CHALLENGE

Slow onboarding killed deals and created fraud exposure

A well established European logistics giant with tens of billions in revenue faced a problem as they modernized their business: their customer onboarding process was too slow for today's market.

New customers took 7 hours to onboard. In fast-moving segments like air freight, this delay was critical: prospects simply moved to competitors who could onboard them faster. Revenue walked out the door before contracts were even signed.

The slow process also created a dangerous trade-off. To avoid losing deals entirely, the company sometimes onboarded customers without completing full VAT validation checks. This led to fraud: customers received goods, were invoiced, but never paid—because their tax credentials were invalid from the start.

The company needed a solution that could validate tax IDs globally, instantly, and integrate seamlessly into their onboarding flow. As a traditional enterprise with complex systems, they required a partner who could deliver modern API infrastructure without disrupting existing processes.

SOLUTION

Global coverage, low-latency API, and fast validation at onboarding

The company selected Fonoa's Lookup solution after evaluating multiple vendors. Three factors drove the decision:

• Global coverage: With Lookup’s coverage extending to 115+ markets, it more than supported tax ID validation across all key markets, eliminating the need for regional point solutions.
• Seamless API integration: Low-latency API responses enabled real-time validation during customer onboarding without adding friction to the process.
• Product roadmap confidence: Fonoa's investment in R&D demonstrated commitment to extending coverage and reducing onboarding time in line with the company's strategic objectives.

Fonoa integrated directly into the customer onboarding workflow, validating tax credentials in real-time before accounts were activated.

OUTCOME

$9.1M in annual value from faster onboarding and fraud prevention

Since implementing Fonoa, the company has transformed customer onboarding from a competitive weakness into a business advantage.

Key outcomes include:

• $9.1M in annual value retained through faster deal closure and fraud prevention
• 7 hours reduced to <5 minutes for customer onboarding, enabling the company to compete in fast-moving segments like air freight
• Eliminated fraud exposure from onboarding customers without complete VAT validation, catching invalid credentials before goods are delivered and invoices go unpaid
• Revenue retention from deals that would have been lost to competitors during the week-long onboarding process
• Seamless integration into existing enterprise systems without disrupting operations

For a traditional enterprise with tens of thousands employees, Fonoa delivered modern API infrastructure that instilled confidence in both the technology and the partnership.

WHAT'S NEXT

Extending coverage and reducing friction further

As the company continues to modernize customer onboarding, Fonoa's product roadmap—including expanded coverage and continued latency improvements—aligns with their long-term objectives to reduce onboarding friction while maintaining compliance and security.

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