5 Ways to Speed Up Your Receivables with ePayPolicy

by Business Strategy

Your cash flow depends on prompt client payment. Ultimately, speeding up receivables hinges on changing client behavior. 

Today I’ll share five tips to get paid faster, and how ePayPolicy can help.

Accepting digital payments is a giant first step. But I want to make sure you’re aware of all the features ePayPolicy offers to turbocharge your payment collection (and reduce those boring process tasks).

Tip 1: Make sure clients know they can pay you digitally

Paying insurance premiums via ACH or credit card is easy, convenient, secure and instantaneous. Yet, some ePayPolicy clients tell us they’re still collecting too many checks! 

The key to getting more payers to break their check/cash habit is awareness. Here are some easy ways you can promote digital payment and increase client adoption:

  • Use the co-branded flyer in your dashboard to send out with your invoices and newsletters
  • Use the Client Tool Kit to access custom graphics and copy
    • Let your clients know you’re now accepting digital payments via social media
    • Send an email blast or include your new offering in your newsletter
  • Include a PayNow button in your email signature and on your website
  • Make digital the #1 payment option on your invoices

Tip 2: Make payment foolproof

Paying bills is a hassle, it’s no wonder people put it off. But, we have a solution. 

Our Prefilled ePayPolicy Payment Pages allow payers to pay with a click of a button (seriously).  This page contains your payer’s information already filled out to simplify the process -the hard work’s done for them! This is convenient for all clients, but even more valuable for those who need that “extra nudge” to complete their payments on time. 

Tip 3:  Promote payer-friendly features

As noted in tip #2, we want to remove obstacles to prompt payment; reducing (or eliminating) clients’ time and effort with features like “save payment information” and “autopay.”

When you pay the same vendor regularly, it’s a pain to re-enter your payment information every time and many policies require multiple payments per year. Let policyholders know they can securely save their payment information (we use tokenization). They can even store more than one bank account, credit, or debit card.

For clients paying a variety of invoices throughout the year, AutoPay offers the ultimate convenience.* Just set it, forget it, and wait for the e-receipt confirming the payment was made. 

*Only available for integrated payment pages.

Tip 4: Create positive client touch-points

Send automatic invoice reminders for due and past due invoices on your behalf.* When the client clicks the link, the page prefills with their due invoices. And you score points for being so thoughtful.  

*Currently available with AMS360, Sagitta, AIM & MGA systems. (More coming soon).

Tip 5: Integrate ePayPolicy with your management system

We typically think of management systems in terms of its benefits to agents and staff. But having everything in one place, including payment processing, creates a seamless user experience. Clients don’t have to search for invoices, they’re pulled directly from the management system integrated with ePayPolicy.  

Let’s review:

The key to speeding up receivables is to get more clients to pay digitally. Digital payments are easy and convenient for them, and they put money into your account right away — when they pay. ePayPolicy is designed to make the entire process a breeze. Payer-friendly features like prefilled payment pages, automated invoice reminders, auto-pay and more make paying you a positive, convenient experience — and almost impossible to be late. All of these factors combine to encourage prompt payment, leading to better cash flow and smoother business for you. 

Contact support if you need help setting up any of these features.

30 Insurance Terms You Should Know

by Uncategorized

The insurance industry is an integral part of the modern economy, providing protection and peace of mind to individuals and businesses alike. With a wide variety of insurance products available, it can be overwhelming to navigate the terminology and concepts associated within the industry. That’s why we’ve put together a glossary of common insurance industry terms.  Whether you’re an insurance agent, broker, or policyholder, understanding these terms can help you make informed decisions and ensure that you have the right coverage for your needs.

The terms:

