How do I get payment integration into my website?

You're trying to run a business and it’s hard enough as it is, especially in our current economic environment. The last thing you want to worry about is how your payment system works. You just want to be able to take payments from consumers so they’re happy and you get your money quickly and efficiently. The in-between isn’t as important. 

One of the best ways you can provide a seamless, efficient environment is by using payment integration with your website. Here, we’ll take a look at what integrated payments are, how they can help you and how you can get them on your website to grow your business.

(Want to fasttrack payment integration? A free Swipesum consultation can help you get started today!)

What is payment integration?

Payment integration helps make your customers’ experience much better. Integration means your payment processor is connected to your business point-of-sale system. When you integrate this functionality to a website or mobile app, you create a seamless, easy experience for consumers. In essence, your customer's payment system is embedded within your SaaS system with no middlemen. 

This has a few obvious advantages:

• Speed: Integrated payment systems often function faster than forcing your customers to hop to a third party site to submit a payment and then handshake back to your website. Additionally, you’ll get your money faster because it’s already right there in the system with no intermediary.
• Aesthetics: Integrated payment systems look better because customers don’t have to leave your website to use them. No loading screens, no changing pages or URLs. Just a clean experience.
• Security: This varies widely from vendor to vendor but broadly speaking, the fewer moving parts you have, the more secure your payment experience is. If your customers don’t have to hop to another site to make a payment, there’s one less vector of attack for those who would look to take advantage of you and your customers.

There are a few negatives to keep in mind as well.

• Setup: Starting a new business process of any kind can be difficult and integration is no different. You’ll have to work closely with your chosen vendor and have the technical know-how to make the changes required to your website. This can be a daunting and, possibly expensive, experience. 
• Higher fees: Integrated payment systems often charge higher fees. Factor in that you’re already being charged 2-3% per transaction and may have to pay more for recurring or subscription payments and the dollars can add up quickly

• Important note! Swipesum excels at identifying areas of your payment system that are costing you money. We can help you reduce fees while keeping a quick, efficient payment system for your customers.

• Development fees: An integrated payment system has to work directly with your system so at times there may be a need to update or develop aspects of that relationship. This isn’t the case with a non-integrated system where a customer would be redirected to a different website for payment since the two are separate and only joined by an API.

So how do I do it?

‍Find a vendor

There is a huge variety of integrated payment vendors out there. As with all decisions, get multiple proposals and compare your needs versus the various companies. Some things to look for might be the ability to contact customer service anytime. If you’re a smaller company, you may want a partner that will do some of the development work for you. Additionally, make sure that the vendor you’re working with accepts the payments that your customers use. 

There are several integrations you might want to consider:

• Shopify
• Woocommerce
• Netsuite
• Salesforce

Make a plan

Integrating payments into your website and accounting system isn’t something you decide to do and then go for it. Payment integration needs to be meticulously planned in conjunction with your chosen partner. After all, you’re talking about the way you get money for your goods or services; not generally something you want to mess around with willy nilly.

Ensure that your chosen vendor is well organized and presents a plan to you before beginning. It's also a good idea to ensure you have a single point of contact during your implementation to answer any questions and provide assistance. Remember, if you can’t do the integration yourself, Swipesume can help. Our engineering team will integrate any provider into the software of your choice.

‍Communicate

If you’re updating or upgrading your current payment system, your customers may be faced with something new. Warn them far in advance of your planned go live date. It’s good to frame the outage as an upgrade or “making the process better” for the customer. Some vendors will be able to assist you with porting existing user accounts though you will likely pay for this service.

‍Get going!

Once you’ve found a payment integration solution it's time to get rolling. If you’re doing the development in house, make sure your team is set to go. If you’re working with a vendor to help you, ensure that they have the appropriate credentials and access to effectively implement your solution.

‍Audit

You should be the first person to go through your new payment flow. Understand and quality test your payment process so your customers have a clean, efficient experience. Make sure that the pages are attractive and have the appropriate information. Additionally, make sure it’s very clear what the next step for a consumer is.

After your first customers go through and you receive your first monthly bill from your payments provider, you will want to audit the billing statement carefully. Staitment.com is our great, free audit service that can help.

‍Update/Upgrade & Service

Make sure you have a plan to keep your system updated and upgraded as well. Your vendor will have an upgrade and update path and you’ll have to keep pace with your website, especially if you need to make changes to continue to work well with the integrated payment system.

Integrated payment systems can make the customer experience worlds better but can be difficult to implement, especially if you’re a smaller business.

Swipesum is here to help - whether you’re already using an integrated payment system and need an overview on ways to make it better or are just dipping your toe, we’re prepped and ready to help you get the most out of your system and increase revenue.