The business report highlights the actions and initiatives led by BNP Paribas Cardif’s teams to make insurance always more accessible around the globe.

In June 2024, BCC Banca Iccrea, parent company of the BCC Iccrea Group, and the insurer BNP Paribas Cardif have signed a strategic bancassurance partnership in life insurance, alongside an exclusive distribution agreement across its network. The partnership, with a total shareholding to 70%, designed as a long-term alliance, was set up to transform the product offering and experience for the cooperative network and its clients. Armando Ponzini, General Manager of BCC Vita, takes us back through the journey that led to a very successful turnaround, starting with a trust reset across 111 local banks, and moving toward a synergic model, taking advantage of scale.

Looking back at the starting point, what was the biggest challenge to solve, both for BCC Vita and for the BCC network?

Armando Ponzini: The biggest challenge was restoring trust and momentum in a mature and highly competitive market dominated by large bancassurance players. On top of that, the BCC network is structurally heterogeneous: before BNP Paribas Cardif’s acquisition, its 111 banks were managing several distribution agreements with more than 20 insurance companies and with a diversified strategy for life insurance. In that context, some banks were asking for better products, service, and level of relationship.

What did you do first to reset the relationship with the banks?

Armando Ponzini: We focused on three very tangible proof points that banks and clients could experience immediately: product quality, policy issuance journey, and after-sales support. That meant moving fast on what was most visible. We accelerated new life insurance launches and worked to improve the sales experience, because if it takes too long to issue a policy, confidence drops instantly. We also made after-sales trustworthy again: a bank needs to know that when a client has an issue, there is a reliable team behind it.

Before the joint-venture, each bank had its own habits. How did you move from “111 ways of doing things” to a synergic model?

Armando Ponzini: The foundation is simple: one system and one product set create one model, supported by change management and communication. This requires a local presence: we spent a lot of time visiting banks, listening and explaining, because in a cooperative network human relationships are essential, especially in smaller towns. At first people listen to words; trust comes when they start seeing results.

What did you prioritize in the offer to help banks grow sustainably?

Armando Ponzini: We prioritized what helps banks in two ways: value for clients of the insurance products and confidence for advisors. That starts with product quality and clarity, because advisors need to feel proud of what they recommend, and clients need to understand what they buy. And we paired it with the strengths of BNP Paribas Cardif as a long-term partner: customized life insurance products, technological capability, and international insurance know-how, so the network could compete with the best bancassurers in Italy, while staying aligned with the cooperative values.

What results best demonstrate the turnaround?

Armando Ponzini: The most telling indicators are commercial traction and customer outcomes. In the first 5 months of 2024 the company reported 300 million euros in gross written premiums with 70 million euros net new cash. At the end of the year, the company reached around 1 billion euros, with a net new cash of 630 million euros. The acceleration continued in 2025 which ended with gross written premiums of more than 1.9 billion euros and a net new cash of 1.5 billion euros. In 2026 acceleration continues. Service is also a strong signal. By September 2025, we had a new assistance setup that answers 98% of calls within 10 seconds, and that changes daily reality for the banks.

How was the plan phased?

Armando Ponzini: Phase 1 was about stabilizing and proving reliability, bringing back the basics: core offer range, product quality, operational performance, tools for the advisors and strong service. Phase 2 is all about improving the customer journey further and making growth sustainable across the whole network. Structurally, the partnership itself is designed to support that long-term ambition: it can be extended to 15 years, and BNP Paribas Cardif has already announced increasing its stake in BCC Vita to 70% and extends its partnership with BCC Iccrea Group for life insurance in Italy to 2039. For the banks, the broader objective remains the same: diversify revenue sources, unify the market approach while maintaining local proximity, and unlock scale, so that life insurance becomes a stronger, more consistent growth driver over time.

 If you had to sum up one key lesson from this first year, what would it be?

Armando Ponzini: Don’t underestimate the basics: trust is operational. You earn it by delivering, day after day, on products, tools, and service. And in networks like ours, where relationships matter, you also earn it by being present, listening, and building the model together.

In this new opinion piece, Nathalie Doré, Chief Impact & Innovation Officer shares her insights on the role of insurer in addressing growing social vulnerabilities.

