The simple truth is that millennials love making purchases using their smartphones. In 2018, people completed almost 40% of all purchases from online shops using mobile devices. That’s right. There’s been a significant shift from shopping via desktops to smartphones. So smart business owners should pay extra attention to developing apps with the mobile payment option already integrated. Using payment gateways provides merchants a simple alternative for complex banking and analytics systems. These little gadgets are smart tools that facilitate credit card transactions when someone makes a purchase. But with all the available payment gateways, which one is the best for your specific app? And how to integrate it with the mobile app’s payment system? This article is here to cover answers to these questions in detail. So buckle up and get ready to immerse yourself in the world of payment gateways. Here we go.
Integrating payment gateway in iOS and Android Apps
Mobile shopping has changed a lot of thanks to the latest developments in the payments industry. But before you’re looking for a suitable payment gateway, you should consider what you’re selling. Google Play and App Store, for example, have their systems for processing payments for in-app purchases. Even Facebook has its own charging system.
But if you’re selling physical goods for digital payments, then you should consider using an intermediary. Payment gateways enable you to collect digital payments directly on your app as the user inserts their card information. Or! The user can send money to an intermediary service. And you will get the payment information in encrypted form.
Here’s something important to keep in mind: with both of these options, you need to give out a PCI-DSS compliant. It shows that your mobile application is reliable and follows all the necessary security rules. The safest payment option is to send the user to a third-party program that handles all card details. If the user is required to enter the details directly to your app, the requirements for your app’s safety are much higher. It will be entirely your responsibility to secure your popular mobile app against hackers looking to steal your clients’ sensitive data.
When it comes to payment gateways for mobile apps, you should firstly choose the most reliable service provider. It’s easier and quicker to get the PCI-DSS certificate with a reputable company. Secondly, you should look for an intermediary that allows you to make the payment forms visually more attractive. Pleasant mobile app design is essential in attracting new customers and keeping the existing ones.
Now let’s take a closer look at how some of the most popular payment gateways in mobile apps.
Most Popular Payment Gateways in Mobile Apps
Here’s a simple comparison of the most popular options to pay through mobile apps these days:
1. PayPal
PayPal is a brand that has built a solid following. It accepts payments in many currencies and is available all across the globe. One of the reasons for PayPal’s popularity is that it offers plenty of useful features to its clients. You can split the payments support, use your device’s camera to submit checks, etc. Even big companies like eBay and Google Play are using PayPal’s services, so they must be pretty reliable. At the moment, it processes as much as 10 million payments per day, and that number is only growing.
The only downside with PayPal is that it charges almost 3% for every transmission. But you can get the rate smaller if your business processes over $30,000 a month.
And what about mobile app integration? Is it easy to add the PayPal button to your iOS or Android applications? Yes, it is. The integration is a pretty straightforward process, and PayPal provides you with a fully-annotated script to begin.
2. Braintree
Braintree is a part of PayPal now, and it gives you a complex payment gateway service that covers over 35 countries. It’s used by some of the best mobile apps out there, like Uber and Airbnb, to integrate card payments. Perhaps the main advantage of Braintree is that processing credit card payment takes only two days. Plus, it’s easy to operate the payment system with only a few taps.
Braintree is the preferred intermediary by developers because it supports a lot of different programming languages. Just as PayPal, they charge almost 3% for every transmission.
The great thing about Braintree is that they’ve got an advanced security system that detects attempts of fraud, etc. If you’re running a popular mobile game site and extra safety is your priority, we’d definitely recommend going with Braintree. You can start accepting payments via Braintree after loading and initializing its JavaScript file Braintree.jv.
3. Stripe
Stripe has become an increasingly favored payment gateway. Not only does it support 90+ currencies, but it can also handle Bitcoin transactions. App designers love the fact that Stripe makes the management of the APIs easier. Stripe has an extra advantage that PayPal lacks: it enables the transfer of credit card information to a new chosen payment gateway. Plus, you can use Stripe for mobile apps with React Native and integrate payments from Facebook and Instagram.
Among the big companies that are using Stripe daily are Facebook and Twitter. If you should decide to follow their lead, then here’s a simple guide on how to add this intermediary to your Android apps. You can also add a Stripe checkout button to iOS apps.
On a side note, Stripe also collects a 2.9% commission per each transaction.
The Main Factors to Consider When Choosing the Payment Gateway
The first thing you should focus on when choosing an intermediary for your hybrid mobile app payments is the market you’re serving. Simply put, people in different countries prefer different payment systems. Here are some of the most common preferences:
United States
Americans love using their credit card. The most popular payment gateway is PayPal.
Canada
Many Canadians prefer to use prepaid cards. Again, PayPal is the most preferred gateway.
France
Europe is not that different from America. French people prefer to use a credit card and PayPal.
Germany
Germans have a wide range of preferred paying methods ranging from invoices to ELV to credit cards. Aside from PayPal, Germans use Klarna, Payone, Ingenico, etc.
Norway
Banks in Norway use a bank transfer service called BankAccess.
Italy
Italians use a lot of credit cards (Optimal Payments, CartaSi, Worldpay, etc.). Besides PayPal, they’re also using payment services like PostePay and PaysafeCard.
This list serves only to get you started on your market analysis. Knowing the preferences of your target market allows you to make the best choices for your app.
Customization
When users of your app get to the payment page, they expect it to look similar to the rest of the application. So make sure you pick a payment gateway that allows you to customize its interface. Keeping the same style across all the pages of your app creates trust and increases your conversion rate.
Also, a developer should consider the fact that a smartphone user navigates the app mostly using only a thumb. So when you’re integrating the payment system, keep it as simple as possible.
Improve Customer Experience
When handling something as important as people’s payments, you need to be ready to give your clients full support in case of errors. Provide informative explanations for different scenarios like lack of funds on a credit card, wrongly filled forms, etc. What’s more, offer simple solutions, like contacting the customer service, or choosing a different payment method.
All these supportive little messages build trust with your customers and encourage repeat purchases.
Conclusion
The volume of mobile payments across the globe has passed the $1 trillion mark by now, and the tools to integrate payment systems to your app are all ready and available. It’s up to you to follow this lucrative trend. Find out your target market’s preferred payment method, and pick the gateway that’s most trustworthy and easy to integrate. Going with a payment gateway that giants like Facebook or eBay are using ensures that you won’t have any unnecessary problems in the integration process. Also, keep in mind that the payment page should retain the same style as the rest of the app. So pick a service that allows extensive customization. So take the next step and start making money with your app.
Which payment gateways have you used in your mobile apps, and how were they performing? Let us know in the comments.
Author bio
This payment gateway article was composed by Thomas Glare who has also worked as a finance advisor to most people who own casino games websites. The Payment gateways he has described here are the best ones to use at any website.