4 dominant online payment solution models
The “full-stack” approach
This is the best way to create a payment process in a few days, without development, thanks to ready-to-use modules. E-commerce plugins, preconfigured payment interfaces, no-code management portals: everything is designed to facilitate access to payment, with a proven UX.
This model is based on large-scale standardization, covering traditional transactional needs (card, mobile payment, multi-currency, unified reporting, etc.). It’s a way to professionalize your process without mobilizing internal resources or building a custom stack. However, these e-commerce payment solutions remain limited to generic uses. As soon as the challenges become specific (complex cash flow, multi-entity, etc.), they reach their limits.
- Ideal use case: growing e-commerce business, rapid need for a robust customer journey
- Points of vigilance: financial management outside of payment, low granularity of settings
- Solution example: Stripe, Shopify Payments, Checkout
The verticalized model
Another approach: focus on a specific point in the customer journey (payment in installments, payment for marketplaces, point-of-sale collection, high-risk payment, etc.).
The goal is not to cover all payment journeys, but to provide a relevant and targeted response to a very specific issue. The downside: these solutions are often monolithic blocks, sometimes difficult to integrate into a modular architecture.
- Ideal use case: specific use case, channel, or business scenario to optimize
- Points of attention: risk of technology stacking, dependency on a use case
- Solution examples: Oney, Mangopay, SumUp
The Order-to-Cash solution
In businesses (SMEs, mid-sized companies, large corporations), payment isn’t just a step in a funnel. It’s fully integrated into the sales cycle. The Order-to-Cash model reflects this logic: here, the payment solution is integrated into the information system to automate the entire process, from order to payment. It’s not just a conversion tool; it’s a management tool.
Payment portals, reminder management, automated reconciliation, accounting allocation, ERP integration… The objective is clear: to improve cash flow reliability, secure collections, and decompose customer finance silos.
- Ideal use case: company with complex or multi-client sales cycles
- Points of attention: longer implementation time, need for interdepartmental alignment
- Solution examples: CentralPay, CashOnTime
The “Embedded Finance” model
Some companies no longer want to choose between agility, business performance, and independence. To achieve this, they integrate payment into the very heart of their product. This model allows tech or platform companies to internalize their financial layer and offer a native experience to their users (advanced financial services, card issuance, integrated customer portal, etc.).
This is no longer about adding an online payment solution, but about deploying an integrated banking platform via APIs: account creation, online bank transfers, payment initiation, and payment tracking within a business interface. This is a more structured project, opening the way to new revenue streams, greater strategic autonomy, and complete data control.
- Ideal use case: digital platform or fintech seeking to package a financial service
- Points of attention: regulatory burden and initial project complexity
- Solution examples: Treezor, Xpollens
How to choose your payment solution?
Each online payment solution model is based on a dominant logic. To make the right choice, it’s best to start with the actual expectations of the field.
Below is a model evaluation grid based on five essential criteria, to be considered by finance, product, or e-commerce departments:
| Conversions | Scalability | Payment automation | IT Integration | Regulatory and Operational Compliance | |
| Full Stack | 5/5 | 5/5 | 2/5 | 3/5 | 2/5 |
| Verticalized | 4/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 2/5 | 5/5 |
| Order-to-Cash | 4/5 | 3/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Embedded Finance | 3/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 | 4/5 |
Rating: 1/5 = very weak and 5/5 = very strong
Explanation of challenges:
- Conversions: the solution’s ability to maximize the payment success rate
- Scalability: The solution’s ability to support a company’s growth without friction.
- Automation: The ability to automate tasks related to the invoicing, collection, and reminder cycle.
- IS Integration: The ease and depth of integrating the solution into the company’s IT ecosystem.
- Regulatory and Operational Compliance: The ability to handle legal obligations related to financial flows.
Should you internalize your payment infrastructure?
This is where the real shift is taking place. As flows become strategic, companies want to regain control. No longer a black box approach, the online payment solution is becoming a business asset.
But it’s important not to confuse internalization with building from scratch. The trend is toward controlled assembly: orchestrating the right building blocks, without reinventing the wheel, to integrate payment into the heart of your operating model.
For most companies, the right compromise lies in hybrid solutions (modular, controllable, interconnected), which integrate with existing information systems while addressing cash flow, compliance, and automation challenges.