Corporate social responsibility at the heart of insurance risk pooling

In recent years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has focused on two major areas:

1. incorporating environmental social and governance (ESG) criteria into corporate decision-making
2. Increasing the positive impact of business activities

In insurance, this concept of impact is embedded in our DNA through the principle of risk pooling.
One of the key benefits of risk pooling is accessibility. Without it, the coverage offered by insurance companies would generally be less affordable. By pooling risks, all policyholders share the costs, making insurance coverage more accessible to the most vulnerable members of society.

Prevention: an additional safeguard against social risks

Today, we are frequently warned about the rise in environmental risks and are seeing insurers introduce numerous prevention plans and rightly so. However, it is equally crucial to address social risks, as these are also increasing and can have a lasting impact on individuals and communities. Environmental and social risks are, moreover, often interconnected.

Through their prevention programmes, insurers can play an important role. Take obesity, for example a complex chronic disease that has reached pandemic proportions worldwide. Despite this alarming situation, the World Health Organization maintains that the trend can still be reversed. An analysis of the WHO Acceleration Plan to Stop Obesity shows that prevention measures account for a significant part of the solution.

Such initiatives already exist and have demonstrated their effectiveness, particularly among children, as childhood is when lifestyle habits are formed and when the combined influence of schools and families is especially strong.

Data from trials to which we have contributed show that multi-component school-based interventions combining physical activity, nutrition, health education and parental involvement are particularly effective in preventing excess weight among children in this age group.

Including the most vulnerable by understanding the
different forms of vulnerability

Inclusive involves making insurance products and services designed for people in vulnerable situations accessible thought:

• Affordable pricing
• Specific coverage
• Innovative distribution channels

With the aim of providing them with effective protection.

According to the world health organization, an individual’s’ vulnerability is shaped by physical, social, and environmental factors or process that increase their susceptibility to the impact risks. Three main forms of vulnerability are generally identified

• Health-related
• Social
• Economic vulnerability

For vulnerable populations, access to prevention programmes can provides an additional layer protection. The challenge lies in reaching the most vulnerable.

The insurer’s role is to maximise inclusivity in a complex environment by offering policies that enable people to pursue their life goals. This requires greater access to data, together with its responsible use, in order to avoid excessive personnalisation where this could undermine risk pooling

In the recent years, the insurance industry has made significant progress in developing more inclusive products, particularly in the field of creditor protection insurance. People with aggravated health risks including inflammatory bowel disease, HIV and certain cancers can now obtain coverage that was previously denied or severely restricted.

The AERAS Convention (France) has, of course, played a leading role in extending access to insurance for these groups. But progress does not stop there: several insurers, including BNP Paribas Cardif, are now going beyond the required thresholds, driven by a positive approach designed to serve policyholders’ interests.

In an intermediated distribution model, this goal of inclusion is pursued together with insurance distribution partners. It involves incorporating coverage and services that make protection more effective for end customers while also improving distribution efficiency by limiting refusals and premium surcharges.

Additional mechanisms, such as social action funds, can also provide exceptional support to the most vulnerable populations. If every stakeholder contributes, initiatives that may appear modest at the level of a single company can collectively have a positive impact on society.

Increasing the transparency of insurance offerings

Social inclusion is a central issue because it determines people’s ability to pursue their life goals and contributes to economic and social stability in an uncertain and volatile macroeconomic environment.

Nathalie Doré, Chief Impact & Innovation Officer

Understanding societal challenges and modelling the new risks associated with them enables insurers to ask the right questions: do we currently have the right products to address these risks? If not, how can we adapt them for example, for people experiencing financial vulnerability or facing aggravated health risks?

Maximising insurance’s social impact also requires clear and accessible communication with policyholders. Studies show that there is a strong need for greater education and transparency regarding coverage and policy terms. New online assistants can help people understand insurance products and coverage, provided that they are:

• Free from bias
• Deliver accurate answers
• Handle the data they use appropriately.

Driving progress across the entire market

Continuing to move the market forward requires action across several complementary areas:

1. Making insurance offerings easier to understand.
2. Strengthening prevention
3. Establishing shared industry definitions and standards.

This progress can also be supported by greater market-wide transparency for example, through more systematic reporting of acceptance rates to make improvements visible and encourage increasingly inclusive practices.

By expanding coverage and making protection more effective, the insurance industry will
strengthen its social role over the long term.

The Innovation Ambassadors program, which includes 5 winners among 102 innovative projects submitted from 24 entities worldwide in 2025, shows that innovation can be found everywhere at
BNP Paribas Cardif! 

