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Community


Share knowledge. Ask questions. Find answers.

Community

A one-stop forum for all your banking questions

Frequently Asked Questions: Standard Bank Trade Club

1. What is the Standard Bank Trade Club?

 

The Standard Bank Trade Club is a networking platform designed for our business customers, to connect with one another and promote trade, both locally and internationally.

 

2. What benefits do I get for joining the Standard Bank Trade Club?

 

As a member of the Standard Bank Trade Club, you will have access to:

 

  • Trade Expertise: Over 200 pages of information on trade, imports exports, customs information, market analysis and reports.

  • Connections: The Trade Club has a match making algorithm that automatically suggests new counterparts that you could do business with. These suggestions are based on your business interests.

  • Support: A community manager has been assigned to assist with any needs you might have regarding the Trade Club. Better match suggestion, tailored reports etc.

 

3. Why is Standard Bank offering this service?

 

Standard Bank has its roots in Africa. We believe that Africa is our home and we drive her growth. Bringing this platform to our clients gives us an opportunity to contribute positively to the growth of our business clients, because when our clients grow and prosper, so do we.

 

4. Do I have to pay to use the services of Standard Bank Trade Club?

 

No, the use of the Standard Bank Trade Club websites is free of charge. But you do have to register for the service in order to access it in full.

 

Use of the platform

 

5. How do I register for the Standard Bank Trade Club?

 

As a Standard Bank client who qualifies for the product, you will receive an invitation by email to join the Trade Club. The email will contain an activation link and an activation code. You need to simply click on the link and type in the activation code. Next you will be prompted to create a profile and choose a username and password. You can then start enjoying the use of the Standard Bank Trade Club. If you have not received an invitation but believe you qualify, you can send an email to [email protected] and request an invite.

 

6. How do my colleagues gain access to Standard Bank Trade Club?

 

Once registered on Standard Bank Trade Club, with your company business card created, you can invite up to
five colleagues through your user account settings. Your colleagues will then receive an invitation email with a personal code to create their own profile and can register for the Club themselves, joining your existing company’s business card.

 

Important notice: Once you’ve invited a colleague, they become attached to your company profile and business card, meaning that they can send a message(s) on behalf of your company, respond to messages received for your company and change your business card information. Therefore, it is important to make sure you only invite employees of your business.

 

7. Is the information I enter on the platform secure?

 

Standard Bank and the website provider handle your details with care. Sound security measures are in place to prevent unauthorised access to your data. The platform belongs to our partner, Export Enterprises, and the data is stored on their servers in a secure, access-restricted location in Europe.

 

8. What is the main language on the platform?

 

The Standard Bank Trade Club is available in English, for now, but Portuguese and French versions will be available soon. The platform’s users are spread all over the world and for that reason the main language on the platform is English. We therefore recommend that the text fields in your business card be written in English.

 

9. What is allowed or not allowed on the platform?

 

You can read more about the rules of conduct and standards on the platform in the terms and conditions. Users are expected to conduct themselves in a cordial and respectful manner. For example, they are not permitted to spam other users, or to copy content without permission. Access to the Standard Bank Trade Club will be withdrawn from users who do not adhere to the rules or who misuse the platform.

 

10. Could I be spammed or stalked if I am on the platform?

 

No, this kind of behaviour is strictly prohibited. Therefore, each user may only send up to 10 messages a day. If you are approached in an undesirable way, please report this to the Community Manager immediately.

 

11. What can the Community Manager do for me?

 

The Community Manager’s role is to give you support and thus maximise value extraction on the platform. Your Community Manager is your contact point for:

 

  • Requests for matchmaking – at your request, he/she will find a suitable trading partner(s) for you.

  • Tips and help for completing your business card, to make sure you receive the best matches from the platform and to ensure that your business card is easily located in the directory and stands out for other users.

  • Questions about the operation of the platform – how to interact with other members, search tips, etc.

 

12. How do I cancel my Trade Club membership?

 

On the platform, go to “Contact the Community Manager” or “User assistance”. There you can directly submit a request to your Community Manager to remove your club membership and/or your company’s business card. It is important to note that once the company profile is deleted, all other users associated with the company profile will also automatically be deactivated.

 

Matchmaking and business opportunities

 

13. How do I ensure that I receive the best matches and that I can be easily found by other members on the platform?

 

Success on the platform begins with completing your business card well. This allows both the Community Manager and our matchmaking algorithm to propose the most relevant suggestions for you to find new commercial partners. When completing your business card:

 

  • Use the text fields to describe what your business has to offer and what you are looking for, and preferably write in English.

  • Define your business value proposal activities (importer, exporter, agent, trader, distributor, etc.).

  • Enter your products as accurately as possible using 4- or 6-digit HS code.

  • Add your company’s logo and any other promotional material (documents, pdf, PPT, etc.).

14. How do I find the right business partners?

 

There are various ways of finding a business counterpart:

 

  • Browse the Opportunities list, where you’ll find potential business suggestions selected for you by the system, the Community Manager and/or your Relationship Manager at Standard Bank.

  • Ask the Community Manager to search for personalised suggestions for your company.

  • Browse the Members Directory and search by your own criteria.

  • You may also be approached by others. Just by putting your company profile on the Club platform, you are already showing that you are open to being contacted.

 

15. I have found a company that I am interested in contacting. What now?

 

The best thing is for you to approach the business by sending a message on the platform.
By using the platform, you are ensuring that your message will reach the correct person in the company. If there is mutual interest, you will receive a reply and you can make further arrangements from there.

 

16. How reliable are the business partners I meet on the platform?

 

The businesses on the Standard Bank Trade Club are clients of Standard Bank and of partner banks who were vetted by their own banks before they joined the club. However, we recommend that you always do prior research on your counterpart companies to guarantee the safety of your transactions. Standard Bank will not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, consequential or exemplary damages, including damages for loss of goods, property, profits, goodwill, use, data or other intangible losses.

 

17. I have found a trading partner on the Standard Bank Trade Club – how do I know whether the partner will deliver or pay?

 

Standard Bank cannot guarantee the behaviour of the platform’s users and therefore participation on the platform is voluntary and at your own risk. Please refer to our terms and conditions for further information.

 

18. How do I deal with a business partner from a different culture?

 

You can find more information about the country you are dealing with in the resources of the Standard Bank Trade resources.

These resources provide insights into the culture of a particular country and about the customs that you will have to take into account when entering into business. You will also find practical information about trading, taxes, investment opportunities and so on.

 

19. I have unfortunately not found any suitable matches on the Standard Bank Trade Club – what can I do now?

 

In the unlikely event that a client does not find a match, you may contact the Community Manager for a diagnosis of the problem. The Community Manager will also help resolve the issue through manual matchmaking and other mechanisms.

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Comments
Mosele
New Member

I just opened AutoShare Invest account.  After 2-days I received a notification that it has been approved and I can do the transactions. Logging into my internet banking the AutoShare Invest Account platform is not available.

I sent an email and was told the issue has been resolved. 5-days has passsed the AutoShare Invest platform is still missing, i still cannot do the transactions.  I sent several mails regarding the issue,  and  still no reply no AutoShare Invest account. Can someone please advise