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Payment methods are the acceptable sources of payment by a business, which can be used by its contacts to pay for products or services purchased. In turn, contacts can specify which of these acceptable payment methods they want to use when purchasing from the business. Besides contacts, payment methods can also be added for Businesses, Merchants and Service Providers. This denotes the payment method that will be used for B2B settlements, as a result of a possible reconciliation process between organisations. In the case of Merchants/Service Providers, they can also use their stated payment methods to purchase products/services from the Business (in effect the Merchant/Service Provider is one of the Business' contacts). |
THE BASICS
Before we get started with Payment methods, let’s take a look at some common terms related to Payment Methods which are used throughout the software.
Wallet
The wallet is one of the most convenient payment methods for contacts whereby, they can simply top-up their open wallet balance with a sum of money, and then use those funds to pay for their future purchases. There are automatic wallet top-up settings which can be configured to ensure that a contact’s wallet has sufficient funds at any given time. Refer to the Walletmanual for details on setting Auto top-up rules and Termed top-up rules.The CRM.COM Wallet is another payment method which can be automatically topped-up whenever a payment is necessary. If a contact has selected the CRM.COM wallet as their payment method, but there are not enough funds to pay for a purchase, then the CRM.COM wallet will be automatically topped-up with the required amount, by retrieving the necessary funds from the card funding the wallet. Automatic top-up in such cases is performed only if the feature is enabled in Wallet settings.
Payment Gateways
A payment gateway is a service provided by a third-party system, which tokenises the payment methods information, and subsequently authorises card and account debit payment processing, as well as accepting refunds and payouts in various currencies.
CRM.COM implements payment gateway plugins which represent the intermediate layer between CRM.COM and a payment gateway such as Stripe, Revolut and PayPal etc. Each business can configure multiple payment gateways to handle the required payment methods.
Payment Gateways can be configured via system settings, refer to the Integrationsmanual for a list of supported payment gateways.Payment Method Types
A payment method type clearly states the actual payment source, e.g. Account Debit, Card, Cash, Cheque, CRM.COM Wallet, Wallet. Refer to Settingsfor further details on configuring payment methods.Depending on the payment method type, CRM.COM may require additional details to facilitate the payment method capturing, in order to allow money collection. For example, a card payment method type requires the card number, expiration settings etc., whereas account debits require bank details or the IBAN number.
Payment method details are required only for online payment methods. These however, are not configurable, the system will implement the expected behaviour according to the payment method type.
Online & Offline Payment Methods
There are two types of Payment Methods - online and offline.
Online payment methods are those which allow immediate collection of funds through a payment gateway service. Card, wallet, and direct debit are examples of online payment methods. Online payment methods require some sort of verification from the relevant payment gateway through which the payment was submitted.
On the other hand, offline payment methods indicate that a business will collect the money manually, e.g. payments using cash, cheques or an electronic transfer| Info |
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Payment methods are acceptable ways for a business to collect money from its contacts to pay for products or services purchased from the business. |
THE ESSENTIALS
Before we get started with Payment methods, let's examine some common terms related to Payment Methods that are used throughout the software.
Payment Method Types
A payment method type clearly states the actual payment source, e.g. Account Debit, Card, Cash, Cheque, Electronic Transfer, CRM.COM Wallet. Refer to Settings for further details on configuring payment methods.
Depending on the payment method type, CRM.COM may require additional details to facilitate the capture of the payment method and allow the collection of money. For example, a card payment method requires the card number, expiration settings, etc., whereas account debits require bank details or the IBAN number.
Online & Offline Payment Methods
There are two types of Payment Methods - online and offline.
Online payment methods use a payment gateway service supported by CRM.COM to collect funds from a contact, e.g. via card, Wallet, or account debit. Online payment methods require some verification from the relevant payment gateway through which the payment was submitted.
On the other hand, offline payment methods indicate that a business will collect the money manually, e.g. payments using cash, cheques or an electronic transfer.
CRM.COM Wallet
The Wallet is one of the most convenient payment methods for contacts as it can be used to pay for a purchase using any accumulated Business Commerce Pocket funds (from awards) or the Business Pocket balance.
In addition, automatic top-ups can also be performed during a payment, i.e. if a contact has selected the CRM.COM Wallet as their payment method. Still, if there are not enough funds to pay for a purchase, then the Wallet will be automatically topped-up with the required amount, by retrieving the necessary funds from the card funding the Wallet.
Refer to the Walletmanual for details on setting Auto top-up rules and Termed top-up rules.