  1. Policy – A contract between the insurance company and the policyholder that outlines the coverage provided.
  2. Premium – The amount paid by the policyholder to the insurance company for coverage.
  3. Deductible – The amount the policyholder must pay out of pocket, in the event of a claim, before the insurance company pays their portion.
  4. Coverage – The amount of protection provided by an insurance policy.
  5. Claim – A request for payment made by the policyholder for a covered loss.
  6. Underwriting – The process by which insurance companies evaluate the risk of insuring an individual or entity.
  7. Risk – The likelihood of a loss or adverse event occurring.
  8. Insured – The person or entity covered by an insurance policy.
  9. Insurer – The insurance company providing coverage.
  10. Liability – Legal responsibility for something, such as an accident or damage.
  11. Umbrella policy – An insurance policy that provides additional liability coverage over and above your other insurance policies (protection against your assets if you were to be sued). You can have a personal umbrella policy which covers your home and auto, and then you can have a business umbrella policy which covers your business assets and commercial autos.  
  12. Endorsement – A change or addition to your insurance policy.
  13. Renewal – The process of continuing coverage under an insurance policy after the initial term has expired.
  14. Exclusions – Situations or events that are not covered by an insurance policy.
  15. Inclusions – Situations or events that are covered by an insurance policy.
  16. Benefit – The amount of money paid out by an insurance company for a covered loss.
  17. Agent – An individual who sells insurance policies and represents an insurance company.
  18. Broker – An individual or firm that acts as an intermediary between insurance companies and policyholders (can also be an agent).
  19. Indemnification – The process by which an insurance company compensates the policyholder for a covered loss.
  20. Actuary – A professional who uses mathematical models to evaluate the financial risk of insuring individuals or entities.
  21. Rate – The cost of insurance coverage, often expressed as a monthly or annual premium.
  22. Underinsured – A condition where the amount of insurance coverage is insufficient to cover the potential loss.
  23. Overinsured – A condition where the amount of insurance coverage on your policy is more than the potential loss (you are paying for more coverage than you can actually use).
  24. Cancellation – The termination of an insurance policy before the end of its term.
  25. Policyholder – The person or entity that holds an insurance policy.
  26. Subrogation – The process by which an insurance company seeks to recover costs paid out for a covered loss from a third party.
  27. Adjuster – An individual responsible for evaluating and settling insurance claims.
  28. Loss ratio – The proportion of premium dollars spent on claims and company expenses, compared to their profits.
  29. Insurance Fraud – Deception committed in order to obtain payment from an insurance company for a covered loss that did not actually occur.
  30. Solvency – The financial stability and ability of an insurance company to pay claims and meet its obligations.

 

We hope this glossary is a helpful resource for those within this industry. Understanding these terms can help you communicate more effectively with clients, evaluate risk and coverage options, and navigate the complex landscape of insurance products. As the insurance industry continues to evolve and adapt to changing market conditions, it’s more important than ever to stay informed and up-to-date on the latest trends and developments. By staying informed and knowledgeable, you can ensure that you’re providing the best possible service to your clients and protecting their interests for years to come.



Let's Connect at The 2019 WSIA Marketplace Event!

by Industry News & Company Updates

Simplify your accounting, easily send funds, and receive your payments faster all with ePayPolicy. Created by insurance experts for the insurance industry ePayPolicy provides the simplest solution for MGAs, premium finance companies, brokers and agents to collect and send ACH and credit card funds across the industry.

We reserved a table within The Club and will hold meetings Monday through Wednesday during the Annual Marketplace. Book a time now on our caladnar to schedule a time during the event! We look forward to seeing you there.
 
About ePayPolicy
ePayPolicy is the nation’s foremost provider of payment processing developed exclusively for independent agencies, brokers/MGAs and premium finance agencies.  The company’s  innovative electronic payment processing portal enables clients to accept credit card or ACH without messy merchant accounts or hidden fees.  ePayPolicy sets up quickly, integrates seamlessly with leading management systems, and is endorsed by independent insurance associations nationwide. To find out more visit https://epaypolicy.com

About WSIA Marketplace
The 2019 WSIA Annual Marketplace event is in two months! The event will be held in San Diego, CA at the Manchester Grand Hyatt and the Marriott Marquis in San Diego Marina and is the premier event for the wholesale, specialty and surplus lines industry

A Business Guide to Surviving Any Natural Disaster

by Business Strategy

A Business Guide to Surviving Any Natural Disaster
2017 was a catastrophic year full of devastating storms. Harvey, Irma, Maria, Jose. The list of last year’s now-infamous hurricanes unfortunately goes on.

And as the rain and wind in 2018 continue to hammer down (many are still suffering setbacks of Hurricane Florence), it’s more important than ever to educate and prepare for inclement weather.

As a business owner, it can seem like spending time preparing for something out of your control is a waste of time. Or trivial. Especially in comparison to bringing in leads, serving customers, and improving general business.

But having a plan of action for natural disasters could be the difference between an organization sinking or swimming. Without a doubt, it is something any good business leader should have but hope to never use. Here are a few tips to help protect you from even the rainiest of days.

When it comes to being prepared for Mother Nature, checklists are your best friend.
 

1. Be Proactive
This is so important. Don’t wait until the eye of the storm is over your business to start reacting. Take charge. Make a preparation checklist. Check the weather reports regularly, especially during peak hurricane season. Purchase any gear or groceries you need BEFORE stores start to run out of everything and mobs of people begin fighting over bread, water, and generators.

2. Protect the Property
This one is a given. It’s in your best interest to do everything within your power to reduce property damage (and thus hopefully reduce repair costs). This can include sandbagging areas that have a high flood risk or installing shutters or plywood to windows and doors. You may also want to consider removing surrounding tree branches that could potentially fall on your building.

