Posted on 04. Nov, 2010 by Brent in NetworkIP Blog
Before I can answer that question, i should probably make sure you know what a PRP is. It’s an acronym for Pinless Retail Portal. So now you know what it stands for, but you still don’t know what it means. At it’s core, it’s a pinless distribution system for prepaid wholesale calling card providers. Wholesale providers can set up their distributors in a web interface that allows distributors to go out and sign up locations, or retail outlets, that are already selling the wholesaler’s brand. The retail outlets then use a web interface to sell pinless accounts to consumers. Wholesalers advertise in stores like they already do for their hard card products, and when consumers approach store clerks about buying a new pinless account or recharging an existing one, it only takes a few seconds to process the sale.
Everyone in the transaction benefits from this distribution method starting with the consumer through to the wholesale provider. Consumers love pinless products because they are easy to use. When they dial a toll free number to make long distance calls, their phone number is recognized and they no longer have to enter a pin. When consumers run out of money on their account, they can return to any store selling the wholesaler’s brand to recharge their account. Consumers can also add additional phone numbers to their account so multiple people can use one pinless account.
Stores love this distribution method because they no longer have to stock physical hard cards on shelves. There’s no inventory to manage and stock, and they have access to everything they need in a simple to use web interface. Store owners can view sales history and commission reports so they can track real time how much they are making from product sales. There’s even a credit card prepayment option that allows stores to get paid their commission immediately when accounts are sold, and through their credit card company, they’ll receive 30 day repayment terms.
Pinless distribution appeals to distributors for some of the same reasons as it does for store owners. Distributors don’t have to move physical inventory from the wholesaler to the retail location. Distributors don’t have to check back weekly to make sure retail locations are continually stocked with hard card product. They simply set up a retail location in the web interface, provide a quick training on how the system works, and that’s it. Once a store is set up, it pretty much runs itself. Distributors also have access to reports so they can track sales at all of their retail locations and have real time visibility into their commissions.
Wholesalers are adopting this distribution method because it’s easy to manage long term. They don’t have to manage the process of hard card printing and absorb the costs associated to that activity into their retail rating structure. They don’t have to ship or receive physical inventory and keep staff on hand to manage the inventory shuffle. Additionally, when pinless accounts are sold, since they’re sold through a web interface, there are no transaction or processing fees. Wholesalers can do all of this with their brand too. The PRP is a enterprise level white label solution that allows for brand customization. Wholesalers maintain brand recognition through their distribution chain, all the way to retail outlets.
So what can PRP do for you? It can drive product sales through ease of use for everyone involved, consumer adoption and loyalty, and does so while allowing wholesalers to promote their brand.