Rhapsody’s streaming music service gives members ad-free access to more than 32 million songs. When it comes to music streaming services, consumers have many choices. They scrutinize factors such as selection, stations, device support, and cost before deciding which one deserves their hard-earned cash.
To succeed in this highly competitive market, Rhapsody must operate on thin margins and work hard to retain subscribers. The company differentiates itself by offering exceptional content, value, and customer convenience. Providing a frictionless, easy billing experience is a core part of the customer experience that can make the difference between success and failure.
“We live and die by margins, and by keeping customers on board,” says Scott Engel, director of ecommerce, payments and risk for Rhapsody. “Billing problems cause a big chunk of our churn, so we have to avoid them at all costs.”
Rhapsody offers its service in over 30 countries, and must therefore accept multiple different types of payments internationally. Billing and payment options in Brazil, for instance, differ widely from those in Europe and the United States.
To streamline payments for customers, Rhapsody began an exhaustive search for a new global services provider. Requirements included global support, exceptional pricing and value, strong service level agreements, flexibility in contract structure, and deep payments expertise. High on Rhapsody’s list was finding a payment processing
partner that would support its business needs, streamline reporting, and was highly responsive.
The Solution
After lengthy evaluation, Rhapsody chose Adyen, a global payments company that supports more than 250 payment methods and 187 transaction currencies. Rhapsody now had the ability to process payments globally using one payment service provider—a huge advantage.
Rhapsody started with Adyen to process payments in Brazil, but plans to expand to Europe, the United States and parts of Asia. A “walk before you run” approach is usually a smart one when it comes to global ecommerce and the diversity of the many countries’ needs.
Brian Kelly is Principal at Candlewood Creative, and a contributing writer for Multichannel Merchant.