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What is an integrated payments system?

Essentially, an integrated payments system allows your customers to accept and process card payments directly through your software. It is a convenience for your customers as well as an opportunity for you to earn additional revenue for your company.

Above convenience, an integrated payments system brings a strategic opportunity to grow your product as well as your business. Successful payment strategies do not come out of a box, but are tailored exclusively for you. They are based on your unique goals, your business needs, and the needs of your customers. That is why it is important to carefully select your integrated payment system partner.

 

What do you do exactly?

Wind River is a top 50 payment processing provider specializing in tailored payment solutions for software, B2B, retail and healthcare companies.

Do you have an API I can review?

Yes! And you can check it out here. While we’re the type of partner who wants to work with you every step of the way, we understand that sometimes you just want to dive into the specs.

Are you a gateway?

No, we’re a payments company that provides solutions that best match your needs. We have done the research to optimize your infrastructure, and we leverage our buying power to minimize the time and expense for you.

The Payments Process for Software Providers

Where do you fit in the payments process?

Wind River essentially becomes your payments department. As such, we:

  • Guide you on selecting the best technology for your needs
  • Deal with large payment processors so you don’t have to
  • Use our buying power to get transparent, competitive rates for your customers
  • Take care of security and compliance for you and your customers
  • And, share a portion of the revenue with you

How do you compare/compete with other payment companies?

Our approach, technology and service model are different from many other payment solution providers.

Many others will offer a hands off, closed ecosystem. They don’t work with you to determine the best way and optimal technologies that will meet your needs.

Upon closer examination, you find that often the pricing model of others tends to be bundled and above market, and they frequently include you when taking on the risk.

Wind River has wholesale pricing which ensures more competitive rates for the customers of our software partners. It also ensures that our you can generate more impactful payment revenue.

What types of payments do you work with?

Wind River processes credit and debit card payments. We also have solutions to process ACH/ eCheck payments, automate Accounts Receivable collections, as well as Gift and Loyalty card solutions.

What industries do you work with?

We provide payment solutions for software providers and their customers across a broad spectrum of industries including B2B companies such as manufacturers, distributors, and wholesalers as well B2C clients in brick and mortar retail, eCommerce, hospitality, insurance, and healthcare.

Why should I work with you versus going direct with 1st Data, Tsys, etc.?

There are three key reasons why working with us is better:

1) Technology: With the big guys, your payment solution will have to fit their platform. Instead we bring the right capabilities that fit the needs of your customers. We also provide the expertise and will be with you step by step so it is optimized.

2) Pricing: The collective transaction volume of Wind River clients enables us to offer better pricing than the large processors that base prices on individual customer volume.

Also, we proactively monitor customer’s transactions to look for ways to reduce their network fees or other costs. This has a tremendous impact on the satisfaction of your customers.

3) Service: Unless you’re a larger fish, you likely won’t get the attention and responsiveness that you need and deserve. We provide the same solutions as those mega-companies but we have the service mindset of a family-owned operation. Our “After the Handshake” promise includes 24/7 access to service, a dedicated service line, and an assigned relationship manager.

How do you help me control (or improve) the user experience?

We help you deliver the best user experience in three key areas:

1) Integration: We do not deliver an API then walk away. We provide the experience of 3,000+ customers and the expertise up front to thoroughly understand your customers’ needs. Then, we help you implement the right solution, the right way.

2) Support: We are there every step of the way, up front and ongoing -– 24/7.

3) Pricing: If your customers’ fees have crept up or they’re paying more than they should, that’s a poor customer experience and a bad reflection on you. We are completely transparent with our pricing so your customers will always know their costs and what they get for every penny they spend. Transparency builds trust.

What impact have you made for software companies that you have partnered with?

Here are four examples of impact:

1. Provide revenue source to subsidize development projects.

One of our software partners applies all of the revenue we share with them to offset development costs. This allows them to add enhancement projects that may otherwise have been pushed to another budget year.

2. Delivering a seamless customer experience

One of our software partners wanted to streamline its customer experience. So we integrated our payment capabilities in its automated Accounts Receivable platform. And the result was that their end-users became much more engaged and actually paid their invoices nearly 30% faster than before.

3. Save resource time and money

Another software company reached out to us because PCI compliance spending had ballooned to hundreds of thousands of dollars. And they were allocating weeks and weeks of resource time just to support that environment. This is something that’s definitely in our wheelhouse, and we’re able to cut those costs and save all that resource time for them.

4. Differentiate

One of our software partners “white-labeled” our service through its software platform and providing all the merchant support themselves. They did this because they wanted their merchants to have one place for all their needs. This really sets them apart from their competitors.

How much money can I make if I work with you?

The range of what that can be is largely dependent on you and your goals, business model, and strategy. Volumes also have an impact as they drive prices and increases revenue share.

Do you act as a distribution channel for software companies?

While it is not our primary business, we are open to those discussions. There are a few criteria to consider such as: 1) How your software and target industries fit within our current business model and market presence, 2) Do we have expertise in house, and 3) Do we have resource availability to meet your growth objectives.