Briefly introduce yourself

Present your initiative 

The “KYC AML Recertification Automation” project was born from a simple observation:

Our file volumes and regulatory requirements are increasing, while teams are still dedicating a significant portion of their time to repetitive tasks. The challenge was therefore to design a more efficient and scalable process, capable of absorbing this growth while ensuring a high level of quality.

To achieve this, a cross-functional team was formed, bringing together business units, Data, Analytics, IT, and Group stakeholders. On the Data/Analytics side, data scientists developed an AI model to accelerate file processing, fully compliant with the Group’s Analytics governance framework. Close collaboration with all stakeholders including our counterparts at BGL BNP Paribas in Luxembourg enabled us to integrate operational constraints and ensure a deployment perfectly aligned with on-the-ground needs.

How does your initiative correspond to the category won? 

Standardizing the process and automating first-level checks that is, the verifications carried out before any in-depth analysis, like checking the validity of ID documents, the consistency of declared information, etc, helps to harmonize practices, limit manual interventions, and significantly reduce processing time.

This development has strengthened our ability to handle high volumes of files, while maintaining a quality level that meets regulatory requirements. Its distinctive feature lies in the combination of technological innovation (the first AI model for Cardif Lux Vie, a life insurance company.

among the major market players in Luxembourg, belonging to the BGL BNP Paribas Group) and risk management.

The AI model is used as a triage tool to guide the analysis towards files requiring an in-depth review, within a defined governance framework (validation rules, traceability).

What are the next steps for your initiative? 

As part of our ongoing approach, we have identified two main areas:

• First, we’re going to roll out this solution on a larger scale, extending it to cover more complex types of products, especially for the periodic recertification of our contracts. The goal is to speed up review cycles, ensure compliance, and better handle peaks in activity.

• Next, we want to apply this approach to onboarding new clients. Specifically, this means further automating client acceptance and the processing of new operation requests, making the collection of information, document validation, and consistency checks smoother.

What are your tips for innovating at BNP Paribas Cardif? 

You need to dare, test, learn, encourage the sharing of experiences, and above all, hairness the power of collective and intelligence

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Our new video series, Inside the Action, shines a spotlight on key initiatives led by BNP Paribas Cardif employees in France and internationally

Since June 2024, BNP Paribas Cardif and BCC Vita have joined forces in Italy through a long-term partnership, combining international insurance expertise with the local cooperative banking network of the ICCREA Group. In this new edition of Inside the Action, Giulia Galbiati, Chief of Staff at BCC Vita, explains how this collaboration is already delivering tangible results while laying the groundwork for future growth.

A Winning Alliance for Italian Insurance This partnership is built on complementary strengths.

• BCC Vita enhances its offering through BNP Paribas Cardif’s international expertise
• BNP Paribas Cardif expands its presence in Italy via a trusted network of local banks, reaching more customers.

It’s a win-win collaboration: we combine local proximity with global innovation for more effective insurance.

Giulia Galbiati, Chief of Staff, BCC Vita

Concrete Results from the First Months Teams have quickly implemented operational improvements :

• Expanded product range to meet diverse customer needs.
• Simplified sales processes for smoother subscriptions.
• Strengthened customer support for an optimized experience.

A Long-Term Vision for Insurance in Italy Designed to last, this partnership evolves alongside BCC Vita’s strategic plan, aiming to :

• Develop innovative solutions tailored to the Italian market.
• Unlock the full potential of this unique collaboration.
• Support BNP Paribas Cardif’s growth in Italy while driving BCC Vita’s transformation.

With BNP Paribas Cardif, we are building a new dynamic for insurance in Italy, benefiting customers and banking partners alike.

Giulia Galbiati, Chief of Staff, BCC Vita

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The 10th edition of VivaTech, Europe’s leading event dedicated to technology and start-ups, took place in Paris from 17-20 June, 2026.

For BNP Paribas Cardif, this new edition was the opportunity to connect with the global innovation ecosystem, with the ambition to explore and engage in discussions around the technologies that will shape the future of insurance and better meet our partners’ and their clients’ needs.

Over the course of these four days, our guests (partners and collaborators) had the opportunity to engage with entrepreneurs, decision-makers and experts on today’s key technological challenges, such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare and digital sovereignty.

What to take away from BNP Paribas Cardif’s presence at Vivatech ? 🚀

BNP Paribas Cardif led two keynote sessions which allowed the insurer to showcase its expertise in artificial intelligence and power to transform insurance and banking services.

