# Building a Business Case for Integrated Payments
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-06-08
Category: FINANCE
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/finance
Meta Title: Driving Business Success with Integrated Payments for a
Meta Description: Learn from Andrea Dunlop about the importance of integrated payments in the digital age, and how they can streamline processes and enhance customer experience.
URL: https://financedigest.com/building-a-business-case-for-integrated-paymentshtml

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_By **Andrea Dunlop,** managing director of [Access PaySuite](http://www.accesspaysuite.com/)._

The world is forever evolving to become increasingly digitally-focused, but this has accelerated more than anyone could have imagined over the past 12 months. Driven by government orders to stay at home, reduced social contact and exposure to high-volume touchpoints, efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic have led to a virtual-first society, affecting almost every part of human life.

Day-to-day tasks including the way we order groceries, connect with friends or even receive our monthly payslips are now facilitated by technology. As such, the wants, needs and expectations of the customer are changing almost as fast as these virtual experiences became the norm.

Now, as more and more purchases – ranging from small one-off buys to larger, or regular investments – are happening in the digital space, it’s crucial that retailers, suppliers or any [business that takes or collects funds from another party understands how to make their payments](https://www.financedigest.com/technology-is-a-tonic-for-late-business-payments.html "TECHNOLOGY IS A TONIC FOR LATE BUSINESS PAYMENTS") work effectively in this new reality.

It affects all markets and all contexts. Whether you’re a bar operator taking orders via an app or a [business working with retainer clients and setting up a regular fee](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-budget-for-legal-fees-in-your-business.html "How to Budget for Legal Fees in Your Business"), your virtual payment experience is important. Alongside the standard expectations there are lots of factors to consider, also driven by the pandemic; customers are increasingly savvy to fraud so ensuring trust is key.

Slow, disjointed payment platforms don’t appear authentic. [Payments must be as simple and secure as possible in order to provide an excellent customer](https://www.financedigest.com/2019-year-customers-take-control-payments.html "2019: The year customers take control of payments") experience, as well as the superior back-end efficiency needed to adapt your business and grow in the modern world.

![Andrea Dunlop](https://prod.superblogcdn.com/site_cuid_cm5qst7v3003gwirgwqtxn8i8/images/andrea-bio-pic-1736838290426-compressed.jpg)

Andrea Dunlop

**A near-seamless link**

For this reason, the integration of payments and software lies at the heart of forward-thinking businesses. Embedding your payment system within your existing operational software has numerous positive outcomes for customers, which we’ll expand on later. If you’re a [business owner](https://www.financedigest.com/ladbrokes-owner-entain-buys-sports-media-business-365scores.html "Ladbrokes owner Entain buys sports media business 365scores"), first it’s important to understand what integrated payments are, and why choosing to use them could be one of the most effective ways to streamline your processes.

When referring to integrated, or embedded payments, we simply mean choosing to ‘link up’ your [payments technology](https://www.financedigest.com/from-the-experts-5-payment-technology-trends-to-look-out-for-in-2016.html "FROM THE EXPERTS: 5 PAYMENT TECHNOLOGY TRENDS TO LOOK OUT FOR IN 2016") with other software you use. For example, if you currently use software to manage your invoicing and want to utilise embedded payments, then you need to search for a payments provider with APIs that are compatible with the software, or are flexible enough to integrate. Other types of software that payments can be embedded into include CRMs. [Business and accounting](https://www.financedigest.com/making-your-accountant-an-invaluable-asset-to-your-business.html "MAKING YOUR ACCOUNTANT AN INVALUABLE ASSET TO YOUR BUSINESS") systems can now communicate with impressive efficiency, offering a near-seamless link.

**Insights through synergy**

By integrating payments you’ll immediately open the door to [automation and increased transparency over your finances](https://www.financedigest.com/enterprise-automation-is-the-future-of-finance.html "Enterprise automation is the future of finance"), and how they affect your KPIs. Data input and output from the linked software can be viewed together on one dashboard, providing synergy between each service.

