From Days to Seconds: How Allianz Partners Polska Sped Up Emergency Payouts with Sparados
When your car breaks down abroad or your flight is cancelled, every hour counts. Allianz Partners Polska – part of one of the world’s largest assistance groups – now delivers emergency funds to customers’ phones in seconds instead of days, using Sparados virtual payment cards. This case study shows what changed, how the solution works and what results it delivered.
Case Study at a Glance
Client: Allianz Partners Polska, owner of the Mondial Assistance brand and part of the Allianz Partners Group
Industry: Insurance and assistance services (motor, travel and health)
Markets: Poland and the Czech Republic
Challenge: Emergency funds reached customers after several hours or even days because of paperwork and verification
Solution: Sparados virtual payment cards issued to the customer’s phone, with amount, time and purpose limits
Result: Emergency funds reach customers in seconds instead of days, with full real-time control and reporting for the insurer
Table of Contents:
About the Client: Allianz Partners Polska
Allianz Partners Polska is the Polish branch of the Allianz Partners Group and the owner of the Mondial Assistance brand. The company offers a broad range of insurance and assistance products, from motor and health to travel insurance, and supports customers in emergencies such as car breakdowns, cancelled flights or sudden accommodation needs.
In assistance, the quality of service is measured at the moment of crisis. Customers do not judge their insurer by its marketing, but by how quickly real help arrives when something goes wrong.
The Challenge: When Time Was the Worst Enemy
Before working with Sparados, the payment process for emergency assistance relied on paperwork and verification. As a result, funds reached customers after several hours or even days, which often made quick action impossible.
This created problems on both sides:
Customers had to pay out of pocket for towing, taxis, hotels or tickets and wait for reimbursement, often at the most stressful moment of their trip.
Bank transfers required account details and were limited by banking hours and settlement sessions.
The insurer had limited control over how the money was spent once it had been transferred.
Reporting was slow and manual, making it hard to analyze costs and improve the process.
The Solution: Instant Virtual Cards for Emergency Assistance
To reduce the time needed to help customers to an absolute minimum, Allianz Partners Polska introduced Sparados virtual cards in Poland and the Czech Republic. The customer contacts the assistance team and, within seconds, receives a payment card with funds on their phone, ready to use for the approved expense – for example a taxi ride, a hotel room or a flight ticket.
How It Works
The customer requests assistance after a breakdown, a cancelled flight or another emergency.
The assistance team creates a virtual card linked to the case, with the approved amount, validity period and purpose.
The card is delivered to the customer’s phone via SMS or email and can be added to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
The customer pays immediately for the tow truck, transport, hotel or ticket – or the assistance team uses the card to pay the supplier directly.
The transaction and invoice are automatically linked to the case, giving the insurer real-time visibility.
Built-in Spend Controls
Every card has an amount limit, a time limit and a defined purpose, so the money can be used exactly for what it was granted for. Purchases can be restricted to selected Merchant Category Codes (MCCs) such as hotels, transport or towing services. Issuing a card requires only an email address and a phone number – no bank account details are collected.
The Results: From Days to Seconds
The implementation brought tangible benefits for both policyholders and the organization:
Immediacy: funds reach customers in seconds, not days.
No down payment: the insured person can act immediately instead of worrying about financing emergency expenses.
Guaranteed purpose: the insurer can be sure that the money is spent as intended.
A fully digital process: payouts are safe, transparent and handled entirely online.
Real-time analytics: precise statistics and reports help Allianz Partners analyze and continuously improve the process.
“When customers need help in a crisis, there is no time for transfers and formalities. Immediate transfer of funds makes assistance real and noticeable at the very moment it is needed.” – Allianz Partners Polska representative
Before and After Sparados
Aspect | Before Sparados | With Sparados |
Time to deliver funds | Several hours or even days | Seconds |
Who pays first | Often the customer, out of pocket | The insurer, via a prepaid virtual card |
Customer data needed | Bank account details and paperwork | Email address and phone number |
Control over spending | Limited once funds are transferred | Amount, time and purpose limits (MCC) |
Process | Paper-based verification | Fully online |
Reporting | Manual and delayed | Real-time statistics and reports |
What’s Next: Rolling Out Across the Allianz Partners Group
The solution proved so effective in Poland that other countries within the Allianz Partners Group are already preparing to implement it, making Sparados virtual cards a new standard for assistance payouts across the group.
Why Insurers Choose Sparados
Emergency assistance is only one of the ways insurers use the Sparados platform. Sparados solutions for insurance companies also cover:
Instant claim settlements: once a motor or property claim is approved, a virtual card is issued directly to the claimant’s phone within seconds, without collecting an IBAN.
Medical support abroad: policyholders receive funds for treatment, pharmacy, transport or accommodation without paying out of pocket.
Insurance Digital Pass: a policy pass in Google Wallet or Apple Wallet with real-time updates and push notifications.
Rewards for insurance sub-agents: sales bonuses paid to virtual cards within seconds of reaching a target.
Cards run on the global Mastercard network, and payment services are provided by licensed payment service providers operating in Europe. Read more about emergency funding with virtual cards and how Sparados virtual cards are changing the insurance sector.
FAQ: Instant Assistance Payouts with Virtual Cards
How did Allianz Partners Polska speed up emergency payouts?
By replacing paperwork-based payments with Sparados virtual payment cards. The assistance team issues a card with the approved amount directly to the customer’s phone, so funds are available within seconds instead of hours or days.
What can customers pay for with the assistance card?
Only for the purpose the funds were granted for, such as a taxi, a tow truck, a hotel room or a flight ticket. Each card has an amount limit, a time limit and can be restricted to selected merchant categories.
Do customers need to share bank details or install an app?
No. Issuing a card requires only an email address and a phone number. The customer adds the card to Apple Pay or Google Pay and pays contactlessly, without providing an IBAN.
In which countries is the solution used?
Allianz Partners Polska uses Sparados virtual cards in Poland and the Czech Republic, and other countries within the Allianz Partners Group are preparing to implement them.
Can other insurers use the same solution?
Yes. Sparados offers virtual cards for assistance, claim settlements, medical support abroad and sub-agent rewards, available through a web panel or API integration with the insurer’s systems.
Deliver Assistance in Seconds, Not Days
Thanks to Sparados, financial assistance in emergencies has become truly immediate. It makes life easier for policyholders and builds trust in the brand by proving that, in a crisis, what counts most is a fast and effective response.
Want similar results for your insurance or assistance company? Contact the Sparados team to book a demo.
