Pay.com.au adopts Zendesk AI ahead of US expansion

Pay.com.au has deployed Zendesk's AI platform to manage customer support as it expands into the United States, entering a payments market worth $35 trillion.

The Australian fintech had been relying on multiple customer service systems, with information spread across separate tools, making it harder for staff to access during support interactions.

That setup became more difficult to sustain as the business grew. Its earlier systems did not provide the scale it wanted for international expansion, prompting a move to a single platform for support operations.

Founded in Australia, the payments and rewards group has processed more than $10 billion in expenses since taking its first payment in 2021. It has also helped more than 77,000 business owners earn rewards through business spending.

The US expansion marks a significant step for the company, which has opened its first office there. It sees the American market as a major opportunity as it looks to extend its model beyond Australia.

Support overhaul

Zendesk's system brings customer data, workflows, knowledge resources and analytics into a single agent workspace. Pay.com.au said this would centralise support across customer channels while combining AI and real-time analytics in the same environment.

The deployment has already led to lower service costs, faster average handling times and savings across the business, according to the company. It also gives teams a clearer way to capture customer feedback on requested features and product improvements.

That feedback loop is intended to feed directly into product decisions. Requests, wish lists and recurring pain points can now be gathered in real time rather than across disconnected systems, it said.

Grant Austin outlined the rationale for the move in a statement on the rollout.

"As we expand into new markets, delivering a seamless and personalised service at scale for our customers is critically important. Partnering with Zendesk is a strategic decision that future-proofs our business, enabling us to scale our operations without losing the human touch. Ultimately, our ability to deliver faster, more effective resolutions at a global scale is what will set us apart as we grow," said Grant Austin, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pay.com.au.

Growth pressure

Pay.com.au positions itself as a platform that turns business expenses into reward points, targeting companies that want to earn benefits from payments that would otherwise not attract loyalty rewards. Its growth since launch has helped build one of Australia's larger business loyalty ecosystems.

Rapid expansion often puts pressure on support teams in financial technology businesses, particularly when firms enter new geographies with different customer expectations and a larger potential user base. In these cases, consolidating service tools can reduce operational friction and shorten the time staff spend switching between systems.

Zendesk's Asia-Pacific leadership said the project was intended to support that transition as Pay.com.au broadens its reach beyond its home market.

"We're proud to partner with Pay.com.au and equip them with the tools to scale with confidence. By bringing AI, data, and human understanding together through the Resolution Platform, we're enabling operational excellence that will help them deepen customer loyalty. We look forward to supporting their journey as they expand and redefine the fintech customer experience," said Sean Woodward, Vice President, Zendesk Asia Pacific.