With one subtle difference the efficiencies are huge, and lots of time and [money can be saved](https://www.financedigest.com/how-to-save-money-on-business-tripsabroad.html "How to save money on business trips abroad") with proper integration. Automatic alerts can be set up to issue [late payment](https://www.financedigest.com/the-late-payments-toolkit-how-to-keep-the-cash-flow-strong.html "THE LATE PAYMENTS TOOLKIT – HOW TO KEEP THE CASH-FLOW STRONG") reminders, chase up debts or log when a payment is received. You’ll have complete transparency over your cash flow, [reducing the risk](https://www.financedigest.com/how-can-you-reduce-the-risk-of-fraud-in-b2b-payments.html "How can you reduce the risk of fraud in B2B payments?") of human error and improving your reporting abilities. When invoicing and credit checks are integrated, late payments are spotted quickly so you can take action before it causes financial damage.

As well as keeping your cash flow safe, embedding payments into your existing software suite adds an extra layer of business security. Cloud-based by nature, look for a provider with [ISO accreditation to reap the benefits](https://www.financedigest.com/5-benefits-of-iso-9001-certification-for-smes.html "5 Benefits of ISO 9001 Certification for SMEs") of a securely hosted system.

Once linked, each user can quickly log on into one account and view the whole financial database with ease, rather than cross referencing numerous suites using a fragmented, disjointed process. Time that staff would have spent collating information from separate sources can now be spent on value-added areas, reducing stress while improving overall efficiency and results.

**Customer-first approach**

[Digital payments](https://www.financedigest.com/can-i-please-speak-to-someone-why-building-relationships-is-still-crucial-in-digital-payments.html "“Can I please speak to someone?” Why building relationships is still crucial in digital payments") are now the norm for most consumers, with payments happening in increasingly diverse spaces. Alongside remote card machines and mobile wallets, even [social media](https://www.financedigest.com/ai-and-social-media-are-revolutionizing-personal-finance-in-2023.html "AI and Social Media Are Revolutionizing Personal Finance in 2023") is being used and accepted as a platform to pay for a service. A recent [Facebook report](https://www.socialmediatoday.com/news/facebook-publishes-new-report-on-changing-interaction-behaviors-during-covi/587788/) found that 60% of 18 – 43 year olds had completed a transaction with a business through messaging apps like Messenger or WhatsApp, falling slightly to 56% for all ages.

While the physical restrictions of Covid-19 are a key driver for this trend, there are additional consumer benefits to digital spending that may also explain the move to digital. Just as integrated payments can offer [businesses improved](https://www.financedigest.com/5-ways-to-improve-your-business-finances.html "5 Ways to Improve Your Business Finances") financial visibility, paying digitally also offers the consumer spending-based insights.

Apps such as Monzo innovated this functionality, with legacy banks such as Barclays now also offering budgeting [reports based on each user’s](https://www.financedigest.com/cma-report-looks-to-interventions-to-help-overdraft-users.html "CMA REPORT LOOKS TO INTERVENTIONS TO HELP OVERDRAFT USERS") data. In fact, [62% of people](https://www.techradar.com/uk/news/cash-gets-sidelined-as-uk-consumers-embrace-digital-payments) think that they are in better control of their finances as a result of using online banking, and 18% have used lockdown as an opportunity for a financial overhaul.

Customers are confident in paying for services online and increasingly aware of clunky or outdated processes. In order to make the most of this, businesses need to offer a secure, frictionless [payment experience that can integrate with a customer’s bank](https://www.financedigest.com/5-ways-banks-can-compete-in-payments.html "5 ways banks can compete in payments") as well as their operational software.

**Industries in action**

Integrating payments systems to streamline your direct debits and regular payments is a popular use of the technology, but it’s not limited to the B2B landscape. Nor is it only suitable for certain sectors.

