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Huvo launched in 2011 with a mission to make fire safety products more accessible online. From those early days, the business has evolved into a trusted provider for the fire and security industry.
With ambitions to become the most human-centred voice in the industry, Huvo prioritises people over automation. From hosting hands-on workshops to pre-programming systems before shipping, the team’s biggest aim is always to guide every customer with expertise and care.
We spoke with co-founder Tariq El-Hoss, who shared Huvo’s journey from a kitchen-table startup to a sector leader, and PayPal’s role in helping Huvo get paid.
Huvo’s biggest early challenge was customer trust. Unlike low-cost ecommerce purchases, fire and security products are high-value, high-stakes investments. Convincing professional installers to part with thousands of pounds through an online store meant overcoming credibility hurdles, fast.
Tariq El-Hoss, Co-Founder, Huvo
A further challenge was that, as the business scaled, so did the operational pressures – such as maintaining stock levels for same-day dispatch across an ever-expanding product range. Doing this successfully demanded substantial funds.
A final challenge was ensuring Huvo could serve its customers beyond ecommerce. Many of its sales are done via phone call, so it also needs an easy-to-use terminal to support this.
To solve these challenges, Huvo needed payments technology that was simultaneously easy to use, trusted, and able to meet the diverse needs of customers. Unfortunately, it found most providers only excelled in one or two areas. Having one provider that could securely handle card payments, digital wallets, BNPL and phone-based orders was crucial to enabling scale without creating complexity across reconciliation and reporting.
Tariq El-Hoss, Co-Founder
Huvo chose PayPal to help solve the complex challenges of building trust, improving cash flow, and managing multi-channel payments.
The decision was rooted in their personal confidence in the brand, having used PayPal as consumers themselves. They knew their buyers – often busy installers making large purchases under time pressure – would recognise and trust the security of the PayPal name.
Huvo now uses a mix of PayPal products in its stack, including PayPal Pay Later1, the Zettle POS terminal, and PayPal’s virtual terminal. With PayPal providing the foundation, Huvo has also integrated Apple Pay and Google Pay.
This payment stack helped solve Huvo’s core challenges and drive growth. PayPal Pay Later is particularly valuable for supporting larger orders by offering flexible financing options. Meanwhile, the Zettle terminal and virtual terminal let Huvo’s sales team manage phone orders with ease. “Having one partner who can deliver everything we need is key, because having a lot of different partners would be difficult to manage,” says Tariq. “PayPal gives us the range we need, all in one place – and it’s all simple to use.’
According to Tariq, the biggest benefit of using PayPal is the trust it generates. For high-value transactions, seeing the PayPal badge helps reassure Huvo’s customers – many of whom are sole traders or independent contractors who may be placing an order from a van on the way to a job site.
Another major impact is the ease created in day-to-day operations. Getting paid couldn’t be simpler. For example, the virtual terminal has made phone orders far easier to manage, allowing the team to take card payments securely in real time or request payment by issuing digital payment links. And it’s not just employees who benefit – features like guest checkout reduce friction, helping busy customers make their purchases quickly and smoothly.
Tariq El-Hoss, Co-Founder, Huvo
The team also report that “faster availability of funds has been a game-changer for our cash flow management. Rather than waiting several days for payments to be transferred, we can quickly reinvest funds back into stock purchases and operations.” This is particularly important for Huvo, as they strive to ensure availability of stock holding across a growing product range.
With the credibility of a trusted payment ecosystem and flexible options that scale with the business, Huvo is better positioned than ever to serve its professional installer base. As Huvo grows its product lines and educational services, PayPal will remain a key enabler – helping them stay fast, responsive, and human-first as they grow.
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