Company overview

A cloud-based invoicing platform lets businesses create invoices and collect payments from customers worldwide. The platform handles recurring invoices, one-time charges, and cross-border transactions for thousands of businesses ranging from freelancers to mid-market companies.

The challenge

The platform started with a single payment processor for card payments. As its user base expanded internationally, the limitations became obvious.

Customers in different markets expected different payment methods. A German business wanted SEPA direct debit. A Brazilian customer needed Boleto or PIX. An Indian customer expected to pay via UPI. Each of these required a separate integration with a separate provider, each with its own API, onboarding process, and settlement currency.

Cross-border approval rates were inconsistent. An invoice sent by a UK business to a US client would process through a European payment provider, and US-issued cards processed through European providers get approved less often than when processed through a US provider.

The platform also stored card details for recurring invoicing relationships, but as they were tokenizing the cards with the PSP, those tokens were bound to that single processor. Switching processors meant asking end-customers to re-enter their payment details, which defeats the purpose of a product built to make payments easier.

The solution

The platform integrated Orchestra’s JavaScript library into its payment pages and Orchestra’s REST API into its backend billing engine. One integration replaced what would have been six or seven separate PSP integrations.

The platform configures which processor handles which payment types and regions. A payment on a US-issued card goes through a US payment provider. A SEPA payment goes through a European processor that clears locally. If the primary processor for any payment type is unavailable, Orchestra falls back to the next one in the configured list.

For recurring invoices, Orchestra stores payment details in its unified token vault. The platform uses Orchestra’s recurring scheduling system to define charge schedules, and transactions are triggered automatically on time to the PSP the platform specifies. If a charge fails, the platform can retry through an alternative processor using the same stored token, without the end-customer seeing a failed payment or re-entering their details.

The platform supports multiple currencies by connecting different PSPs through Orchestra. Businesses invoice in their customer’s preferred currency, and the PSP handling that transaction settles in the agreed currency. Orchestra orchestrates the payment instruction, and the money flows directly between the PSP and the platform.

How it works

When an invoice recipient clicks “Pay,” the platform renders Orchestra’s JavaScript library to present payment options appropriate for that payer’s location. A payer in the Netherlands sees iDEAL alongside card payments. A payer in the US sees cards and ACH.

For auto-charged recurring invoices, the platform defines a recurring schedule through Orchestra’s API, specifying the token, amount, frequency, and which PSP to charge through. Orchestra triggers each transaction automatically on schedule to the specified PSP and returns the result. The platform records the payment against the invoice and sends the receipt.

Outcome

The platform now supports payment collection in markets it previously couldn’t serve, through a single integration that took weeks rather than the months each individual PSP integration would have required. Stored payment tokens move with the platform if it changes processors, and recurring charge success rates improved because failed transactions get a second route instead of an immediate decline.