Key Takeaways

• Select a deeply integrated Salesforce payment processor to reduce customer churn from failed transactions.
• Evaluate processors by checking their security compliance, supported payment gateways, and customization options.
• Offer multiple payment options like digital wallets and direct debit to improve customer convenience and trust.
• Discover that native Salesforce payment processors eliminate the need for extra software to sync transactions.

A single failed transaction or a slight delay of a few seconds can ripple across your business, costing revenue and, most importantly, driving customers away. BridgerPay research shows that failed payments are responsible for roughly 62% of customer churn, resulting in revenue loss. You do not want to take a chance on it! Right? Therefore, by the end of this blog, you will be able to identify the necessary factors to consider while selecting a Salesforce payment processor and make an informed decision. 

Let’s get started! 

Factors to consider when choosing a right Salesforce-native payment processor

Here is a list of factors that you must consider when evaluating the right payment processor: 

Compatible with Salesforce and its products 

You must check that the payment processor is compatible with not only Salesforce CRM but also with its other products. It is important that the transaction, payment invoices, and payment status flow seamlessly throughout your Salesforce environment. 

How will you assess this compatibility? 

• Review the Salesforce AppExchange listings of the payment processor. The vendors usually specify the Salesforce products that it is compatible with. 
• Go through the processor’s official documentation. Salesforce payment processors like ChargeOn explicitly mention the compatibility with various Salesforce clouds. 
• Reach out directly to the processor’s support or sales team and seek confirmation in writing. Reputable vendors are transparent about integration support. 

Security and Compliance 

It is a priority factor to consider when looking for a Salesforce native payment processor. With this, you can safeguard your customer data during transit and also at rest. While also ensuring protection against cyber threats and adhering to the global regulations. 

• Ensure that the payment processor complies with PCI DSS, GDPR, SOC 2, ISO 9001, and other standards. 
• Look for high data security through the use of robust fraud protection measures like: 
  • tokenization, 
  • encryption, 
  • multi-factor authentication, 
  • and firewall configurations. 
• Evaluate the processor for Salesforce Shield Encryption. SSE protects sensitive payment details by providing AES 256-bit encryption at the field level.
• Confirm that the payment processor undergoes regular security assessments, penetration testing, and compliance audits.

Tip: You must prefer Salesforce payment processors that are listed or recommended by Salesforce, as they undergo rigorous testing and compliance protocols. 

Customization and Extensibility 

These factors determine how flexible and scalable it is to adapt the payment processor to match your workflows, business goals, and logic. 

As the market and regulations continue to evolve, your business teams need to update logic and compliance checks. This requires going beyond the out-of-the-box functionality provided to you by Salesforce. 

With customization, your processor grows as your business does while supporting new products, geographies, and payment methods. It should be capable of managing ever-growing transaction volumes in businesses. Moreover, it should also support both B2B, B2C, and D2C business models. 

Reporting and analytics 

Choose a payment processor that visualizes, tracks, and acts on financial information in real time. With this, you can make data-driven decisions. It improves how your operations run, helps you manage revenue and cash flow actively, and gives you a better understanding of customer behavior. With this, your finance and sales teams can track trends and gain insights into overdue payments. 

Automation and workflow integration

In order to improve the efficiency of your teams, you must look for features such as automated notifications and refund processing. These automated workflows help alert your teams to take proactive actions. Make sure that the payment processor integrates smoothly with Salesforce objects like Opportunities, Orders, and Accounts. This integration is essential for enhancing operational efficiency during payment processes and minimizing manual workload.

Support for diverse payment options and gateways

While selecting a native Salesforce payment processor, you should check that it allows a wide range of payment options. These can include credit or debit cards and digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay, PayPal, and more. As not all customers will use the same payment method to pay, their favorite payment options should be made available. 

Moreover, if you are willing to use more than one payment gateway, ensure that the Salesforce payment processor supports multiple payment gateway integrations. 

