Case Study: Capital on Tap (Engage)
Capital on Tap is a leading fintech providing all-in-one business credit cards and spend management tools to over 200,000 SMEs. As the business continued to scale rapidly, its collections and vulnerable customer support teams reached the limits of traditional, phone-based engagement. To address these challenges, Capital on Tap introduced Aryza Engage as part of its evolving customer communication strategy.
Situation
Capital on Tap has been operating for over 13 years, supporting a diverse range of SMEs, from local bakeries and creative studios to professional services.
The company’s operations are high-scale, with a significant presence in Cardiff where roughly 300 employees work in customer-facing roles. Within the collections department, around 70 specialists handle sensitive cases involving financial difficulty and vulnerability.
As the customer base grew, the existing engagement processes—designed when the business was much smaller—became less effective. The reliance on outbound telephony no longer aligned with how modern business owners wanted to engage. “Traditional telephony assumes that a customer is ready to discuss financial matters at the exact moment we call. By moving to digital channels, we’ve empowered our customers to engage with us on their own terms, at a time that suits their business schedule,” says Mark Porter, Head of Collections at Capital on Tap.
Task
With continued growth, Capital on Tap needed to fundamentally rethink its approach to collections engagement. The goal was clear: move away from a telephony-dominated contact centre environment towards a more flexible, multi-channel model that could better support customers and scale operationally.
This shift was particularly important for customers experiencing vulnerability, including mental health challenges, where unplanned phone calls often created additional stress rather than meaningful engagement.
Action
Capital on Tap partnered with Aryza and launched a proof of concept focused on two-way SMS and WhatsApp messaging within collections and vulnerable customer support teams. The platform enabled the team to engage customers digitally, asynchronously, and at scale—while remaining fully compliant.
Customers are able to opt in, block or opt out of communication, ensuring engagement is never forced. WhatsApp messages are encrypted, and consent is captured as part of the process. Aryza Engage also allows agents to attach documents, such as brochures and signposted support materials, directly within conversations.
A key decision was to prioritise speed and learning over full technical integration. This deliberately staged approach supported a fast launch, aligned with the company’s agile culture. “It was very, very quick and we started to see business value almost immediately,” says Mark Porter.
Following the initial three-month proof of concept, the solution was moved into business-as-usual, with plans now in place to expand integrations, reporting, and AI-driven automation. Reporting capabilities allow teams to track performance across different groups, while standardised response templates support frontline agents.
On a typical day, the team now sends between 500 and 1,000 digital messages as part of structured engagement journeys.
Result
While traditional outbound dialling had been delivering steadily declining results, the impact of Aryza Engage was immediate and measurable. Even in the UK, where contact rates typically sat in the 6–10% range, digital engagement significantly outperformed these benchmarks. Two-way SMS and WhatsApp delivered response rates of approximately 15–20% in standard collections, while engagement in vulnerable customer journeys reached around 20–30% – more than double those of traditional outbound dialling.
Beyond efficiency, the quality of engagement improved. Feedback consistently showed that customers found digital communication less intrusive and easier to manage, particularly when dealing with anxiety or financial stress. Customers can take time to respond, choose how they engage, and interact on their own terms.
Mark Porter, Head of Collections at Capital on Tap
“Our customers have responded exceptionally well to this shift,” says Mark Porter. “It reflects the fact that we’re in a digital age: people want to manage their commitments on their own terms, and they appreciate the flexibility that digital messaging provides.” Following the initial success, Capital on Tap now sees the Aryza Engage platform as a core component of its long-term customer communication strategy.