To get a full picture of the scalability and possibilities of contactless payments, we must look to the early adopters across a wide range of industries. Though their specific applications are different, each one recognises the benefits of integrating reliable payments tools into their business-specific software, enabling them to streamline the most important aspects of their organisation.

In education, schools and parents are using cashless payments for school dinners, school trips and to purchase items such as equipment or photographs from their online shop. By integrating their payments with wider systems each school benefits from comprehensive reporting and income generation, while parents enjoy a fast and simple way to keep up with regular and ad-hoc payment requests, rather than relying on paper letters that can easily get lost.

At a time when ordering via a mobile device at a bar or restaurant is the norm, POS payment solutions that [integrate with additional payment and financial software are helping hospitality businesses amid the digital](https://www.financedigest.com/what-is-id-and-verification-and-why-is-it-such-an-integral-part-of-digital-life.html "What Is ID and Verification and Why is it Such an Integral Part of Digital Life?") transformation. As well as helping to streamline up-to-the-minute [data on business performance](https://www.financedigest.com/big-data-lowers-insurance-premiums-and-optimises-business-performance.html "Big Data Lowers Insurance Premiums and Optimises Business Performance"), an integrated approach also enables more consumer-friendly payment options. For example, customers at a restaurant could [choose to tip](https://www.financedigest.com/5-tips-choosing-right-investment-advisor.html "5 tips for choosing the right investment advisor") their waiting staff and chefs separately, all in one single transaction.

Overseas, the USA has been [ahead of the payments curve](https://www.financedigest.com/stay-ahead-of-the-curve-and-meet-your-customers-payments-needs.html "STAY AHEAD OF THE CURVE AND MEET YOUR CUSTOMERS PAYMENTS NEEDS") for some time. Huge [sectors such as law and healthcare also often integrate digital payments](https://www.financedigest.com/combatting-economic-uncertainty-in-2023-with-the-payments-sector-2.html "Combatting economic uncertainty in 2023 with the payments sector") within their operations, highlighting how versatile the technology can be, and where the UK might be heading.

**Providing an integrated solution**

It’s with this in mind that we designed and launched Access PaySuite. Recognising the growing requirement for integrated solutions, we want to empower businesses with the tools to quickly [upgrade their systems](https://www.financedigest.com/sweden-to-upgrade-berzelius-supercomputer-with-nvidia-ai-systems.html "Sweden to upgrade Berzelius supercomputer with Nvidia AI systems") to meet consumers’ ever-changing expectations. By taking this approach, there’s opportunity for huge [growth due to advanced monitoring capabilities offered by digital solutions](https://www.financedigest.com/retreating-up-the-risk-curve-is-no-solution-to-the-growth-challenge.html "Retreating up the risk curve is no solution to the growth challenge"), combined with the time saved through streamlining finances. Compliance is always ensured, giving [businesses the stability and freedom to drive profitability](https://www.financedigest.com/pizza-firm-dp-eurasia-delivers-profit-rise-evaluating-russian-business.html "Pizza firm DP Eurasia delivers profit rise, evaluating Russian business").

We’re specialists with integrated and collaborative tools at Access Group. With the recent development of Access Workspace, a hub that connects [business software and the employees](https://www.financedigest.com/why-investing-in-employee-health-can-be-good-for-business.html "Why investing in employee health can be good for business") that use it, our technology can be used to deliver seamless experiences across the board. Compatible with Access PaySuite, it’s easy to use this system alongside other tools you may run for HR, payroll, CRM, sales or other operational functions.

Scalable and diverse, there’s no [end to where integrated payments](https://www.financedigest.com/the-end-of-payments-as-we-know-it.html "The end of payments as we know it") via Access PaySuite can take a business, or which industries can use it. Our specialist solutions have been developed for sectors such as charities, insurance, telecoms, utilities, finance, and more. Using this expertise, we’re trusted by thousands of commercial [businesses and process over 15 million transactions a year](https://www.financedigest.com/2018-is-a-year-of-regulation-is-your-business-ready.html "2018 is a year of regulation – is your business ready?").


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