How will you do it?

• Go through the official documentation.
• Search through the website 
• Read AppExchange reviews

By now, you must be familiar with the key factors on how to choose the right Salesforce-native payment processor and how to evaluate them. However, with so many tools available in the market, it’s impractical to evaluate every single option. Therefore, we are narrowing down the search for you.

Top Salesforce native payment processors and their comparison 

Here is a comparison of some of the top Salesforce-native payment processors, including ChargeOn, Chargent, SimplePay, and LitePae. This side-by-side comparison is based on factors like supported payment options, pricing plans, upgrades, free trials, and more.

By examining the comparison table above, you should have a clear idea of which payment processor best meets your business needs. Upon closer analysis, ChargeOn stands out as the better alternative among the other Salesforce-native payment processors. It provides all the essential features that a payment processor should offer, and at a favorable price for businesses.

To sum up 

As promised, we have thoroughly helped you with the necessary factors to see when choosing a Salesforce native payment processor and top choices from AppExchange. Now, compare this list of the best options and opt for a payment processor that best suits your business needs and simultaneously aligns with your business growth. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Salesforce native payment processor?
A Salesforce native payment processor is a tool built to work directly inside your Salesforce environment without needing extra software. It allows you to manage payments, invoices, and transactions from within your customer relationship management (CRM) system. This seamless connection helps streamline your entire sales and billing process.

Why is native integration important for a payment processor?
Native integration is important because it eliminates the need for third-party connectors, which can be complex and cause data sync errors. It ensures that all payment data flows directly and accurately between your sales and finance records within Salesforce. This creates a single source of truth for all transaction information.

What are the most important security features to look for?
Look for processors that are PCI DSS compliant to protect cardholder data. Key security features include tokenization, which replaces sensitive data with a secure token, and robust encryption. Also, ensure the provider undergoes regular security audits to protect against evolving cyber threats.

How do I check if a processor is compatible with all my Salesforce products?
The most reliable way is to review the processor’s official listing on the Salesforce AppExchange, which details product compatibility. You should also check the provider’s own documentation for a list of supported Salesforce clouds. For final confirmation, contact their sales team directly and ask for written verification.

Do all Salesforce payment processors support digital wallets like Apple Pay?
No, support for payment options varies between providers. While most handle credit and debit cards, you must check their specific feature list to confirm support for digital wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay or direct debit methods like ACH. Offering diverse options is key to meeting customer preferences.

Isn’t it easier to just use one payment gateway like Stripe?
While using a single gateway can seem simpler, relying on just one can limit your flexibility and global reach. A good Salesforce payment processor will support multiple gateways, allowing you to choose the best option for different regions or transaction types. This strategy can help lower processing fees and reduce payment failures.

How does a payment processor improve reporting for my finance team?
A native processor provides real-time reporting dashboards directly within Salesforce. This allows your finance and sales teams to track payment statuses, monitor cash flow, and identify trends like overdue payments without leaving the platform. This centralized data helps in making faster, more informed financial decisions.

What does “customization” mean for a payment processor?
Customization means the ability to adapt the payment tool to fit your specific business rules and workflows. This could involve creating unique payment schedules, setting up automated logic for different customer types, or integrating with other custom objects in your Salesforce org. It ensures the tool grows and changes with your business.

How can automating payment workflows save my team time?
Automation handles repetitive tasks like sending payment reminders, processing refunds, and updating invoice statuses. By integrating with Salesforce objects like Opportunities and Accounts, it reduces manual data entry and minimizes errors. This frees up your teams to focus on more strategic activities instead of administrative work.

Why do some processors cost so much more than others?
Pricing differences often reflect the processor’s range of features, level of customization, and the number of payment gateways supported. More expensive plans may include advanced features like multi-currency support, enterprise-level security, and dedicated training sessions. It’s important to compare features against the price to find the best value for your specific needs.