.

Multi-Lender = More Approvals

Higher approval rates are another advantage of a multi-lender approach. Not all customers qualify for the same loan structures, so having multiple lenders on deck can widen the funnel. More approvals translate to more completed sales, less frustration, and ultimately, increased revenue.

Introducing FinMkt: A White-Glove Experience for Enterprises

Now, let’s shift from why these partnerships matter to how enterprises can get started. FinMkt is a technology platform explicitly built for large-scale enterprises seeking advanced POS financing solutions. Here’s what sets it apart:

Built with Enterprise-Grade Requirements in Mind

FinMkt was designed from the ground up to address the intricacies of enterprise financing. This means robust security, compliance with finance regulations (such as SOC 2 compliance), advanced API integrations, and the capacity to handle large transaction volumes. Enterprises can confidently leverage these features without needing to spend months or years building them internally.

Seamless Customization

FinMkt offers a “white-glove” experience that empowers businesses to customize nearly every aspect of the platform—not just the color scheme and logo, but also the application flow, data fields, and notification systems. This level of customization aligns the financing journey with your brand identity and your unique requirements. Rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all solution, FinMkt adapts to your specifications, minimizing friction for both your internal teams and end customers.

Learn More: For further insights into FinMkt’s customization capabilities, visit the FinMkt Solutions Page to explore how our technology can be tailored to your exact needs.

Open Lender Network (Plus Your Own Partners)

FinMkt provides enterprises with access to a diverse array of reputable lenders. This inherently increases your approval rates and gives your customers more personalized financing options. Even better, FinMkt does not limit you to only its network of lenders; if you have existing relationships with financial institutions, you can bring them into the platform as well. This unique flexibility ensures that you truly get the best of both worlds: modern technology integrated with the lenders you trust.

FinMkt Logo full color

How FinMkt Resolves Typical Adoption Delays

Preserving Your Preferred Financial Partners

Because FinMkt is designed to integrate seamlessly with various financial institutions, enterprises can leverage relationships they’ve already cultivated. That means you can maintain the favorable terms you’ve negotiated—no need to renegotiate or settle for less. This is crucial if your existing agreements give you and your customers significant advantages in interest rates or fees.

Accelerated Time-to-Market

One of the key selling points of partnering with a dedicated tech platform is speed. FinMkt’s infrastructure is already in place, so the implementation timeline is drastically shortened compared to building from scratch or wrangling with outdated systems. As Gartner notes, 70% of digital transformations fail due to stalled or mismanaged implementations. By leveraging a proven, ready-made solution, you reduce your risk of becoming part of that statistic.

Fully Branded, White-Labeled Experiences

With FinMkt’s white-label solution, the platform can look and feel like an in-house creation. You can customize everything—from fonts to application flows—to align with your brand guidelines. This level of personalization helps reinforce consumer trust while allowing the POS financing process to flow organically within your existing website or application. No jarring transitions or mismatched interfaces.

Future-Proofing and Innovation

Technology is continuously evolving. The last thing you want is to invest in a solution that becomes obsolete within a few years. FinMkt consistently updates its platform to stay aligned with emerging trends, security standards, and regulatory requirements. By partnering with a forward-thinking platform, enterprises can position themselves to quickly adapt to new financing models—be it advanced BNPL offerings, embedded finance, or cutting-edge analytics.

Crafting a Successful POS Financing Strategy: A Step-by-Step Approach

To make the most of POS financing, you need a clear roadmap. Here’s how to ensure a smooth rollout:

Step 1: Establish Objectives and Key Metrics

Identify what you want to achieve with POS financing:

  • Are you looking to reduce cart abandonment by a certain percentage?
  • Hoping to boost average order value (AOV) within a specific range?
  • Targeting a particular segment of customers (e.g., budget-conscious or high-end spenders)?

Define these metrics from the outset so you can measure success objectively.

Step 2: Review Existing Bank Relationships

  • Which banks or lenders do you already work with?
  • What terms, rates, or services are especially beneficial?

Gather as much information as possible so you can incorporate these valuable relationships into your POS financing strategy.

Step 3: Design the Customer Journey

  • Determine where in the purchase process to offer financing.
  • Decide what information you’ll require from customers.
  • Plan how you’ll communicate credit checks or approval steps, ensuring transparency.