An AI at the service of financial advice

One of the key takeaways from this talk: AI is not replacing humans, it is empowering them. Through automation and data analysis, advisors can save time, reduce errors and focus more on what truly matters: supporting clients and understanding their needs.

This partnership between BNP Paribas Cardif and Ploovers also highlights the importance of balancing:
⚡ the agility and innovation of a startup
🏛️ the robustness and expertise of a leading global insurer
🤝 a shared ambition to create greater value for clients

A fascinating discussion on practical, responsible and human-centered AI.

Concrete use cases throughout the customer journey

AI is no longer just another technology feature; it is reshaping the way financial institutions operate, serve customers, fit partners needs and adapt to evolving expectations as Agentic AI is fundamentally transforming their communication and consumption patterns.

The innovation challenges of tomorrow’s insurance?

👟 The Cardif Lab’ organized several guided tours for different invited stakeholders (partners, ExCom and top management), each time offering them personalized journeys. Among these visits, one of the highlights was the one organized for collaborators’ teenagers so they could discover innovation in a fun and inspiring way.

This guided tours explored some of the most inspiring innovations shaping the future of tech, AI and customer experience. It was such an inspiring moment to connect with emerging trends already transforming insurance:

👉 generative AI
👉 agentic AI
👉 large-scale automation
👉 new digital uses redefining customer expectations and distribution models


🏆 Our Innovation Ambassadors were honored with an award in recognition of their commitment to promoting innovation at BNP Paribas Cardif, it makes it even more meaningful, as there is no better place to celebrate innovation and the people driving it forward.

Why has AI become a strategic lever for BNP Paribas Cardif?

At BNP Paribas Cardif, we are convinced that artificial intelligence is a major opportunity to accelerate our transformation, strengthen the value we bring to our partners and customers, and simplify the everyday work for our teams.

With nearly 100 AI use cases already in production, we have built strong foundations to scale further. As an insurer, our ambition is clear: to position BNP Paribas Cardif as a leading player in cutting-edge, responsible and secure AI solutions.

This transformation builds on a long-standing commitment to enhancing customer experience through technology while maintaining the highest standards to meet growing expectations.

Because the human dimension is the heart of the insurance profession, AI is seen as a powerful enabler not a replacement.

A successful and meaningful event ✨
VivaTech 2026  was the occasion for BNP Paribas Cardif to:
✅ strengthen its positioning as an actor committed to innovation
✅ develop its relationships with tech ecosystems, start-ups and partners
✅ illustrate concretely how technology can improve the customer experience
✅ inspire employees and younger generations by opening the doors to innovation

Joint mortgages are becoming an increasingly popular route to home ownership in Japan, but they expose couples to a structural gap: traditional mortgage CPI (Creditor Protection Insurance) typically protects only one borrower, leaving the other party’s repayments at risk if life takes an unexpected turn.

Shoichiro Fukushima, Group Leader of Promotion Planning in the Mortgage Loan Business Development Department at, Mortgage Loan business Unit at PayPay Bank, and Yasuko Yokoyama, Chief Manager in Strategic Partnership for BNP Paribas Cardif in Japan, look back on how they joined forces to fill this gap and provided PayPay Bank a highly successful entry into the very competitive Japanese mortgage market.

As a digital bank expanding into mortgages, why did you need to gain a strong foothold in this segment?

Shoichiro Fukushima (PayPay Bank) : PayPay Bank entered the mortgage market as a latecomer, so we knew that simple matching the competition or competing on price would not be enough. We needed a strong, differentiated positioning, and we believed, the most effective way to achieve this was to address the emerging social realities directly. That is why we were keen to work with BNP Paribas Cardif in Japan on the industry’s first(*). Joint Mortgage CPI, bringing a new and meaningful value proposition to mortgage customers.

What were the social issues you identified and how did it translate into a mortgage-related offer?

Shoichiro Fukushima : We observed a steady rise in joint mortgages, driven by increasing property prices and growing number of dual-income households. Yet conventional mortgage CPI typically covers only the insured borrower’s share of loan. If a serious illness such as cancer or others occurs during the repayment period, the other party’s repayments can also become difficult. We felt it was essential to provide protection to people to reduce this shared risk. The idea also came from the front line: our sales teams raised the question, whether such a product could be created, based on what they were hearing from customers.

