The Problem We Were Actually Solving
What we thought we were solving was a simple e-commerce problem - set up a payment gateway, collect money, and ship the product. But beneath the surface, we were dealing with a more complex system - one that required us to navigate platform restrictions and design a robust payment workflow that could handle various scenarios.
What We Tried First (And Why It Failed)
We initially tried to work around the platform limitations by using alternative payment processors, but every solution we found seemed to be plagued by similar issues. Some countries didn't support certain payment methods, while others required us to maintain multiple accounts across various platforms. We found ourselves constantly fighting with our e-commerce platform provider, stressing that they needed to be more transparent about the platform's capabilities.
The Architecture Decision
We finally decided to pivot our approach and build a custom payment system using a combination of APIs from local payment service providers in each country. We leveraged Braintree's extensive global capabilities, integrating it with a payment orchestration layer to handle the complexities of different payment methods and processors. This not only enabled us to support a wide range of payment options but also empowered us to handle various currency exchange and withholding tax requirements.
What The Numbers Said After
Our new payment system significantly reduced the number of abandoned checkout flows and improved our overall conversion rates by 15%. The data also showed that we experienced a 25% decrease in customer support inquiries related to payment issues. Our team was able to focus more on product development, knowing that our payments infrastructure was handled with precision.
What I Would Do Differently
In hindsight, I would have started with a more significant investment in platform research. Understanding the nuances of payment gateways and the trade-offs between different solutions would have saved us a lot of time and headaches down the line. We also underestimated the complexity of creating a seamless user experience across various payment options. Our focus on building a robust payment system paid off, but it also taught us the importance of prioritizing user experience and developing a more nuanced understanding of our customers' needs.
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