In spite of pandemic-driven economic recession, electronic payments go on, more or less, as usual. Moreover, we feel that payment facilitation, merchant, and gateway services are as relevant and demanded as ever. We continue to get inquiries from people and companies. Many of them want to offer white label payment gateway services and products of different flavors.
In one of our articles we described the major common misconceptions associated with implementation of a payment gateway project. We also listed the key aspects of the process. Now, let us address the process of white label payment gateway implementation as a specific use case. The use case is, naturally, based on our rich experience of assisting different entities worldwide with UniPay Gateway technology implementation.
White Label Payment Gateway Implementation Process
So, are you seriously considering the implementation of a white label payment gateway solution? A solution, which you can offer to your respective customers under your brand name? A solution you can, potentially, own as an open-source-code product? Well, in this case, here are the basic guidelines for you to follow. We’ve arranged them into several conceptual groups.
Time frame
First, you need to set the time frame. Keep in mind, that implementation process might take 6 to 12 months. Plus, technology and knowledge transfer, usually, takes 1 to 2 years.
Methodology
Second, you need to define the methodology for your specific business case. It will depend on specifications you get from your gateway solution provider and on your banking partnerships (as explained below). Particular aspects of the methodology will include: architectural solutions, infrastructure requirements for product deployment, as well as licensing and certification requirements. You might be required to install and configure additional middleware (for smooth integration, database management, data storage and protection etc.), as well as hardware (such as, for instance, tokenization appliances).
Responsibility distribution between you and the provider
Third, you need to clarify the responsibilities with the white label payment gateway solution provider. For instance, you have to define the following issues. Who will install the software in your PCI compliant environment (you or the provider)? Will the provider will handle acquirer and merchant integrations? How to certify the changes you introduce into the core product (if it is a licensed open source solution)? Besides that, you might need to additionally configure the product according to your geographic location (for instance, add new languages).
White Label Payment Gateway Implementation: the Key Banking and Processing Relationships
All the listed conceptual aspects make no sense if you do not establish the necessary banking and processing partnerships, specific to your geography. These are the key additional dependences, that you need to address, apart from the gateway solution provider. Keep in mind: the provider cannot handle these relationships for you. All payment gateway software licensees handle them independently, in their respective geographic areas.
Essentially, you will need the following partnerships:
- Sponsor bank that can help you register with the card brands (Visa, MC, Amex etc.), in order to be able to onboard merchants and process transactions;
- Partnership with the processor, that has the technology, with which the gateway interfaces to authorize and capture the funds from the issuing banks of the cardholders;
- Relationship with the acquiring bank, that will have the account, all the funds from the cardholders’ purchases will be settled into;
- Banking partnership that will allow the funds to be remitted to merchants’ bank accounts from the account, into which these funds were settled.
You might be able to get all 4 of these from one group. Otherwise, you may need to establish separate processing and banking relationships.
Example
If currently you do not have any partnerships, the provider might be able to assist you in finding suitable partners. However, in order for you and the provider to understand the nature of the project, you should start with these partnerships, as most of other aspects are based on the underlying banking and processing relationships.
Conclusions
Implementation of a licensable open source code payment gateway solution, such as UniPay Gateway by United Thinkers, remains a promising option for many companies that want to provide payment gateway services under their own brand. Although, the process is much easier to complete than development of a payment gateway solution from scratch, it still requires time, effort, and adherence to a clear sequence of steps. And the first of these steps is establishment of the necessary banking and processing partnerships.
Feel free to consult our payment experts at UniPay Gateway to learn how our white label payment gateway technology should work in your particular business case.
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