What is joint mortgage CPI, and what makes it a first in Japan?

Yasuko Yokoyama (BNP Paribas Cardif in Japan) : A joint mortgage is a borrowing arrangement in which two or more people – typically a married couple – each take out a mortgage loan for the same property and act as joint guarantors for each other. In Japan, this structure is commonly known as a “Pair Loan”. With conventional CPI, only the insured person’s portion of loan is covered, leaving the other party’s debt unprotected. Joint mortgage CPI is the first product in Japan designed so that, if one borrower is affected by an unexpected event, the outstanding balance of both borrowers is covered together.

How does the product work in real-life scenarios for couples?

Yasuko Yokoyama :The coverage is designed to respond to a wide range of life-altering situations. If one partner dies, is diagnosed with a prescribed severe disability, or with cancer, the total outstanding balance for both parties can be reduced to zero. If a borrower is hospitalized on a repayment date due to illness or injury, the monthly repayment for both parties is covered. And if hospitalization continues for more than 12 months, the full remaining balance for both parties can also be reduced to zero.

What did each partner bring to make this possible?

Shoichiro Fukushima : We contributed the product concept, based on what we observed in the market and our understanding of the social issues our customers face. We know our customers well and we listen closely to their needs. As a digital bank, we are constantly looking for new ways to identify and address the existing gaps.

Yasuko Yokoyama : BNP Paribas Cardif in Japan with its expertise contributed in rapid co-development and in reducing the administrative burden on CPI through customized operational schemes, including responding to inquiries at call centers on weekends and direct customer response when accepting claims. We also designed a fast underwriting process supported by an automated engine, with strong focus on providing prompt and accurate responses to inquiries and consultations from the partner bank.

What early signals suggest the product is gaining traction, and what comes next?

Shoichiro Fukushima : PayPay Bank was the first in the industry to introduce joint mortgage CPI which quickly helped establish it as a reference point in this area. Since launch, the utilization rate of our joint mortgages increased by 10%, contributing directly to improved profitability. Looking ahead, with property prices continuing to rise and more young customers relying on joint mortgages, we plan to keep co-developing products that meet their evolving needs.

Yasuko Yokoyama : On our side, we are already exploring further co-development opportunities, with a clear focus on making insurance more accessible. We also place greater emphasis on stimulating CPI needs, and to continue delivering new and innovative products and solutions to support PayPay Bank’s mortgage growth.

(*) Based on research by PayPay Bank (as of March 2024)

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The Innovation Ambassadors program, which includes 5 winners among 102 innovative projects submitted from 24 entities worldwide in 2025, shows that innovation can be found everywhere at
BNP Paribas Cardif! 

Briefly introduce yourself

Stéphane
Indicar was born from a simple observation: there is an expertise imbalance between professional sellers and private buyers of used vehicles. Our goal is to democratize access to technical data, such as reliability, parts prices, and risk of damages, to make private purchases safer.

Charles
Today, Indicar comes in several technical solutions for our partners, including a widget and an API. The widget integrates very quickly, in just a few hours. And the API version allows our partners to maintain control over their editorial line. Indicar is also an online demonstrator designed as a sales support tool for Icare’s sales team and our prospects.

How does your initiative correspond to the category won? 

Stéphane
From the beginning, we involved the client in our process. We built Indicar in 3 key steps:

• Step 1 : After a 2-week Design Sprint, we presented mock-ups to about ten passersby on the street to validate our ideas.
• Step 2 : We created a mini-site that attracted over 4,000 visitors to test user interest and gather feedback. The conversion rate was very high, allowing us to get an internal GO to continue.

Charles

• Step 3 : We created an MVP developed in agile mode. This incubation stage at Bivwak was very intense. Every two weeks, we organized presentations for internal and external partners to share the progress of the developments, gather their feedback, and integrate their requests into the solution. This allowed us to quickly create concrete use cases, aligned with their needs.

We owe Indicar’s success to cross-functional collaboration between Icare’s Data, Marketing, and Operations teams and to the methodological expertise of the Cardif Lab team.
In summary, Indicar embodies the spirit of innovation driven by the client and the partner.

What are the next steps for your initiative? 

Stéphane
After being the first widget integrated on Cardif’s API Store, Indicar’s API is now live with a partner in Portugal and we are in discussions to extend it to other partners and other regions

Charles
On the development side, we continue to refine the tool based on field feedback, to maximize its impact and adoption.

