Not All Integrations Are Created Equal

It’s crucial to partner with someone who has the right experience, technology, and skills to meet your specific needs.

For Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), integrating payment processing into your software can be transformative, offering a range of business advantages, such as higher ROI, better customer retention, and improved conversion rates—not just for ISVs, but also for resellers, merchants, and end users.

Key Considerations:

Prioritize a Secure Payment Interface:

Cybersecurity remains a top concern for merchants and their customers. Each time a customer is redirected to a third-party processor, there’s a risk that their sensitive financial information could be compromised.

Semi-integrated Solutions:

Opting for a semi-integrated approach removes you from the scope of PCI-DSS compliance. By selecting a certified partner, you won’t need to constantly update your software. The best integration partners handle the compliance workload, keeping you PCI certified while automatically updating SSL/TLS/HTTPS without requiring action from POS developers. An in-scope solution can be costly, and the card data still resides within the software, placing the responsibility on the developer to stay current with PCI DSS standards.

Cloud Integration:

Leveraging cloud integration offers companies full access to and visibility of their data. Cloud-based payment solutions also provide enhanced security measures, like tokenization and encryption, to help safeguard sensitive payment data against fraud and breaches. Overall, cloud-based payment solutions offer software developers a simple, secure, and scalable method for integrating payment processing into their software, enhancing the user experience and driving business growth.

Enhanced User Experience:

A well-integrated payment solution delivers a smooth user experience. Seek out partners who can provide multiple payment endpoint options.

Generate Additional Revenue and Boost Valuation:

By incorporating payment functionality, ISVs can generate extra revenue and differentiate their software from competitors.

Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Partner:

Does the integrator meet your core needs?

It’s advisable to have a discovery call with your integrator to outline the product features you need supported. These might include P2PE, gift cards, EBT, PIN debit, tokenization, Pay at the Table, hosted payment pages, and host capture. You may also want to add your app to their marketplace. Set clear expectations and ensure your integration partner can meet all your requirements before going live.

What protocols are available?

Check if they offer an open API and whether REST API is an option. REST API is simple, user-friendly, and speeds up the process, allowing you to complete the code in just a few days.

What kind of support should you expect?

Look for a dedicated support team with quick response times. Ask if they provide Tier 2 software engineer support for more complex projects.

What is their industry experience?

Find out how long they have been in the business and how mature their product is. Also, inquire about the number of live sites using their solution.

How committed are they to ongoing R&D?

Ask about the percentage of their team involved in product development. How often do they release updates and enhancements based on customer feedback?

One and Done Code:

With the right integration partner, you won’t need to recode for every processor and device. Look for a turnkey solution to reduce the need for development resources.

Is the integrator host agnostic?

Choose a partner who isn’t locked into a single processor, but instead offers the widest range of host platforms.

Is the integrator OS agnostic?

Ideally, the integrator should support multiple operating systems, including iOS, Android, Windows, Linux, and embedded systems.

Does your integration provider offer an omnichannel solution?

Seek a provider that allows you to accept payments across multiple endpoints. The main advantage of an omnichannel solution is that it gives you total control over transactions.

What hardware payment device options do they offer?

Ensure the partner you choose supports the latest technological trends like Android. Android devices offer fast speeds, an intuitive interface, better graphics, high reliability (with less than 1% failure rate), and multitasking capabilities. Look for a range of form factors to suit all merchant environments and use cases, including countertop, handheld, wireless, Pay at the Table, mPOS (mobile), and tap-on-phone options.

Does your current integration partner rely on a single supplier?

Consider what would happen if they run out of stock, as many did during the pandemic. It’s wise to select a partner with multiple manufacturers who can meet your needs.