3. Protect the Gear
Inclement weather hardly ever equals good news for hardware. Whether you’re preparing for a flood, hurricane, tornado, or an earthquake, one thing remains constant: protect your gear.
Electronics are valuable, fragile, and expensive to replace. Take precautions as early as possible to avoid having to buy your whole staff brand new desktops. Move gadgets to an elevated area if you’re expecting floodwaters. Put them in the safest room in your office (one with no windows is ideal). Make sure to shut down computers and unplug machines, cables, and power surges.
Certain tech like external hard drives often hold lots of valuable and irreplaceable information and data. Which brings us to our next, very important, tip.

3. Back Up Data
Boy, is this a big one. Even if you are lucky enough to suffer no property damage, there is always a huge risk of losing important company data, customer insights, contact information, contracts, etc. And while it is challenging to recover from physical damage, losing crucial business documentation could be the end of your organization.

The easiest and most secure way to backup electronic data is by saving files to an external hard drive and then keep that hard drive with you. Do not leave it at the office. Wherever you go, the hard drive goes, too.

What data can your business absolutely NOT function without? Find out, then be sure to back it up on your hard drive.


4. Digitize Everything
Insurance is an old-school business. The industry is changing as insurtech continues to explode, but there will always be a few folks who still don’t do everything electronically. For the most part, this isn’t a problem. But where inclement weather is concerned it can be a huge issue.

If you have valuable paper documents, scan them ASAP and then save those files to the hard drive mentioned in tip #3. It’s still wise to place the physical documents in a Ziploc bag and store them in a dry area while you ride out the storm. But if they get swept away with the rain/wind/whatever, it’s not the end of the world…as long as you have a digital copy on your hard drive, of course.

—
Companies are constantly at risk. They are at risk of losing money, stagnant business, fierce competition, and on and on the list goes. Sometimes risk is outside of our control, but being proactive and preparing for the worst of Mother Nature is totally and completely within our power. There are no excuses.

According to an August 2017 article by the Associated Press, Hurricane Harvey damaged nearly 700 business in Texas alone. Each natural disaster means every business in the storm’s path is on the chopping block. So it’s up to you as your business’ leader to heed our advice and weather each storm before they arrive at your office door.

Higginbotham Insurance Makes The Switch To Digital Payments

by Client Spotlight Series

ePayPolicy Case Study: Higginbotham Insurance

Executive Summary
Tony Haas, Controller at Higginbotham Insurance, noticed that customers were frequently asking for electronic payment options to pay their insurance policies. While Higginbotham did accept credit cards, it did not offer the choice to pay via ACH. Haas began searching for a more robust processor and finally stumbled upon ePayPolicy. Signing up, he said, was a must.

“We were getting requests from clients to pay electronically, and after seeing ePayPolicy’s demo, the ACH solution was a much better solution than a wire solution,” said Haas. “A client could either set up a wire account and send money to us, or they could just pull up ePayPolicy and pay us right there. It’s a much easier process,” he said.
“The simplicity of it made it a no-brainer.”

The Goals
Offer clients electronic payments
Integrate with management system, Sagitta
Speed up receivables
Bind policy faster
Streamline reconciliation process

The Results
ePayPolicy Co-Founder Todd Sorrel met Hass for the first time at NetVU 2017, and shortly after, the Higginbotham payment page was live.

After Higginbotham was up and running, it was immediately able to offer clients the option to make electronic payments. Now, the insurance company is able to accept both credit cards and ACH, with payments seamlessly integrating into its management system Sagitta (powered by Vertafore). The technology has allowed them to bind business much faster.

“As soon as customers make payments, we’re getting email notifications to let us know that a transaction is in process,” said Haas. “We can bind things immediately and move onto the next project, instead of waiting a few days.”

Haas said the processor has cut down the reconciliation process by two business days and that ePayPolicy & its ability to integrate with Sagitta has streamlined Higginbotham’s overall process.


“Anytime you can do electronic payments, versus sending an actual check, it makes the whole process easier,” said Hass. “Handling checks is old school.”

The Extras – Hig Helps Page
After Hurricane Harvey tore through Houston last year, Higginbotham reached out to ePayPolicy for help in setting up a donation page for those affected by the storm. Harvey had completely devastated the homes of several Higginbotham team members, and the organization wanted a way to help them through the rebuilding process.

“It was fantastic what ePayPolicy did to help us get that page up and running. We raised about $150,000,” said Haas. “It was a big help to get money and help out to our employees that were hurting.”


Higginbotham Insurance offers risk management and financial services, providing access to commercial and personal property/casualty coverage, employee benefits, retirement plans, life insurance, and executive compensation plans through more than 250 regional and national carriers. As of 2017, the company is ranked #18 on Insurance Journal’s annual list of Top 100 Property / Casualty Agencies. There are over 25 Higginbotham offices in the state of Texas.