Types of payment system integration, their pros, cons, and features
Payment system in gambling is a decisive factor that will determine whether the initial setup will be successful or not. Loyalty of your users depends on the set of payment methods offered on the website and their quality, also payment flow and adaptability. Technical component of payment systems' operation is no less important than the assortment of payment methods and their prices, because it directly affects user experience on the website. When choosing a type of integration, consider all the options and make decision based on real business needs.
Let's consider which types of integration of payment methods in gambling can be used:
Host-to-host integration (direct request)
The most preferable, but also the most complex option for integrating payment methods is host-to-host. It literally means "connecting" the API of payment system and the merchant's website, thus creating a single infrastructure for the end user. To make a payment, user will not need to leave the website, follow links, or face any third-party interface. Thus, it feels like there is no third-party functionality at all, and the payment is processed by the merchant himself. An important factor in this scheme is the need for merchant to be PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) certified, as well as payment system, since confidential data about the client's payment means will be available to the merchant. In the case of an online casino, where hundreds of thousands of transactions are processed every day, card data security must be a top priority.
In addition, the main advantages of host-to-host include:
- fast information processing — due to direct integration as a fastest connection channel, notifications of transaction success are received faster and the entire process takes less time;
- security — data is encrypted and protected from manual intervention, which eliminates the event of human or mechanical error;
- convenience — due to direct integration, the system is easy to use and transaction monitoring is simple for both parties: payment system and the merchant.
Payment page or redirect
The simplest and most popular type of integration in gambling is payment page (redirect). Payment page is created by payment system and remains on its domain and server, opening in a new tab or window for the payer. Technically, this type of integration is much simpler than host-to-host and can be implemented with almost any software capabilities of gambling platform. Moreover, in this integration, no one except payment system itself needs to have a PCI DSS certificate, since only it has access to confidential data and processes them independently. So, it’s much easier for merchant and hassle-free in technical means.
In this case, merchant receives a notification that the payment has been received and acts accordingly. Main advantages of this integration type include minimal involvement of merchant in the process and the general simplicity of implementation. Also, merchant does not need to maintain and update their own system for compliance with data storage security standards. As PCI DSS is not applied.
However, it is worth mentioning some negative aspects of payment page integration, which are primarily related to the client experience and need to redirect the player to another page for performing payment, not belonging to the online casino. In this flow, users often get lost and can initiate errors, such as closing or reloading payment page, entering incorrect data due to a sharply changed design. Some players can be even lost in new functionality as didn’t expect the page to change. In addition, many users, due to blockers of pop-up windows or advertising in browser, may face difficulties reaching the payment page at all, since it is always in a new tab or window.
To minimize the effect from these disadvantages, payment systems offer branding of payment page merchant's design, thus preserving the familiar look of the interface for the client, thereby maintaining approval ratio. Also, adding payment instructions directly before making payment and warning the payer that the new tab will be opened — can help to improve the situation with usability.
iFrame
This integration type means that payment form, located on another site, is embedded in the online casino page. In fact, it can be called a combination of two integration types described above. Since it combines their main properties: payer does not need to leave the website for payment, but at the same time, payment page is still located on the payment system's side. The data is filled out on the payment system's website, even though its part is embedded in the merchant's website.
Based on our experience, iFrame is used relatively rarely, since in practice it is associated with frequent technical problems. If implementation is not good enough, the overall process does not look very attractive to players. An online casino that cares about its reputation and has not yet built up a player base is more likely to choose a third-party payment page. Despite the negative factors of using it, it might increase the level of trust for unfamiliar gambling website among players. For example, if the website uses a well-known payment system that is popular within audience, this can serve as an additional reason to trust a new product on iGaming market.
Regardless of which type of integration was chosen, important to keep it up-to-date and proactively communicate with payment system to ensure smooth operation. Technical factor, although it may seem very simple to maintain, has a significant impact on the payment process. Payment system in gambling ensures constant 24/7 operation. Technical issues still remain one of the most common reasons for not completing payments by the user, and therefore should be in focus every time.
