CrowdFarming and PayPal simplify the food chain and payments

CrowdFarming.com, a solution connecting organic farmers directly to consumers, is both inspiring and socially responsible. Adding PayPal to their checkout experience has helped CrowdFarming build consumer trust while making a significant, positive impact on sales.

We spoke with Diego Jiménez, Chief Financial Officer, and Emmeline Hess, Head of Communications for CrowdFarming, to discuss how collaboration with PayPal has made a significant impact on their business.

Success Metrics

• 57% of CrowdFarming’s total net new customers choose PayPal, increasing to 72% in Germany, CrowdFarming’s largest market¹
• 25% of CrowdFarming’s total global sales are via PayPal after just six months¹
• 66% of CrowdFarming’s PayPal customers are repeat buyers²

PayPal as an acquisition tool

The CrowdFarming solution empowers farmers to set and secure their own prices while selling organic goods directly to consumers.

As they continued to grow their marketplace, the CrowdFarming team realized that having a globally recognized brand like PayPal could help with checkout conversion. Customers were more likely to purchase because they trusted PayPal, which in turn, helped CrowdFarming gain and convert customers.

CFO Jiménez notes, “Trust is such a big driver. To have a platform like PayPal that people know and trust is a big enabler. Being able to pay through a platform they are familiar with, and the fact they don’t have to enter their credit card details has really helped.”

Within six months of integration, the results have exceeded their expectations as PayPal currently represents 25% of CrowdFarming’s total sales. And 66% of those PayPal account holders are repeat buyers. “Usually, when you offer a new payment method, it takes time for customers to rely on it. With PayPal, everyone knows it, so it took off,” reports Jiménez.

The fact that 57% of total net new customers choose PayPal clearly demonstrates PayPal is an acquisition tool. That 57% increases to a staggering 72%, in Germany, CrowdFarming’s largest market.¹

“That 72% recognize PayPal as a trusted service, even if they don’t know CrowdFarming. PayPal has helped us acquire new customers and new sales,” Jiménez emphasizes.

PayPal also provides value to CrowdFarming in detecting potential fraudulent transactions. “PayPal’s fraud detection has been essential in detecting and resolving issues quickly. Detecting fraud has always been something to really look out for, and with PayPal, fraud detection is baked right in,” Jiménez notes.

The powerful blend of customer preference, organic customer acquisition, and fraud protection from PayPal has nourished the potential for even more growth.

Making a deep-rooted impact

CrowdFarming is determined to make a positive change in the environment. In fact, they launched a witty and informative podcast called WTF (What the Field?!) to educate consumers on a broad range of sustainability topics.

Cultivating growth, CrowdFarming has extended across Europe, adding more farmers and reaching new customers. Many European countries produce a variety of goods, but not everything is readily available in all places. CrowdFarming solves this by creating a more centralized marketplace. From Spanish oranges to Italian parmesan cheese, CrowdFarming customers have direct, easy access to fresh, organic products.

The idea of knowing where their food was farmed and reducing waste has taken off. Now, the team has its sights set on the U.S. market. “We wanted to establish ourselves in Europe first, to get as much knowledge and experience as possible before we dipped a toe over the pond,” Emmeline Hess states.

Keeping up with their ever-expanding customer base has also meant keeping up with payments. To reduce friction at checkout, the CrowdFarming team integrated PayPal’s Reference Transactions, which allow customers to make recurring payments with just a few clicks. Next up will be adding a Buy Now Pay Later option for customers who prefer to pay in installments. Matching their success with their social and environmental impact goals is a priority for this dynamic, innovative business. With PayPal as part of their experience, CrowdFarming’s success is sure to continue to bear fruit.

"Even if customers do not know CrowdFarming, they know PayPal. They trust that it will be a quick, easy, and most importantly, secure transaction. We benefit from that extension of trust, especially with new customers," says Diego Jiménez.

Download the case study to learn more.