Work with your internal UX/UI team (and, if applicable, FinMkt’s support team) to create a seamless, engaging journey that aligns with your brand’s tone and guidelines.

Step 4: Implement the Technology

FinMkt offers API-based integration, making it straightforward to embed POS financing into your existing e-commerce platform, CRM, or ERP systems. This step often involves collaboration between your in-house IT department and FinMkt’s technical experts to ensure data flows correctly.

Step 5: Conduct Rigorous Testing

Before launching widely, conduct thorough user testing. This can involve employees, small customer focus groups, or beta testers. Focus on:

  • Speed of the application process.
  • Clarity of instructions and terms.
  • Overall user satisfaction.

Address any bottlenecks or confusion before you open the service to all your customers.

Step 6: Launch and Monitor Performance

Once you’ve gone live, track essential KPIs such as:

  • Approval Rates: Are customers getting multiple offer options?
  • Average Order Value: Is it increasing for financed purchases?
  • Customer Satisfaction: Are people expressing positive feedback or encountering frustrations?

Leverage FinMkt’s built-in analytics or any internal dashboards you have in place. These insights allow you to make data-driven decisions and refine the experience.

Financial Outcomes: Quantifying the Benefits

Higher Conversion Rates

With POS financing, conversion rates often climb beyond the typical 2-3% average for e-commerce, as reported by Adobe. By giving customers the freedom to pay in installments—or to access lower interest rates—you remove key friction points that commonly cause cart abandonment.

Increased Average Order Value

Flexible financing frequently leads to higher order values. In many cases, enterprises see a 30-50% rise in AOV after introducing payment plan options. Even a modest 10-20% increase can have a significant effect on annual revenue.

Enhanced Customer Retention

When customers discover a smooth, user-friendly financing option that aligns with their budget, they’re more likely to return. A Bain & Company study points out that increasing customer retention by 5% can lead to a 25-95% boost in profits, making it clear that customer loyalty is a valuable asset.

Lower Operational Costs

By leveraging a technology platform that manages underwriting, compliance, and integrations, you reduce the strain on your internal teams. Rather than building a financing solution from scratch and shouldering all associated regulatory or technological burdens, you can reallocate resources to more strategic initiatives.

Overcoming Internal Resistance: Getting Stakeholders On Board

Tailoring Your Pitch

Different departments within an enterprise will have unique concerns and priorities:

  • Chief Financial Officer (CFO): Show them concrete revenue projections, improved cash flow potential, and the ROI of implementing multi-lender solutions.
  • Chief Technology Officer (CTO): Emphasize the security, compliance, and scalability of FinMkt’s platform. Point out that integration can be done without overhauling the entire infrastructure.
  • Chief Marketing Officer (CMO): Highlight the boost to brand image, improved customer experience, and how advanced financing can serve as a competitive differentiator.

Addressing Compliance and Security

Enterprises take compliance seriously, and with good reason. Finance-related solutions must adhere to regulations ranging from data privacy laws (such as GDPR) to consumer financing regulations. FinMkt’s enterprise-grade security features and compliance framework alleviate many of these concerns. Ensure your legal and compliance teams have the documentation they need, and invite them to participate in the planning process early on.

Conclusion: Achieving the Best of Both Worlds

In the quest to deliver exceptional POS financing, enterprises no longer need to compromise between a superior user experience and favorable financial terms. By leveraging a flexible platform like FinMkt, businesses can seamlessly integrate their preferred lenders alongside new partners—offering a spectrum of competitive financing options that resonate with their customers.

Key Takeaways:

  • Strategic Partnerships Matter: A technology partner that respects your existing bank relationships can help you achieve both brand consistency and optimal pricing.
  • Customization Is Essential: White-label solutions let you offer an on-brand, seamless experience without stretching your development team too thin.
  • Data-Driven Success: Tracking KPIs like conversion rate, average order value, and approval rates ensures you get measurable benefits from POS financing.
  • Future-Proof Technology: As consumer demands evolve, a platform that readily integrates new financial institutions and innovations keeps you ahead of the curve.

Ultimately, the right POS financing strategy is not just about adding another payment method; it’s about elevating the entire customer experience, creating deeper loyalty, and driving sustainable growth. If you’re ready to see how FinMkt can fit into your tech stack and revolutionize how your business approaches financing, we invite you to explore FinMkt.io for more detailed information and next steps.