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Developing a Pay-by-Bank Merchant App like Banked: Transforming Digital Payments for Businesses

In today’s fast-moving digital economy, merchants are increasingly demanding better payment solutions that significantly reduce fees and speed up transactions. The rise of pay-by-bank merchant apps answers this call by allowing direct bank-to-bank transfers, eliminating middlemen, and offering real-time payment processing. Unlike traditional card payments with their delays and high costs, pay-by-bank solutions like Banked create a seamless, secure link directly between customer bank accounts and merchants. This new payment method not only saves merchants money but also provides customers with a smooth and trusted checkout experience, making it a vital tool for businesses aiming to stay competitive in e-commerce, subscriptions, retail, and beyond.

How Pay-by-Bank Works: A Direct Connection Between Banks and Merchants

A pay-by-bank merchant app enables businesses to receive payments directly from a customer’s bank account without routing transactions through card networks such as Visa or Mastercard. This approach greatly simplifies the payment process. It utilizes open banking APIs, which are secure, regulated channels that initiate payments with the customer’s consent, and instant payment networks like PayTo, SEPA Instant, or FedNow that guarantee immediate settlement. This technology effectively builds a high-speed, secure connection from the customer’s bank to the merchant’s account. The result is instant authorization and instant settlement, eliminating the wait time and higher fees associated with card payments.

The Banked App: Redefining Payment Speed and Security

The Banked app exemplifies pay-by-bank technology by prioritizing speed, simplicity, and security. For customers, the checkout experience has never been easier—just three clicks to authorize a payment, with authentication happening inside their own trusted banking app using biometrics like fingerprint or facial recognition. Merchants receive instant payment confirmations, allowing them to fulfill orders immediately without waiting days. By cutting card issuers and networks out of the process, Banked reduces transaction fees dramatically, boosts cash flow with instant settlements, and shifts fraud liability to banks, enhancing overall security. With strategic acquisitions like Waave and VibePay, Banked is building a global network poised to challenge traditional card payments worldwide.

Major Benefits of Pay-by-Bank Merchant Apps for Businesses

Businesses adopting pay-by-bank merchant apps enjoy several impactful advantages. First, they experience drastically reduced transaction fees—sometimes up to 80% less than card payments—by cutting out intermediaries. This frees up funds that merchants can reinvest in growth. Second, instant settlement means funds appear immediately in merchant accounts, improving cash flow and financial flexibility. Third, the risk of fraud and chargebacks drops significantly as authentication is handled through secure bank apps with biometric verification. This shift reduces financial losses and operational headaches. Additionally, merchants avoid compliance burdens around storing sensitive card data since banks securely process all transactions, helping to build customer trust while simplifying operations. Lastly, customers enjoy frictionless checkout experiences with one-click payments after the initial setup, leading to higher conversion rates.

Key Technologies Behind Pay-by-Bank Apps

Developing successful pay-by-bank merchant apps requires integrating several core technologies that work together to deliver security, speed, and ease of use. Aggregator APIs like TrueLayer and Plaid provide quick connectivity to hundreds of banks worldwide. Direct bank APIs compliant with regulations such as PSD2 allow for real-time payment initiation. Payment networks such as PayTo in Australia, SEPA Instant in Europe, and FedNow in the US serve as highways for instant fund transfer. Strong security layers based on OAuth 2.0, tokenization, and end-to-end encryption safeguard sensitive information. Frontend development frameworks like React Native or Flutter enable high-performance cross-platform mobile apps. Backend technologies such as Node.js, Django, and Spring Boot ensure scalable and robust payment processing. Finally, analytics platforms offer valuable insights into transaction trends and customer behavior, turning payments into strategic growth drivers.

Building a Pay-by-Bank Merchant App: Steps for Success

To develop a pay-by-bank merchant app, businesses must follow a comprehensive yet structured approach. It begins with understanding and complying with open banking regulations and integrating with instant payment systems relevant to the target markets. The payment infrastructure should be event-driven and scalable to support seamless real-time transfers. Integration with multiple banks through APIs enables wide customer reach and flexibility. Security protocols such as biometric authentication, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and tokenization are critical to protect payments and build trust. User-friendly dashboards should be designed for both merchants and customers to track transactions, manage payments, and view history effortlessly. Continuous testing with sandbox environments and certifications ensures regulatory compliance and smooth operation before global launch.

Real-World Impact: How Businesses Benefit from Pay-by-Bank

A large e-commerce enterprise recently transformed its payments landscape by adopting a pay-by-bank solution with Banked’s API. The change eliminated costly interchange fees, reduced fraud-related expenses, and shortened cash flow cycles from several days to instantaneous settlements. The revamped checkout, featuring simple biometric authorization within banking apps, led to a noticeable 20% increase in payment conversions. This improved experience not only saved money but also increased revenue streams. Additionally, the instant notification system enabled automated order fulfillment and real-time inventory updates, boosting operational efficiency. These results demonstrate how pay-by-bank merchant apps can fundamentally upgrade business payment systems while fortifying financial health and customer satisfaction.

Why Pay-by-Bank is the Future of Payments

As digital payments evolve, pay-by-bank merchant apps stand out by offering a powerful blend of lower costs, enhanced security, and superior user experience. The traditional card payment model's legacy issues—high fees, fraud risk, slow settlements—are steadily being replaced by fast, direct bank payments with instant settlements. This change benefits merchants, customers, and financial institutions alike, enabling smoother commerce and greater innovation. Strategic partnerships between tech firms and banks continue to expand this ecosystem globally. Businesses ready to embrace pay-by-bank solutions will not only gain competitive advantages through cost savings and operational improvements but also future-proof their payment systems in an increasingly digital economy.

Conclusion: Embracing Pay-by-Bank for Business Growth

Developing a pay-by-bank merchant app like Banked is a smart move for any business aiming to modernize payments, reduce costs, and enhance customer trust. With its foundation in open banking, real-time payment networks, and strong security measures, pay-by-bank technology transforms payments into an instant, efficient, and user-friendly experience. Merchants enjoy immediate access to funds, lower transaction fees, and minimal fraud risks, while customers benefit from smooth, biometric-enabled checkouts. As the global payment landscape shifts rapidly, integrating pay-by-bank solutions can unlock new opportunities for growth and success. Companies that act now to build or adopt these apps will position themselves ahead of the curve in digital commerce.

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