Gala Tent rolls out open banking solution for payments in partnership with Gala Technology and Nuapay

By Megha Bhattacharya

UK-based manufacturer and supplier of commercial marquees and gazebos, Gala Tent has announced the launch of an open banking application programme interface (API) for payments. The new app will be powered by Gala Technology in partnership with open banking solutions provider, Nuapay. Gala Tent stated that the new solution will provide their customers with an alternative digital payment option along with traditional card payments and bank transfers.

Gala Tent is a supplier for organisations including the military, NHS, the South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, South Yorkshire Police Service, St John’s Ambulance and AA, etc.

CEO of Gala Tent Jason Mace said “…Open banking is the missing piece of the jigsaw for Gala Tent as our team can now take a real-time payment over the phone, via webchat or even social channels, when the customer’s preferred method of payment is a bank transfer. This is especially good for our commercial client base, although we have also seen an increase in the number of private customers who want to use account to account payment technology, because it is so impressively smooth and efficient.”

Gala Tent will now be able to initiate a payment request to their client, enabling them to make an account to account payment, whilst remaining in constant communication with the contact centre agent. It is also expected to benefit from increased cashflow and a reduction in merchant service processing fees with their acquiring partner.

Recently, Gala Technology selected Nuapay in a bid to provide Open Banking payments to its partner network and direct merchants across multiple sectors including retail, hospitality and financial services.

Mace’s business partner Mark Thompson concluded, “Because of the increase in demand for bank transfer payments, our accounts team, were constantly badgered by the call centre asking for updates to ascertain whether the payment had landed to enable them to release the products from our warehouse for despatch. I’m pleased to say this interruption has now been resolved with the deployment of this extended service using SOTpay.”

Gala Technology SOTpay ‘Pay-by-link’ solution simplifies PCI DSS requirements and aims to protect merchants against the rising fraud risk. Recently, Gala Technology announced an extension of their capabilities in Germany in a bid to support merchants and demands from their acquiring partners.