For B2B SaaS companies, payments can be more than another integration. Embedding them directly into your platform can give customers an easier way to manage transactions while opening up an additional revenue stream for your business.
As digital payments continue to grow, software companies have an even bigger opportunity to bring payments into the platforms their customers already use. The Federal Reserve reported this year that U.S. consumers and businesses made 236.6 billion noncash payments in 2024, more than triple the number in 2000. ACH accounted for almost three-quarters of noncash payment value.
The question is, how do you choose the right setup?
Here are seven factors to consider when evaluating embedded payment solutions in 2026.
What are embedded payments?
Embedded payments are payment capabilities built directly into a software platform. Instead of sending users to a separate provider to complete a transaction, the software handles the payment within the same experience.
In the context of B2B SaaS companies, that might mean letting customers accept client payments, pay suppliers, issue refunds, or manage payouts without leaving the platform they already use to run their business.
Factors to consider when choosing embedded payment solutions for B2B SaaS
Choosing an embedded payments solution means looking beyond payment processing alone. These seven factors can help you find the right fit for your platform.
1. Payment capabilities and methods
Start with a simple question: How do your customers need to move money?
For some B2B SaaS platforms, credit cards and ACH may cover most transactions. Others need a broader mix, such as virtual cards, real-time payments, instant payouts, or local payment methods.
Offering the right options can have a real impact. According to Mastercard’s research, one in three B2B suppliers say they receive late payments because they don’t offer a buyer’s preferred payment method.
When evaluating embedded payment solutions, consider whether you need to:
- Accept customer or client payments
- Pay suppliers and other third parties
- Send refunds and payouts
- Move funds between multiple parties
- Support recurring payments
You don’t need every payment method out there. Focus on what your customers use today, while making sure you can add new options as their needs change.
2. Integration and development requirements
Your embedded payments solution also needs to work with your existing tech stack without creating unnecessary work for your developers. There’s a strong case for keeping payments within the software businesses already use. According to Mastercard, 87% of businesses favor an all-in-one software solution to manage B2B purchases.
Look at how the provider handles integration. Does it offer a single API? Are there prebuilt components you can use instead of building everything from scratch? How much control do you have over the payment experience?
Also consider what happens after launch. APIs change, your product evolves, and you may want to add new payment methods or enter new markets. A simpler integration today can save your development team considerable time down the road.
3. Compliance, security, and risk
Payments come with compliance and risk responsibilities, so get clear on who handles what before choosing a provider. Depending on your setup, that can include PCI DSS compliance, merchant verification, fraud prevention, transaction monitoring, and anti-money laundering requirements.
An embedded payments partner may take on much of this work, but don’t assume everything falls under their umbrella. Ask exactly which responsibilities they handle and which ones stay with your business.
4. Payment data and financial operations
Every payment creates data that your customers can use to understand and manage their business. The question is whether your embedded payments platform makes that data easy to access and act on.
Look at the reporting available to both your team and your customers. Depending on the business, that may include:
- Transaction and payment status
- Processing fees
- Refunds and disputes
- Payout timing and amounts
- Reconciliation data
Think about where that information needs to go, too. If finance teams still have to download spreadsheets and manually move payment data into accounting or ERP systems, embedding payments may not simplify their workflow as much as expected.
Ideally, payment data should connect with the tools and processes your customers already use. That can make it easier to reconcile transactions, track cash flow, and get a clearer picture of financial operations without piecing information together across multiple systems.
5. User experience
One of the biggest advantages of embedded payments is convenience. Customers can handle payments without jumping between your software and a separate payment provider.
Look at the entire experience, from onboarding to getting paid. Can users set up payments without a lengthy application? Can they accept payments, issue refunds, check transaction status, and manage payouts from the same platform?
Don’t forget about their customers, either. The checkout or payment experience should be simple for the person on the other side of the transaction. Fewer steps and fewer handoffs can make payments feel like a natural part of your software rather than a separate service bolted onto it.
6. Revenue model and economics
Embedded payments can create a new revenue stream for SaaS companies, but the numbers need to make sense for your business.
Start by understanding how your payments partner structures pricing and revenue share. Some models let software providers earn a portion of payment processing revenue, while others use platform fees or different commercial arrangements.
Then run the numbers based on how your customers actually use your software. Consider factors such as:
- Expected transaction volume
- Average transaction size
- Payment methods used
- Processing and platform fees
- Your share of payments revenue
- Development and ongoing operating costs
Don’t focus on revenue alone. A payments program that generates more revenue but requires significantly more development, support, or compliance work may be less attractive than it looks on paper.
It’s also worth thinking beyond payment processing. Depending on the embedded payments platform, you may eventually be able to offer services such as instant payouts, virtual cards, card issuing, or working capital. These products can create additional revenue opportunities while giving customers more reasons to manage their financial operations through your software.
Model a few scenarios before committing. Look at what the economics might look like at your current transaction volume, then at higher volumes as adoption grows. That gives you a better sense of whether the model can scale alongside your SaaS business.
7. The embedded payments partner’s ability to scale with you
Your payments needs today may look very different a few years from now. As transaction volume grows, you may enter new markets, add payment methods, or offer more financial products. Look for an embedded payments partner that can support that growth.
Consider its experience with B2B or vertical SaaS, the markets it serves, and the payment capabilities it can add over time. Support matters, too. Find out what help you’ll get during implementation and after launch, especially when it comes to merchant onboarding, compliance, risk, and customer issues. Switching providers later can be a major project, so think beyond your immediate needs.
Why choose Stax Connect?
The right embedded payments partner should make it easier to build, launch, and grow your payments offering. Stax Connect brings the technology and payments expertise together, so SaaS companies don’t have to build an entire payments organization themselves.
With Stax Connect, you get an end-to-end API, white-label experiences, omnichannel payment capabilities, portfolio reporting, and support across onboarding, underwriting, risk, compliance, and settlement. Stax also works with vertical SaaS companies across industries such as field services, healthcare, accounting, and legal.
The result? You can focus on growing your platform while Stax helps you manage the complexities behind embedded payments.
