Enabling payment methods

Offering a variety of payment methods

Offering a variety of payment methods can significantly improve customer satisfaction and conversion rates. With CrissCross, you can effortlessly configure, manage, and optimise multiple payment options tailored to customers’ needs across 20+ markets in Africa and the Middle East. Adding locally preferred payment methods through CrissCross drives an average of 10%+ uplift in checkout conversion across markets. This guide walks you through integrating various payment methods, exploring different integration approaches, and ensuring a secure and seamless payment experience.

Understanding payment method integration with CrissCross

CrissCross is designed to simplify the process of offering diverse payment methods within your online checkout. As your merchant of record, CrissCross handles all payment provider relationships and domestic acquiring, so you can enable payment methods directly without registering with individual providers. Whether customers prefer traditional card payments, digital wallets, or region-specific methods like mobile money services, CrissCross provides the tools and infrastructure you need to support these options effortlessly - no need to set up accounts with local LPMs or payment providers.

Categories of payment methods supported

Customers across different regions have varying payment preferences. CrissCross caters to this diversity by supporting multiple categories of payment methods:

• Card payments:
  Major credit and debit cards (e.g., Visa, Mastercard, American Express) are recognised worldwide and offer a straightforward option for many customers.

• Digital wallets:
  Digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal store customers’ payment information securely and allow them to complete transactions quickly and conveniently.

• Local Payment Methods (LPM):
  CrissCross supports payment methods tailored to specific markets across Africa and the Middle East, such as bank transfers, direct debit, mobile money (e.g., M-Pesa, MTN MoMo, Airtel Money), and regional solutions like Fawry Pay or Pesalink. This ensures that customers in these regions have familiar and preferred payment options, driving higher conversion rates.

• Stored payment methods:
  For returning customers, CrissCross allows you to securely store their payment methods, including card details, bank accounts, or mobile money accounts, enabling faster and more convenient checkouts in the future.

Setting up and configuring payment methods in CrissCross

CrissCross provides a streamlined process for connecting payment methods to your checkout. Here’s how to get started:

1. Enable payment methods
   Begin by enabling the payment methods you want to offer directly through the CrissCross Dashboard. Navigate to the payment methods section and select the methods you want to activate. As your merchant of record, CrissCross handles all payment provider relationships, so you can enable payment methods without needing to register with individual providers or authenticate accounts. This streamlined setup allows you to start accepting payments immediately.

2. Define payment rules and preferences
   With CrissCross, you can customise how payments are processed by setting rules and preferences. Specify which payment methods to display for different users, regions, or transaction values. These rules can be configured in the CrissCross dashboard, ensuring transactions are routed and processed according to your business logic.

3. Choose your integration method
   Decide whether to use CrissCross’s SDKs, a server-to-server integration approach, or the hosted checkout solution.

   • SDK integration:
     For a quicker setup, integrate CrissCross’s ready-made SDKs into your website or mobile application. This allows you to implement payment methods with minimal code and benefit from CrissCross’s built-in security measures.

   • Server-to-server integration:
     For more customisation and control over the payment flow, connect directly to CrissCross’s API from your server. This method may be more suitable for businesses with complex checkout processes or unique requirements.

   • Hosted checkout:
     If you prefer a fully hosted solution, CrissCross’s hosted checkout handles the entire payment workflow. You can customise the checkout experience to match your brand, ensuring a seamless and consistent experience for your customers.

4. Enable payment methods for your checkout
   In the CrissCross Dashboard’s checkout configuration, select the payment methods you want to activate. You can enable specific methods for different customer segments, product lines, or regions. Once configured, these options will appear automatically in your checkout interface, giving customers the freedom to choose how they want to pay.

5. Test and validate your configuration
   Before going live, thoroughly test each enabled payment method using CrissCross’s testing tools and sandbox environments. Simulate various scenarios to ensure transactions are processed correctly and that the checkout experience is intuitive. Address any issues found during testing to provide a seamless payment process for your customers upon launch.

6. Monitor and optimise ongoing payment performance
   After launching your enabled payment methods, use CrissCross’s analytics and reporting features to understand payment performance.

Ensuring a seamless and secure payment experience

To optimise your integration and ensure customer satisfaction, consider the following best practices:

• Prioritise security and compliance:
  Protecting customer data is paramount. CrissCross adheres to PCI DSS standards and other relevant regulations. Ensure you also follow any additional region-specific compliance requirements, especially when handling sensitive financial information across different countries.

• Focus on a smooth user experience:
  Present payment methods clearly and intuitively. When customers reach the checkout stage, they should easily recognise and trust the payment options available. For example, highlight local payment methods prominently in regions where they are popular.

• Monitor performance and reliability:
  Keep an eye on transaction success rates and processing times. CrissCross’s dashboard provides insights into each payment method’s performance, enabling you to resolve any latency or downtime issues quickly to maintain customer trust.

• Scale with your business growth:
  As your business expands, your payment needs may evolve. CrissCross’s flexible infrastructure makes it easy to add new payment methods or adjust your configurations to handle increased transaction volumes without compromising performance. No need to establish new provider relationships - simply enable additional payment methods through the dashboard.

Additional resources and next steps

With CrissCross, managing and enabling diverse payment methods becomes more efficient and manageable. For detailed integration instructions, coding examples, and advanced customisation options, explore these resources:

• CrissCross API documentation
  Dive deeper into CrissCross’s API endpoints and discover how to implement server-to-server integrations, handle advanced payment flows, and manage transactions programmatically.

• Integration guides
  Review step-by-step guides for integrating CrissCross’s SDKs, ensuring a smooth setup experience regardless of your technical background or business model.

By configuring payment methods with CrissCross, you can offer your customers a streamlined and secure checkout experience tailored to their preferences and regional payment norms. Continuously refine your payment configurations and leverage CrissCross’s robust features to stay agile in an ever-evolving e-commerce landscape.