Vonage > Case Studies > Enhancing User Verification and Trust in BlaBlaCar with Vonage SMS API and Two-Factor Authentication

Enhancing User Verification and Trust in BlaBlaCar with Vonage SMS API and Two-Factor Authentication

Technology Category

Cybersecurity & Privacy - Identity & Authentication Management
Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms

Applicable Industries

Cement
Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation
Quality Assurance

Use Cases

Last Mile Delivery
Voice Biometrics

Services

System Integration

About The Customer

BlaBlaCar is a long-distance carpooling platform that connects drivers traveling long distances with empty seats to passengers looking for a ride. Founded in 2006, the company has grown from its humble beginnings in France to become the world’s leading carpooling platform, servicing over 18 million travelers every quarter in 22 countries. In 2018, BlaBlaCar introduced its new short-distance, commuter carpooling service, BlaBlaLines. The company boasts a membership of over 70 million users, which is 10 million more than Uber’s global user base and 3 million more passengers than British Airways handles each year.

The Challenge

BlaBlaCar, the world’s leading long-distance carpooling platform, faced a significant challenge in user verification. The company needed a reliable method to weed out fraudulent registrants and build a peer-to-peer trust community at scale. This was crucial to ensure the safety and security of both drivers and passengers using the platform. Additionally, BlaBlaCar aimed to increase their conversion rates for mobile verifications to ensure consistent user acquisition. The challenge was further compounded by the company's rapid international expansion, which required a solution that could provide wider coverage in the regions they were expanding into.

The Solution

BlaBlaCar turned to Vonage and its SMS API with two-factor authentication to address their user verification challenge. The Vonage SMS API allowed BlaBlaCar to send SMS messages quickly and reliably, thereby achieving significantly higher verification success rates. Unlike other vendors that rely on delivery receipts to determine the quality of message transactions, Vonage offers adaptive routing technology that analyzes millions of conversions and determines the highest performing routes in real-time. This technology was instrumental in supporting BlaBlaCar's international expansion needs, providing the necessary reach into the countries where the company was expanding. Furthermore, the two-factor authentication provided an additional layer of security, further bolstering user trust in the platform.

Operational Impact

The implementation of Vonage's SMS API and two-factor authentication has had a profound impact on BlaBlaCar's operations. The company can now send SMS verification codes instantly to users who register for their service, thereby enhancing the user verification process and building trust within the community. The solution has also significantly improved BlaBlaCar's communications with their users, with the company now able to provide customers with timely information about their booking or their scheduled trip. Furthermore, the adaptive routing technology offered by Vonage has enabled BlaBlaCar to expand its services into new regions, supporting the company's international growth ambitions.

Quantitative Benefit

15% lower SMS delivery costs
Significant decrease in price per acquired user
Cost savings in overall communications spend by avoiding sending messages to duplicate or illicit numbers