How The Parlour Group Strengthened Cash Flow and Earned Rewards with CardUp

About the Parlour Group

The Parlour Group, originally founded as Pink Parlour, has grown into a regional beauty powerhouse across Singapore, Indonesia and Philippines under its holding company, Pinklestar.

With a mission to make beauty services affordable and accessible, its brands,  including Pink Parlour, Sugar Wax, and Just Wax, focus on treatments like hair removal, spray tanning, slimming, and body contouring. Beyond beauty, their purpose is clear: helping customers and staff build confidence through affordable services.

The Challenge 

For over a decade, The Parlour Group managed its operations with a traditional model - paying business expenses such as rent, payroll, and taxes via bank transfers. While this kept the business running, it also created significant challenges: 

• Restricted cash flow flexibility: Since all large expenses had to be paid immediately by bank transfer, cash reserves were quickly depleted, leaving little room to reinvest in new equipment or expansion.

• Limited access to extended payment terms: Vendors did not accept credit card payments directly, restricting The Parlour Group’s ability to leverage pre-approved credit on corporate credit cards to extend payment cycles and better manage cashflow.
• Missed opportunity to earn rewards: With major recurring expenses paid by bank transfers, The Parlour Group was unable to capture air miles or other benefits that could have maximised value from existing outflows.
  

“The pandemic brought significant challenges to our Singapore operations. With CardUp, we were able to manage cash flow effectively, regroup with confidence, and emerge stronger than before.”

Derrick Seeto, Founder, The Parlour Group

The Solution: CardUp 

The Parlour Group adopted CardUp to channel recurring large business  expenses, especially monthly rent, through credit cards.

Key benefits included:

• Cash flow supercharged: Leveraging pre-approved credit on corporate credit cards allowed the business to extend working capital by 30 to 40 days, freeing up cash reserves to reinvest in growth and expansion 
  
  
• Vendor flexibility: Enabled The Parlour Group to pay suppliers who typically did not accept credit cards. This opened up a wider pool of vendors to choose from, reducing dependency on a few.
  
  
• Miles maximisation: Large, recurring expenses were transformed into rewards. By routing these unavoidable payments through credit cards, the Group accrued air miles that could be redeemed for future travel, turning operational costs into tangible savings.
  
  
• Operational Efficiency: With CardUp’s automated scheduling, streamlined backend processes, and reduced administrative load, the finance team saved time and stress, allowing them to focus more on strategic priorities instead of manual payment tasks.

Results

The impact of CardUp on The Parlour Group’s business has been significant:

• Cash flow resilience: Extended payment terms freed up cash reserves, enabling consistent operations even during pandemic downturns. With more cash on hand, The Parlour Group could channel funds into growth initiatives and business expansion.
  
  
• Negotiation leverage: Better terms with vendors and landlords, backed by timely payments.
  
  
• Substantial savings: Equivalent of 4 business class tickets annually, worth S$15,000–25,000 a year.
  
  Confidence & control: Peace of mind in meeting recurring obligations with less stress.

The Parlour Group’s story is a clear example of how smarter payment management can drive real business growth. By leveraging CardUp, they not only improved cash flow and strengthened vendor relationships but also turned everyday business expenses into meaningful rewards.

Want to unlock the same advantages for your business?
Speak to our team to discover how CardUp can help you streamline payments, extend terms, and maximise every dollar spent.