Corpay Cross-Border Payment Platform Enables Payments in Seven Languages with Support from MadCap Software’s MadTranslations

Corpay

As more companies of all sizes conduct business across international borders in multiple currencies, many of them are turning to Corpay Cross-Border Solutions and its comprehensive suite of online payment solutions to effectively track, manage, and pay their expenses. Corpay is part of the portfolio of brands under FLEETCOR (NYSE: FLT), an S&P 500 listed company, and Corpay now handles more than 3.8 million payment transactions (as of December 31, 2022) across 145-plus currencies in over 200 countries.

Key among Corpay’s solutions is its cloud-based Cross-Border Payments application platform, which enables businesses to quickly and efficiently pay their expenses in multiple currencies.Today, Corpay provides the application software and supporting online Help guide in seven languages, including English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. To translate the software user interface (UI) and Help content from English into the other six languages, Corpay relies on MadTranslations, the translation and localization services arm of MadCap Software.

“We looked at MadTranslations because we already use MadCap Flare, but our decision was based on three benefits we identified in our evaluation,” said Maria Figueira, Corpay Cross-Border Solutions product operations manager. “We like that MadTranslations uses local translators, so their translations are in their native tongue. MadTranslations also has resources that are knowledgeable about the fintech industry we are part of, which is very important. Third, we appreciate the automation where we can send files from our environment to MadTranslations; it then quickly comes back to us translated to our specifications. That automation and the fact that the MadTranslations team is always available to share their knowledge are big advantages.”

Translating in Stages

To get started, the Corpay team decided to first translate the user interface (UI) of the Cross-Border Payments software from English into Italian.

“We essentially used the Italian translation as a proof of concept, and that’s where we learned our lessons,” Maria recalled. “How do we automate? How do we put these things in place? How do we set up some ground rules?”

By collaborating on the Italian translation, Corpay and MadTranslations were able to establish basic rules for translating content and a list of terms that should remain in English. MadTranslations then incorporated these guidelines into a dictionary and tools used to complete Corpay’s translations.

“With the Italian translation, our reviewers only had minimal changes for the MadTranslations team,” Maria noted. “And it was a smooth process translating the next language versions because everything was basically worked out with that first localization.”

After completing the Italian translation, Corpay proceeded to have MadTranslations create localized UIs in French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish. The company then repeated the staged process for localizing its MadCap Flare-based online Help guide—starting with Italian as the proof of concept and then moving to the other five languages. Within eight months, MadTranslations had completed all six translations of Corpay’s software UI and online Help guide.

“We are a global company. So, we can have a client in Toronto, for example, that's making a payment to someone in France or Germany,” Maria observes. “Now with the localizations provided by MadTranslations, more of our clients and the recipients of their payments can complete the transactions in their native language. Additionally, because everything is online, customers can easily go from our application to the localized Help guide.”

Maximizing Team Efficiency

Together, Corpay’s initial investment in establishing translation processes and procedures have helped to make localization processes more efficient. The first project translating the software UI into Italian took about 10 weeks, since Corpay needed to create and document the guidelines in addition to having MadTranslations translate roughly 85,000 words. The translations of the UI into the other five languages and localizations of the online Help in all six languages similarly covered about 85,000 words each. However, with the rules established, each translation only took between 20 to 30 days.

Similarly, the translation memory created and maintained by MadTranslations facilitates reuse. So, when the software and online Help guide are updated, only the new content needs to be translated—saving Corpay time and money.

“With the initial localizations complete, we just need translations to cover enhancements and new features. Now I can get the completed translations from MadTranslations in 10 days or less,” Maria notes. “Best of all, the heavy lifting is all handled by MadTranslations. I simply send files to be translated and wait.”

Streamlining California Compliance

As a provider of online financial services, Corpay needs to submit its solutions and documentation to various government agencies for legal approval, but the requirements vary. Notably, the state of California has requirements that are stricter than many other governments for obtaining legal approval of financial applications, related documents—and any translations made available to customers in California. Companies have to show evidence that they are using qualified translators, and any translation must be accompanied by an English-language version. There are even guidelines on what font size will be accepted.

MadTranslations has helped Corpay to streamline the translation approvals in California, since the organization has translators with extensive experience working in the financial industry and addressing government compliance. Additionally, MadTranslations maintains multiple International Standards Organization (ISO) certifications, including ISO 17100:2015 for Translation Services and ISO 18587:2017 for Translation Services – Post-Editing of Machine Translation Output, among others.

“MadTranslations was very responsive when I needed proof that the translators met California’s legal requirements,” Maria recalls. “Within a week, the MadTranslations team was able to document the ISO certifications and provide evidence that the translators were qualified.”

Looking Ahead

Corpay’s initial translations into French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish were designed to support the company’s market expansion in Europe. The company is now analyzing how the languages are contributing to business growth, as well as evaluating other possible localizations.

“We’re starting to ask questions about what regional markets we want to pursue and the languages we may need to support,” Maria explains. “Whatever we decide, I know I can fire off an email to MadTranslations to start the translations, and then we’ll be off to the races.”