What are your tips for innovating at BNP Paribas Cardif? 

Stéphane
My advice?
Find a concrete problem to solve for your clients, your partners, or your colleagues. Start small and quickly to validate your hypotheses where to focus, and find an internal sponsor who believes in your initiative.

Charles
For me, innovation at BNP and Icare goes through the involvement of all professions. It is necessary to share as much information as possible, involve as many people as possible to bring out ideas, and above all, exchange a lot. Feedback from partners and other departments brings perspectives that we do not always have internally. Sharing and collaboration are key!

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The Innovation Ambassadors program, which includes 5 winners among 102 innovative projects submitted from 24 entities worldwide in 2025, shows that innovation can be found everywhere at
BNP Paribas Cardif!

Briefly introduce yourself

Hello, we are Matías González and Jaime Ahumada from Chile, and we are part of the CarBoosting team, a project recognized through the Innovation Ambassadors program at BNP Paribas Cardif.

We are passionate about innovation and collaboration as key drivers to improve customer experience and create real value for the company. Our work sits at the intersection of data, technology, and business, where we focus on solving complex challenges through teamwork and analytical thinking.

Being part of CarBoosting has allowed us to combine structure with creativity, always keeping the customer at the center of our decisions. We strongly believe that innovation happens when diverse perspectives come together around a shared purpose.

Present your initiative 

CarBoosting is an AI-driven initiative designed to improve car insurance pricing in Chile, with the aim of making insurance more accessible, fair, and customer-centric.

The project emerged from a business need to identify pricing inefficiencies using data. By combining business knowledge, advanced analytics, and strong cross-functional collaboration, the team developed a model that rebalances premiums more equitably—reducing costs for overpaying customers while adjusting prices for those below the portfolio average.

This collaborative approach enabled a fast transition from concept to implementation.

For BNP Paribas Cardif, CarBoosting delivers a more competitive pricing strategy, stronger risk management, and a scalable solution that can be adapted to other markets and partners.

How does your initiative correspond to the category won?

CarBoosting perfectly reflects the Leading Innovation in AI category. It showcases how AI can be applied not only to optimize performance, but also to promote fairness, transparency, and customer value. What makes this project particularly distinctive is its scalability and adaptability.

The solution is designed to evolve and be deployed in other partners, making it a long term strategic asset. More importantly, it demonstrates how AI can be used responsibly to support both business objectives and customer trust.

What are the next steps for your initiative?

Looking ahead, our next step is to scale CarBoosting to other partners in Chile and explore its use in other markets across the region. At the same time, we are continuing to enhance the model by incorporating new data sources and improving its performance.

From the auto insurance perspective, our ambition is to ensure that the initiative remains relevant, impactful, and future ready.

What are your tips for innovating at BNP Paribas Cardif? 

Be open to new ideas and perspectives, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

True innovation happens through collaboration across teams, always keeping the customer at the center.

Our new video series, Inside The Action, shines a spotlight on key initiatives led by BNP Paribas Cardif employees in France and internationally.

We give a voice to those who embody the values of commitment and innovation in their daily work at BNP Paribas Cardif. Each episode delves into the heart of these collective achievements and highlights those who actively contribute to the company’s ongoing transformation.

In this new episode of Inside the Action, Shiketsu Gi, Product Manager at BNP Paribas Cardif in Japan, introduces the rollout of an unprecedented mental health coverage for borrowers in Japan.

According to a Japanese study conducted in 2020, 40% of work absences among young professionals have been linked to psychological disorders, our teams have developed a tailored protection solution to address these emerging societal challenges.

Shiketsu Gi’s testimony highlights BNP Paribas Cardif’s commitment to making insurance more human-centered and accessible to all.

With more than 1,800 integrated retail and banking stores and 9 million personal loans issued each year, the Mexican retailer Coppel serves a broad, often underserved, modest-income customer base across Mexico. Any embedded protection offer must therefore be both trustworthy for customers and robust enough to operate smoothly at very high volumes.

Javier Tagle Hernandez and Felipe Vila (respectively Corporate Director of Business Banking at BanCoppel and Head of Insurance at Coppel), and Olivier Calandreau, CEO, of BNP Paribas Cardif in Mexico explain how they co-developed an embedded creditor protection insurance (CPI) offer shaped by customer expectations of simplicity, transparency and support when something happens. They also share how delivering on that promise required a high-performing operating and technology backbone, validated through a pilot phase before being rolled out at scale.

