Gerling hits market with online first

Credit insurer Gerling has launched two policies – Tradecover, an insurance for small to medium-sized enterprises that protects against the risk of non-payment, and Trusted Trade, an online credit insurance service that offers protection to internet traders.

Both policies have been designed as a reaction to today's feelgood factor, which is leading to companies doing without credit insurance.

According to Dun & Bradstreet, the number of business failures in Europe has decreased by more than 13% over the past nine months.

Tradecover is the insurance industry's first online business-to-business debt protection service that offers immediate cover for trade transactions.

The service enables companies looking for protection against the risk of non-payment to design their cover, instantly calculate the cost of protection, purchase a contract and get the benefit of immediate cover.

Trusted Trade is a business-to-business solution which combines a certification process and financial coverage for transactions on internet marketplaces.

Its core offer is a real-time, online credit insurance, enabling sellers in a digital marketplace to conduct transactions with the confidence that their potential customers are solvent.

This is achieved with a joint identity and credit check service of all the buyers and new buyer prospects.

Trusted Trade distributes credit limits to its members on an ad hoc basis and gives sellers access to vital purchasing information in real time.

Each buyer is assigned a spending limit and within this limit the seller is authorised to trade with its buyers.

Credit and spending limits of the buyers are centralised at one point of reference and continuously monitored in real-time and updated in response to buyer transaction activities.

All-round financial security is made possible by guaranteeing transactions on the digital marketplace's trading floor and by providing a guaranteed payment in case the buyer defaults or becomes bankrupt.