Primary Payment Methods
The very first online payment method added for a contact will automatically become their primary payment method. Primary payment methods are used as the default payment method when purchasing via a front-end device. Since a contact can have multiple payment methods, they can select which one of their defined payment methods is the primary one , and they can also switch between payment methods at their discretion.
Subscription Payment MethodsSetting a Payment Method for Subscriptions
Subscriptions require a payment method that will be used for settling invoices, which will be issued for recurring billing of services.
The subscription’s payment method can be one of the contact’s payment methods or the CRM.COM wallet. In the first case, the subscription’s payment method is set based on the selected payment method during the ordering flow (so it can be any of the contact's payment methods). If a payment method is not specified when the subscription is ordered, then the contact’s primary method becomes the subscription’s payment method, if the contact doesn’t have a payment method, then subscription is funded by the CRM.COM Wallet.
The subscription payment method can be changed to another payment method by the contact, at any given time.
Managing Payment Methods
As mentioned previously, in the same way that a contact can have payment methods, so too can a Business, Merchant or a Service Provider organisation.
Contact Payment Methods
Contact payment methods are typically managed by the contact using a front-end system (app/portal). However, account debits can be setup on behalf of the contact are issued on a recurring basis to bill the contact for the services provided.
Initially, the subscription's payment method is set based on the selected payment method during the ordering flow (it can be any of the contact's payment methods). If a payment method is not specified when the subscription is ordered, then the contact's primary method becomes the subscription's payment method; if the contact doesn't have a payment method, then the subscription is funded by the CRM.COM Wallet.
The subscription payment method can be changed to another payment method by the contact, at any given time.
Payment Gateways
A payment gateway is a service provided by a third-party system which tokenises the payment methods information. Subsequently, it authorises online payment processing, as well as accepting refunds and payouts in various currencies.
CRM.COM implements integrations to various payment gateway services such as Stripe, Revolut and PayPal etc. Each business can configure multiple payment gateways to handle the necessary payment methods.
Payment Gateways can be configured via system settings; refer to the Integrationsmanual for a list of supported payment gateways.
Managing Payment Methods
Both contacts and organisations can have payment methods. Contacts use their selected payment methods to pay for orders or recurring subscription billing, and for organisations, they're used for B2B settlements (if applicable).
Contact Payment Methods
For security purposes, contacts manage their own payment methods through front-end systems (app/portal). Only account debit payment methods can be managed by a back-end system user for a contact.
Navigate to the contact (CRM > My Contacts > select a contact), ; any existing payment methods are visible on the Payment Methods card. Select Add to add an Account Debit payment method, select the payment gateway and complete the necessary information.
Setting the Primary Payment Method
If the contact has more than one payment method, then one of those will be defined as the primary payment method. This is can be done using either through a front-end device (e.g. a mobile app or a portal).
, by the contact themselves, or by a system user via the back-end,
Changing the Subscription's Payment Method
The payment method for a subscription can be changed using a dedicated action either by through the back-end system or using a front-end device.
To change a subscription payment method via the back-end system, navigate to the contact screen and select the Subscriptions tab to see all the contact’s subscriptions, select the options button (…) for the relevant subscription, then select the Change payment method option, select one of the contact’s payment methods which will now fund the subscription.
Refer to the Subscriptionsmanual for further information on subscriptions. Business Payment Method, navigate to the contact screen and select the Subscriptions tab to see all the contact's subscriptions, select the options button (…) for the relevant subscription, then select the Change payment method option, select one of the contact's payment methods which will now fund the subscription.
Refer to the Subscriptionsmanual for further information on subscriptions.
Business Payment Method
In the same way that a contact can state their preferred payment methods (in accordance with those accepted by the Business), so too can an organisation (Merchants/Service Providers only), therefore, denoting the payment method that will be used for their purchases and more importantly, for B2B settlements, as a result of a possible reconciliation process between organisations.
To configure the payment methods for a businessBusiness, the system user must be signed-in at the business level (or masqueraded down to the businessBusiness), click on your logged-in user name in the top right-hand - corner of the screen and select select My Business.
A Business can only have a Payment Method of type Account that indicates the Business’s type Account indicating the Business's account that will be used during the settlement process. A Business cannot have any other type of online or offline Payment Methods used Method for purchases or refunds.
Merchant/Service Provider Payment Methods
Merchants/Service Providers can have multiple payment methods, just like Contacts do. These Payment Methods can be used as the a payment method of payment when a merchant is purchasing purchases items from the Business.