Q1. What made CPI particularly necessary for your customers?

Javier Tagle Hernandez (Coppel): We are very close to our customers. They visit our stores every week. We serve hard-working families, often with diverse income streams that depend on day-to-day activity. When something unexpected happens, such as an illness, an accident, the loss of the household’s main provider, the impact is immediate. Our customers therefore need loan protection that is easy to understand, and in case of a claim, gives them confidence that they will be guided and supported.

Q2. Why is trust so central to Coppel?

Felipe Vila (Coppel): Coppel has built trust over decades. Customers rely on us because they know that if we offer a product, we will support them and not leave them on their own. Insurance is no different: they expect the same Coppel experience at every touchpoint, and they expect the promise to be fulfilled when it matters most.

Q3. How did you work together to design this offer?

Felipe Vila: We started with a genuine listening exercise including customer focus groups, benchmarking and in-depth customer analysis- BNP Paribas Cardif went on that journey with us. We then built the offer around customer needs. But the product is only the starting point: the real challenge is to deliver on the promise across the entire journey, including questions, complaints and claims, in a way that fits how customers actually interact with Coppel.

Olivier Calandreau (BNP Paribas Cardif in Mexico): Everything started with the customer and the loan. With modest and often irregular income – including many self-employed people – eligibility and coverage must avoid leaving parts of the customer base uncovered. That’s why we also designed benefits beyond covering the outstanding balance, because in this segment there is often no safety net if income suddenly stops.

Q4. What did co-creation mean in practice?

Olivier Calandreau: Co-creation only works if it responds to both customer and partner needs. Coppel’s “Mejora tu vida” (improve your life) motto reflects a broader ambition around financial inclusion that resonates closely with BNP Paribas Cardif’s mission. We believe protection can make that promise more tangible by preserving stability and peace of mind for families when life shocks occur.

Javier Tagle Hernandez: For us, co-creation starts with the partner. BNP Paribas Cardif has been working with us for a long time – they visit our stores, and they understand our customers. This was not an off-the-shelf offer. They went deeper to build something our customers can afford, with simplicity embedded throughout the process.

Q5. Where did you “go the extra mile” in the offer design?

Felipe Vila: Many CPI products are primarily designed to protect the lender. In this case, we designed a proposition that also delivers direct value to the customers, with life benefit paid to the families and coverage designed to help them “land on their feet” when hardship occurs.

Olivier Calandreau: We included income-disruption scenarios, with partial payments in cases of unemployment or temporary disability to secure the loan while also supporting the family. We also added complementary services during unemployment, such as discounts and mental health assistance, recognizing how challenging that period can be.

Q6. What did you have to build technically to make it work at Coppel’s scale?

Olivier Calandreau: BNP Paribas Cardif is upgrading its core IT capacities through a new digital program and Mexico is one the pioneers in the LATAM region. With 9 million new personal loans issued each year, we needed a platform that is robust, fast, and secure, with tight system integration. API-based connectivity allows us to monitor activity daily, down to store level, and significantly improves risk monitoring.

Felipe Vila: The “magic” happens behind the scenes. Claims and services require deep data integration between Coppel and BNP Paribas Cardif. The way our system connects enables a better customer experience when it matters the most, with faster response times and smoother support.

Q7. What are the first signals from the pilot?

Felipe Vila: The pilot helped validate customer experience and identify process adjustments, as integration at this scale is complex. We are now preparing to expand the solution to more stores to continue testing the post-sales and, as claims volumes grow, to assess the claims journey more extensively. Early indicators are encouraging: there have been no complaints so far, and adoption by advisors – our first internal users – has been strong once they understood the proposition and how it supports their daily conversations with customers.

Q8. What comes next for the partnership?

Olivier Calandreau: This is only the beginning. The platform is modular, designed to accelerate the development of more products faster, with a strong focus on security and the protection of customer data as cyber risks continue to grow. We also plan to progressively extend coverage, moving from the initial retail scope to a broader perimeter, while continuing to enhance the customer journey.

Javier Tagle Hernandez: We expect the collaboration to further deepen. The BNP Paribas Cardif team is helping us better understand our clients and the most effective way to give them access to protection that truly fits their needs.

Felipe Vila: We have been partners for several years. But we are no longer just selling a product. We are building an experience around the customer journey – and that is how you build trust in insurance and long-term loyalty to the brand.