Revolutionising insurance digital distribution through platforms in Latin America
As the Latin American insurance market undergoes rapid digitalisation, BNP Paribas Cardif is leading the way with its new Insurance Distribution Platform (IDP). Designed for agility, speed, and scalability, IDP is already transforming the way insurance is distributed across the region. From banking and consumer finance to retail and automotive industries, the platform empowers BNP Paribas Cardif’s partners to deploy customised insurance solutions with unprecedented speed and ease.
Pierre-Henri Zoller, Deputy CEO of BNP Paribas Cardif in Latin America, gives his view on the way IDP works, its impact, and the ambitious vision of insurance-as-a-service behind it.
What exactly is IDP, and why is it such a significant innovation?
Pierre-Henri Zoller:
Our distribution platform IDP represents a radical shift towards Insurance-as-a-Service. It’s a fully modular, API-first platform that integrates effortlessly with our distribution partners’ digital ecosystems. What makes it truly innovative is the speed and flexibility it offers. Launch timelines have moved from several months to just a few weeks and that’s a game-changer in a fast-moving market like Latin America.
Beyond technology, IDP also changes the way we think about partnerships. It gives our partners the right tools to tailor insurance offers to their needs, to manage claims, to monitor performance, and optimise the entire journey of their customers in real time—all within a single, unified platform.
What makes this platform stand out compared to traditional distribution insurance schemes?
Pierre-Henri Zoller:
Actually, two things: scalability and end-to-end integration. With IDP, we cover the entire insurance lifecycle—pre-sales, sales, after-sales, and claims management. And we do it in a way that’s completely transparent, thanks to real-time dashboards and data insights. It’s not just about simplifying processes, it’s about giving our partners complete control over the products and visibility.
We also designed it to be easily understandable and usable, true to our mission to make insurance more accessible. Whether our partner is a bank, a fintech, an automotive group, or a retailer, the platform adapts to their requirements. And because IDP is modular, we can roll out just the pieces our partners need, when they need them.
What products does IDP support, and how does it help BNP Paribas Cardif’s partners stand out?
Pierre-Henri Zoller:
The platform supports a wide range of products: creditor protection insurance (CPI), life, health, property & casualty, and home insurance. But what is truly differentiating is that it gives our partners the ability to launch and adapt products quickly. That is where lies its real value.
We provide ready-to-use templates and pre-configured APIs, so even complex insurance products can be deployed fast, without heavy development work. This helps our partners remain agile, test new offerings, and fine-tune them based on real-time feedback.
How has IDP performed in real-life deployments?
Pierre-Henri Zoller:
Our pilot in Colombia was extremely promising. We managed to integrate seamlessly with local IT systems, which proved the platform’s agility and adaptability. It gave us a blueprint for regional expansion—and we are now actively rolling it out in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, and Peru.
We have already observed efficiency gains, faster time-to-market, and better alignment with customer expectations. It also had a positive impact on compliance and data governance, thanks to its built-in monitoring tools.
What does the future look like for IDP in Latin America?
Pierre-Henri Zoller:
By 2026, we plan to make IDP the backbone of our insurance distribution across the region. It’s not just a tool,it’s a strategic enabler. It helps our partners accelerate their digital transformation, improves customer satisfaction, and strengthens our position as a leading digital player. In a landscape where agility defines success, IDP enables us all to stay ahead of the curve.