Payment methods for merchants and service providers can be configured either by the business Business on behalf of the merchant/service provider , or by masquerading as the merchant/service provider.
Configure from the business level - sign - in at the business level > navigate to the merchants/service providers > select the organisation > edit the payment methods.
Configure from the merchant/service provider level - sign - in at the business level > masquerade to the merchant/service provider level > click on your logged-in user name in the top right-hand - corner of the screen and select My Business > edit the payment methods.
Payment Triggers
Payments can be initiated either from:
A consumer app/portal during the checkout process to pay for online orders (Customer Initiated TransactionsTransaction). During these flowsthis flow, additional security checks (3DS, OTP) are applied since the consumer contact must verify the payment transaction themselves.
A server-based request (Merchant Initiated TransactionsTransaction) for billing , or other financial actions such as a top-up. Server-side payments can be used for the following:
Subscription recurring billing
Subscription recurring payment for wallet termed and Termed wallet top-ups and wallet auto top-ups
Refunds & Payouts
When a refund or a payout is issued to a contact, the funds will be credited to the payment method which was used for the initial payment.
Likewise, in cases of B2B settlements for organisation accounts (businesses, merchants/service providers), charges and rebates are debited or credited accordingly , using the organisation’s defined payment method.
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To view or create the permitted payment methods for a business, navigate to the Financial Settings screen - click on your logged-in user name in the top right-hand - corner of the screen, select Settings > Financials > Payments Financials.
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Payment Methods
The business can select from seven different payment methods which can be used by both contacts and organisations (merchants/service providers).
Refer to the table below for details of the available payment methods.
In the descriptions below, the term ‘customer’ contact implies both a contact or an organisation.
Type | Description | ||
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Account Debit | Account debits are commonly used for business-to-business transactions, whereby the business directly debits the customer’s contact's bank account. The customer contact must provide their account information and agree on a mandate to debit their account.
SEPA Direct Debit is a delayed notification payment method, so funds are not immediately available. When the payment has been submitted successfully, the payment intent state is updated from ‘Requires confirmation’ to ‘Processing’. If the payment is successful, then the state is updated to 'Succeeded'. | Card | Customers account.
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Card | Contacts can use their bank cards (credit, debit, prepaid) to pay for a purchase either online or in person. Capturing card details, registering and verifying the cards is solely managed by the payment gateways which CRM.COM integrates with. Once the card is successfully registered, the payment gateway sends back encrypted information that will be used for future payments. This ; for security purposes, this is the only information kept by CRM.COM for security purposes. | ||
Cash | Customers Contacts can settle a payment in cash, this is an offline payment method which is carried out in person and on demand. Not Cash payments are not supported for automated/recurring payments. | ||
Cheque | An offline payment method ordering the bank to transfer money to the bank account of another party. | ||
Electronic Transfer | Can be used to post offline payments such as Bank Transfers and POS payments. Can’t , but can't be used as a contact’s contact's payment method. | ||
CRM.COM WalletCustomers use their | The CRM.COM wallet Wallet is automatically available for all contacts to use as a payment method. Therefore, it doesn't have to be specifically added as one of the contact's online payment methods. The wallet Wallet itself is funded by an online payment method such as a card. Therefore, upon using the wallet as a payment method, the wallet can be automatically topped-up with the required payment amount by retrieving the funds from the card (as long as wallet settings If the setting to allow automatic top-up on using the wallet as a payment method). ups for the CRM.COM Wallet is automatically available for all contacts to use as a payment method. Therefore, it doesn’t have to be specifically added as one of the contact’s online payment methods. | Wallet | Wallets are linked to a customer’s card or bank account but they are also used to store monetary funds. Wallets provide wallet is enabled, and there are insufficient funds to perform a payment using the Wallet, then the Wallet will attempt to retrieve the necessary amount from its funding source. |
(Digital) Wallet | Third-party Wallets (e.g. PayPal) are linked to a contact's card or bank account, providing a fast and secure way for customers contacts to pay with a card-on-file or an use their available balance. Wallets improve conversion and reduce fraud. PayPal |
Reference Material
You may also find it useful to refer to the following manuals for further reading in relation to about Payment Methods.
Contacts
Financials
Wallet
https://crmdevelopment.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CRM/pages/17266442251938882561/CRM.COM+Wallet#%5BinlineExtension%5DSet-Auto-Top-up-Rules
https://crmdevelopment.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/CRM/pages/17266442251938882561/CRM.COM+Wallet#%5BinlineExtension%5DSet-Termed-Top-up-Rules
Integrations
To configure payment gateways
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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