Moreover, we maximized opportunities for communication, notably through digital tools. Our email communications were more regular to provide you updated information about your Group with, for example, news flashes regarding our response to Covid-19. Our newsletter was redesigned and its frequency increased to allow you to get to know Air Liquide and its various businesses better. Your Stock & Share webzine also offered more content, on subjects relating to both your life as a shareholder and that of the Group. Finally, we maintained the traditional communication tools to which you are particularly attached: the Interactions letter (published twice a year), the Shareholder's Guide and the Shareholder's Factsheets.
The digitization underway at Air Liquide is also shaping our relationship with shareholders. Your personal online Account allows you to carry out routine operations twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week: changing your contact details, downloading your accountrelated documents, accessing the resolutions proposed at the Annual General Meeting, placing your Stock market orders at a reduced brokerage rate(1). This year, it has been your key ally in your shareholding life.
We have improved our internal tools to provide a better customer experience when you call our toll-free number. Your advisors are therefore more efficient and able to provide you with even better tailor-made answers.
And we are committed to continuing to improve our digital services: new features expected in 2021 include the ergonomic redesign of the personal online Account, for easier, more dynamic and intuitive navigation on your computer, smartphone or tablet.
Head of Shareholder Services’ Project Division
At the end of 2020, the personal online Account was give a makeover. This is the most visible part of a program launched in 2017 to completely overhaul Shareholder Services. We have reviewed our working habits, our tools, listened to the expectations of our stakeholders (shareholders, Shareholders' Communication Committee, employees), and launched several projects at the same time to improve services for shareholders.
We decided to start with the less visible, but key, changes to meet the need expressed by our shareholders for an even more tailor-mad relationship. Today, when advisors answer the phone to a shareholder, they have access, via a single interface, to all of his or her information: civil status, account statement, stock market orders, overview of requests made, letters, emails and telephone calls. Facilitating account opening and allowing shareholders to carry out a maximum of operations online have also been two key projects within this program. These changes have had a major impact this year, as 80% of the individual accounts opened in 2020 were opened online and 85% of stock market orders were placed online. Finally, as mentioned earlier, the personal online Account has been modernized to be clearer, easy-to-use and to offer even more services. And we do not intent to stop there. Further changes will be made during the months ahead, all of which focus on making shareholder's lives easier, based on their comments.
(1) Reduced brokerage rate of 0.10% before tax instead of 0.18% before tax for purchases paid by SEPA automatic debit (for accounts domiciled in the SEPA zone) or by bank card (up to 3,000 euros). Subject to having signed an account agreement. Only applicable to accounts with full ownership.
