Moonfrog Case Study
Moonfrog is a self-catering holiday accommodation provider based near Fort William, in the Scottish Highlands. Husband-and-wife team Rachel and Richard Matthews moved 600 miles north to start the business, following Richard’s retirement in 2016.
“We decided to make the move from Kent because we wanted to start a business to serve as my pension,” says Rachel.
“We spent a long time going through planning, and then building works to turn a lovely old house from one property into two.”
Moonfrog has since added a riverside bothy to its portfolio, completing a characterful trio of holiday lets. Its properties routinely receive outstanding ratings on holiday sites.
Background
Moonfrog started using EVO Payments in spring 2017. Until then, the business used a browser-based payment solution from a competing provider.
“We used our previous provider for our first year of trading, but the cost was extortionate,” says Moonfrog owner Rachel Matthews. “The business was growing quickly, and we needed to cut our costs.”
According to Rachel, Moonfrog’s former payment provider was awkward to use and slow to deal with.
“It was pretty good, but not as good as it should’ve been, and nowhere near as good as EVO,” she says.
Competitive rates & excellent customer service
The main drivers for switching to EVO Payments were the needs for:
- Better rates on payments;
- Good support for international payments; and
- Excellent customer service to suit the remote business location
“My husband and I reviewed to a lot of different providers and spoke about their charges and services. EVO was the one that came out on top.”
Securing cheaper transaction costs on international payments was a key consideration for Moonfrog, since the business often deals with customers from overseas.
24/7 phone based customer service from the payment provider was also a priority, since the remote location of the business would make in-person support impractical.
“The business benefit is substantial”
Switching to EVO Payments has delivered the reduction in costs needed to help Moonfrog thrive.
In the first year of trading, when Rachel and Richard were using their previous payment provider, the payment charges accrued were higher than they are today. This is despite the fact that at that time, the business was charging its customers lower prices and trading at a lower volume.
“With EVO Payments, in comparison to our previous provider, we saw a significant cost saving. During our busiest period we saw a 78% reduction in costs. That’s an incredible business benefit, and the difference it has made to us is substantial.”
Moonfrog takes payments on all three of its holiday rental properties via a single payment terminal.
“The terminal is also GPRS enabled so it is fully mobile and I can take it to a different location and use it wherever I need it,” says Rachel.
“Where we’re based in the Scottish Highlands, a reliable service is key”
Moonfrog’s far-flung location may be part of what makes it special, but it does create some extra business requirements.
“Where we’re based in the Scottish Highlands is a very beautiful but remote location, so having a reliable service is key,” says Rachel.
“We wouldn’t have our card payment’s field support staff come and visit us, so all of our support needs to be by phone.”
According to Rachel, EVO Payments has been “excellent” at providing remote technical support.
“The few issues we have had have all been resolved over the phone. If the card terminal has technical issues and isn’t working, they’ll talk me through it,” she says.
“For someone like me who lives in the sticks, that’s exactly what you need.”
“The technical side of things with EVO Payments has been excellent. On the rare occasions when something does go wrong, I’ve really appreciated having someone to talk me through it instantly, so it hasn’t slowed up my business for very long.” – Rachel Matthews, Owner, Moonfrog
Conclusion
Switching to EVO Payments has provided Moonfrog with affordable payment charges and attentive customer support.
According to business owner Rachel Matthews, there have also been benefits in terms of guest experience.
“It’s far easier and quicker when guests are checking in; the payments are instant,” says Rachel.
“With the old browser-based system we used before EVO Payments, you didn’t have a receipt, so you had to do a printed invoice. Now I can give customers a more professional service.
“Our holiday lets are not basic by any stretch, and everything we do is to a high standard. EVO Payments assists with delivering that professionalism.”
“We want to ensure the standard of service we provide is high, and support from an effective payment system is an incredibly important part of that. The combination of the third-parties we partner with, plus all the effort we put in, allows us to deliver the level of service we want to.” – Rachel Matthews, Owner, Moonfrog
Why choose EVO Payments?
Transparent Pricing
Our ready made plans make card payment acceptance predictable
Great Value
You can make considerable cost savings by signing up to EVO
Exceptional Service
With 24/7 customer support we will be here to help you every step of the way
Simple Switchover
Request a callback today and see how simple it is to get set up
Get a Free Quote
Fill in the form below and a member of our sales team will be in touch shortly.