In a nutshell, Stripe provides businesses with the ability to accept payments online quickly, securely and globally. It is known for it’s powerful API, allowing independent third party applications to be connected to it.
Stripe continues to be the go to solution for companies of all shapes, sizes and sectors for it’s combination of simplicity and scalability. The tools it offers are not restricted to the payment processing itself - it provides support for over 135 currencies, has built in fraud detection and prevention monitoring and can help businesses to manage their clients on-going subscriptions.
As we have covered above, Stripe is not just merely a one feature solution - it offers a wide array of capabilities that essentially cover the whole payment lifecycle through it’s seriously capable API. It offers extensive client libraries for Node, Python, Ruby, PHP, Go, Java and of course .NET which means it’s tooling can be integrated into most modern tech stacks.
In addition to it’s core functionality of processing card payments, Stripe can also be set up to manage:
Advanced services tailored to more complex organisations include:
The tools we have listed above come as standard for organisations looking to utilise the Stripe platform and for many, they meet and even exceed their requirements. However, for some businesses, they don’t quite incorporate the intricacies of their processes or workflows in a way that allows them to operate exactly as they desire. Custom integrations with Stripe can however, provide this and can open businesses up to complex, bespoke features such as:
These possibilities are by no means exhaustive - the beauty of bespoke is that solutions can be crafted specific to business needs, no matter how nuanced or complex they may be.
By opting to choose the bespoke route for Stripe integration, online businesses can expand their capabilities beyond the standard tools on offer and directly feed into their wider business strategy - improving customer satisfaction, efficiency and future growth prospects.
Custom integration allows businesses to design and optimise the payment flows that fit directly with their products, services and customer behaviours and/or preferences.
Business Impact - Reduced cart abandonment, improved cash flow and a better overall user experience - crucial for retention.
Stripe Radar is powerful on its own but custom integration allows online businesses to fine tune fraud protection to fit their own unique risk profiles.
Business Impact - Reduced chargebacks, lower operational risk and improved trust with both customers and payment providers.
Bespoke Stripe integrations can make it easier for both customers and businesses to manage sensitive payment data securely and efficiently through:
Business Impact - Less hassle for returning users, less failed payments due to outdated info and an all round smoother customer experience that demonstrates credibility and of course, encourages repeat business.
As with any and all pieces of technology, custom integrations with Stripe pose their own set of challenges and considerations that businesses must give thought to before taking the plunge. Now, we will take a look at some of the most common challenges associated with bespoke Stripe integration alongside practical methods for overcoming them.
The Challenge:
Integrating Stripe into an existing bespoke system can be technically demanding and require specific expertise in order to get it right - especially when dealing with advanced features like subscription billing, setting up multiple currencies and accommodating non standard workflows - the norm for bespoke systems.
The Solution:
Partner with an experienced development team who are well versed in Stripe's architecture including its webhook system and error handling mechanisms. Taking a phased approach also helps minimise risk, beginning with core functionality such as one time payments and gradually introducing more advanced features such as subscriptions or multi currency support after each phase has been thoroughly tested and approved.
The Challenge:
Stripe’s platform is ever changing. Businesses that neglect regular updates risk encountering deprecated APIs, broken integrations or flat out non compliance
The Solution:
Ensure the development team implement proper version control and monitor Stripe’s changelogs for critical updates. A maintenance plan should also be agreed that includes scheduled reviews, API testing and upgrade support.
The Challenge:
Stripe will often need to communicate with other internal systems including CRMs, inventory tools and ERP software which may be built on older or heavily customised infrastructure. Ensuring accurate and consistent communication between these systems and Stripe can be a bit of a technical hurdle.
The Solution:
Choose a development team that will audit existing systems and based on their previous experience, will be able to design custom middleware or API connectors to ensure compatibility with them. There should also be a plan for thorough integration testing across all systems to prevent data discrepancies, avoid processing delays and maintain a consistent user experience from checkout through to backend operations.
Here at Cool Code Company, we have extensive experience in working with Stripe and know how to help our clients use it to their full advantage. Take our long standing client Independent Locker Solutions - we integrated Stripe (via the Stripe API) with their Vue plugin to take payments. It has also given them the ability to send payment requests to customers who book outside of the system, making them more attractive to a wider prospective customer base. If you’d like to explore what a bespoke Stripe integration could do for your business, we’d love to hear from you!
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