Eugene A. Rault Grullón, Executive Vice President“Our nation was on the leading edge of welcoming innovations driven by technological advancements, regulatory changes, and a growing appetite for digital financial solutions among consumers and businesses,” says Eugene A. Rault Grullón, executive vice president of Servicios Digitales Popular.
Since its founding in 2013 as a subsidiary of Grupo Popular, it has contributed heavily to the development and digitalization of the Dominican payment ecosystem. Servicios Digitales Popular set out with a clear mission—to design and offer integrated business solutions utilizing cutting-edge digital technology. Backed by over 60 years of Grupo Popular’s financial expertise, has become a cornerstone in the country’s financial development.
In 2014, Servicios Digitales Popular launched its business affiliation brand AZUL, which introduced innovative payment solutions, including integrated terminals, NFC card payments, leading edge e-commerce solutions, PayPal integrations, QR code payments, payment link, and tap on phone services. In 2016, it acquired AVANCE and established itself as a brand that provides working capital advances to businesses. This product offers an alternative financing option through which daily discounts are made to sales, and particularly the card receivables, particularly giving customers quick access to capital for any need, such as expanding inventory, paying payroll and suppliers, or any other requirement.
Since then, Servicios Digitales Popular has been delivering value to the entire payment ecosystem with its complete e-commerce payment platform for any of its client’s needs. This includes businesses that are enabled to reach new markets through secure and convenient payment access for cardholders. Its innovative portfolio of products and services meets the needs of its clients across all business categories, including retail, restaurants, tourism and e-commerce.
“Digitalization makes the process of selling more efficient, making it quicker and easier for businesses to access payment solutions or commercial capital,” says Rault Grullón. “The operational and administrative efficiencies result in significant savings of time and money.”
The launch of the AZUL App in 2021 marked a significant milestone for Servicios Digitales Popular, introducing a versatile tool that facilitates agile and personalized financial services. This platform enables businesses to streamline payment processing and management tasks, offering features such as quick sales processing via NFC, payment link for card transactions, and instant transfers via QR code.
“AZUL’s success is built on a comprehensive, market-focused approach that combines technological innovation, robust security, and exceptional customer service,” says Rault Grullón.
AZUL also introduced advanced shopping cart solutions compatible with popular platforms such as PayPal, Shopify, Magento, Prestashop, and Odoo. These integrations have made it easier for merchants to offer diverse payment options, contributing to a seamless and secure transaction process for customers.
Building on this success, Servicios Digitales Popular introduced tap on phone in 2022, pioneering contactless payment acceptance for credit cards, debit cards, and mobile wallets in the Caribbean region. Tap AZUL leverages NFC technology, transforming smartphones into convenient, point-of-sale terminals. This advancement eliminates the need for additional and sometimes costly hardware and enables merchants to transact seamlessly from multiple locations, enhancing operational efficiency for small and midsized businesses.
Customized Solutions that Address Market Needs
From cutting-edge payment terminals to the groundbreaking AZUL App, Servicios Digitales Popular remains at the forefront of technological advancement in the country.
It adheres to international security standards, including PCI DSS certification, ensuring the protection of cardholder data. The cardholder authentication service through 3D Secure verifies the legitimacy of cardholders, further mitigating the risk of fraud and this year they will include tokenization within their product offerings to further secure the payments ecosystem.
Features like Data Vault and the StopWatch enhance security, safeguarding sensitive information and preventing fraudulent transactions. In a strategic partnership with FISERV, a leading payment processing systems provider, Servicios Digitales Popular ensures the stability and availability of its services around the clock. This collaboration underscores the company’s dedication to delivering a seamless customer experience bolstered by robust technology infrastructure.
AZUL’s success is built on a comprehensive, market-focused approach that combines technological innovation, robust security, and exceptional customer service
Innovation is at the heart of Servicios Digitales Popular’s operations. Leveraging agile digital platforms, it has optimized its processes, enabling swift responses to customer demands while ensuring adherence to regulations.
A seasoned executive, Rault Grullón has played a key role in the company’s pursuit of innovation. With degrees from Bentley and Georgetown universities, coupled with extensive experience in the financial sector, he was entrusted by Grupo Popular’s board to spearhead the launch of SDP and AZUL. This mandate to usher in a new era of digital financial services—marked by accessibility and customer-centricity—has been realized under Rault Grullón’s leadership.
Beyond its technological expertise, what truly sets Servicios Digitales Popular apart is its commitment to collaboration and value creation. The company places a premium on fostering close partnerships with clients and allies, working hand in hand to create solutions that address their unique challenges and drive mutual success.
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Digitalization makes the processes of obtaining services more efficient, making it quicker and easier for businesses to access payment solutions or commercial capital. The operational and administrative efficiencies result in significant savings of time and money
Servicios Digitales Popular will continue to invest in research and development to introduce new technologies and improve its existing digital platforms for security and transparency. Plans are underway to implement artificial intelligence to offer more personalized and efficient financial services.
It is also committed to continuously upgrading the user experience across its platforms. This includes more intuitive interfaces, faster response times, and a focus on ease of use to ensure that all customers can effectively leverage its solutions.
We will be further launching initiatives that benefit our customers and have a positive impact on the community and environment,” says Rault Grullón.
