Question: How do sites like airbnb process payments using 3rd party payment processors with a marketplace model, but provide such a seamless onboarding?

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How do sites like airbnb process payments using 3rd party payment processors with a marketplace model, but provide such a seamless onboarding?

We're currently using Stripe, and on boarding is tough because each customer has to make a stripe account and agree to Stripes TOS. Stripe provides "managed" accounts, but this still requires accepting Stripe's terms. Is there a good way we can pay out customers in a marketplace model similar to airbnb?

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Ethar Alali

Lean Enterprises, Mathmo, Algo-Geek & Coder,

Hello,

I've built and integrated with countless payment processors in my time, including the usual Stripe, PayPal and Braintree managed processors as well as direct banking integrations (HSBC, RBS etc) and I've also worked at indirect competitors of AirBnB and the key to getting the process to work like AirBnB isn't to use the default offerings of Stripe, PayPal and Braintree :)

You have to go straight to the back end payment processors of your bank or to an API based intermediary. Some are offshoots of default services like PayPal, eWay and WorldPay, others are bespoke banking solutions which charge you on-demand/PAYG or a fixed fee and then you maybe optimise your costs on your side depending on the charging model. However, this isn't a small scale integration. Some of these take 3 weeks of bespoke development, when factoring in the merchant ID and banking QA process.

Hit me up for a call if you need to discuss this in more detail. Happy to help.

Answered over 8 years ago