• Great opportunity for companies: More than a third of consumers in favor of “compensation for data”
  • Majority willing to sell at least one item of personal information to a trustworthy company
  • Willingness to disclose data even exceeds demand in some cases

Skopje, October 6, 2020 – In today’s digital environment, data like bank account number, date of birth, address, health details or purchasing preferences have become a key economic asset. This is why the handling of data and its value, and the reasons why companies are keen to make use of it, are increasingly a topic of public debate. This has also been validated by a recent representative survey entitled “What’s the value of data?” conducted in 17 countries by financial services provider and investor EOS. The survey revealed that more than 60 percent of consumers in Europe and the USA and as many as 70 percent in Russia believe that companies should compensate customers for the use of their data. More than a third of respondents, and in Russia as many as half, said they were willing to provide certain data in return for compensation.

Trust and financial rewards the drivers for increased disclosure of data

For people to be prepared to disclose personal data, it is crucial for them to trust a company or organization to handle their data responsibly and adhere to the relevant statutory regulations. The EOS survey showed that a clear majority of consumers would sell at least one item of personal data for money to a trustworthy company (Europe: 82 percent, USA: 75 percent, Russia: 90 percent). People are least concerned about disclosing purchasing decisions and preferences for products and brands, but consider account or credit card details, or insights into their bank account, to be especially worthy of protection. When asked about their specific compensation preferences, more than half of the respondents found material rewards and discounts particularly attractive, whereas in all regions there was less demand for services as compensation, with only around 20% in favor of this option.

Data analysis as the basis for modern receivables management

A look at receivables management shows that it is worthwhile for companies to provide incentives to consumers to disclose their data. Because the better the data available about the purchaser of a product or service, the quicker they can be reached in the event of a payment default. And, the more empirical data from similar receivables cases is already available, the better the proposed installment plan will match the customer’s financial situation and the more likely the customer will comply with it as a result. This is why its Center of Analytics plays a key role at receivables management service provider EOS. With the help of machine learning algorithms, its central platform analyses thousands of debt collection cases to determine the best processing steps to be taken next.

Willingness to disclose data even exceeds demand in some cases

The EOS survey revealed that one in five consumers had already been offered compensation to disclose certain details. In Europe this was most common in Spain and Romania, where as many as one in four consumers had received such an offer. In some cases, however, the willingness of consumers to disclose data actually exceeds the number of offers of compensation by companies. “I think there are still significant opportunities and unexploited potential here,” stresses Joachim Göller.

Joachim Göller, Head of the Center of Analytics

“Already, installment plans are produced on the basis of intelligent data analysis in a lot of the countries where EOS operates,” explains Joachim Göller, Head of the Center of Analytics. “It is in the interest of all parties to conclude a collection case as soon as possible to save costs on both sides. And this is where data can help. The sooner the contact is established and the better the chances of the payment agreement being met, the more likely it is for the creditor to get their money and the consumer to become debt-free. So it can absolutely be in the interests of the defaulting payer to disclose data.”

About the representative EOS survey “What's the value of data?” 2020

The EOS survey, which was conducted in partnership with market research institute Kantar in the spring of 2020, is representative of the (online) population over the age of 18 in the 17 countries polled. A random sample of 1,000 respondents from each of the countries Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Poland, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, the UK and the USA, and 300 respondents from North Macedonia, was used for the analysis. The survey participants answered questions on their personal handling and disclosure of data, their trust in companies, and their willingness to sell data for compensation.

You can find more information on the survey here.

About EOS Group

The EOS Group is one of the leading technology-driven financial investors and an expert in the processing of outstanding receivables. The company’s core business is the purchase of unsecured and secured debt portfolios. With over 40 years of experience, EOS offers some 20,000 customers in 26 countries around the world smart services for all their receivables management needs. Its key target sectors are banking, utilities, real estate and e-commerce. EOS employs more than 7,500 people and is part of the Otto Group.