Regardless of where your business is today, how it makes money, or what size it is, Paya’s frictionless platform provides simple, flexible payment solutions that can meet your business’ every need!

Introducing Paya

Hi! We are Paya. While our brand is new, our team and solutions are industry-tested. We invite you to take a closer look at who we are, and where we want to go.

Paya is an integrated payment solutions provider, with the key focus on being integrated. Our services combine real-time business intelligence and industry-specific insight into an integrated commerce platform that works seamlessly, on any device. We’re integrated not only within a variety of multi-channel software options, but integrated within your business, offering payments systems to match your style and your business priorities. We integrate to you.

Seamless. Simple. Secure.

We thrive in a constantly changing payments space, and constantly incorporate the latest technology and industry trends into our business solutions model. This is why, at Paya, we’re passionate about providing integrated payment solutions for those who also want to thrive in this payments landscape.

While most businesses understand that commerce is evolving and moving towards electronic payments processing, choosing the right payments processor can still be an intimidating process. Paya’s purpose-built platform is adaptable and future-driven, eliminating the need for you to change payment systems or providers in order to access the latest technology. Rather than having to pivot with every payments industry change – make one last decision. Choose a business and payment solutions provider to navigate the industry for you.

While the Paya brand is new, we bring almost 20 years of full-service payments experience to our brand launch. Our long history of payments and portfolio management as part of Sage Payment Solutions, dates back to 1989. We are leveraging this rich payments experience into our new Paya brand and are excited to share the Paya mission with you.

“We are standing on our own two feet now! We are essentially a well-funded startup but with 20 years of industry experience. This is exactly what a partner or business needs in this environment – the right mix of customer-centric strategy and leaders that have been successful in the past bringing this strategy into practice. Due to our smaller operational size vs. Sage, everyone at Paya is involved in every aspect of the company. Collectively, we want to exceed industry goals. This passion and enthusiasm are what makes us Paya.” – Suzanne Hawes, Chief Human Resources Officer

Relationships You Can Rely On.

With a new, fresh and vibrant brand name, and our commitment to be recognized as an industry leader, we are bringing our passion to the payments landscape. Weaving together a powerful mix of employee backgrounds and industry perspectives, we are ready to work within the dynamic payments ecosystem as a trusted partner, providing exceptional business solutions and customer experiences, and asking the tough questions. Is there efficiency? Is our solution intuitive? Does it save money? We hold ourselves to high team standards internally as well, making sure our Paya team chemistry reflects our commitment to delivering value and growth for our partners and their customers, both today and tomorrow.

“Everyone at Paya knows what it is like to be a business owner. Let’s say for example you bake bread. You did not go into bread baking to work with credit card transactions. You have enormous challenges in your day-to-day work – distribution, payroll – everything to make your business run smoothly. On top of all of this, you also have to get paid! You need someone you can trust, that can help your business run efficiently, bringing business insight behind the scenes, without you doing a lot of extra work. This is what we offer and what you should expect from a successful, embedded solutions provider. So, let’s say you bake bread…. Keep on baking bread! We’ll take care of the rest.” – Chris Scappa, SVP Operations

Additionally, our support is “always on,” so you can rely on real-time answers from an expert, whenever you need them. No scrolling through documentation. No waiting for answers on forums. Whether it’s an ERP solution, CRM, or any feature that manages your business, Paya can be in the background, transparent, but omnipresent and reliable.  We don’t create or envision our products as stand-alone, separate solutions, but rather as an extension of your own business system. Unlike other solutions that offer a complex and fragmented set of technologies, Paya delivers a purpose-built commerce platform that is cohesive and seamless.

Committed to You

Your customers have expectations. Expectations that are continually evolving because of rapidly changing technology. It means you have to revisit or even redefine the products and services they use. Because what meets their needs today may not in the future. There’s a lot to consider. A lot to manage. Which makes it all the more challenging. You want a partner who understands where you are now and where you plan to go. A partner who provides solutions you need today, while recommending those you’ll need tomorrow. A partner who reduces complexity and delivers simplicity, is open and flexible, protects your interests not theirs, and makes your life easier.

At Paya we’re problem solvers, adapters, and innovators. We’ve been there as the market has changed, and will continue to be there as it evolves. We design and build products that move and manage your money with safety and security always in mind, creating experiences that enable your business to be successful. We seamlessly connect the back office to the front office to create one office. At Paya we believe your success is our success. We help you run your business smarter, so you can run your business better. So, for all our bread bakers out there – At Paya when you are working, we are working!

Thinking of accepting payments online? Great idea. Online shopping is a booming industry across the globe, with U.S. small businesses earning approximately $313 million in revenue from online shopping in 2016. And in 2017, 38 percent of small business owners surveyed said they expect revenue to increase year over year* supporting compelling reasons to get selling online!

To get started, you’ll need to select a payments gateway provider to integrate with your current payment system, build your online shopping cart and process your customers’ online payments similarly to how payments are processed in-store.

But with so many payments gateway providers to choose from, finding the one for your business can be overwhelming and confusing. Here are the top nine thing you should consider before making a selection.

1. Your customers’ experience. It’s common knowledge within the industry that offering your customers more ways to pay creates a better customer experience. Great customer experiences lead to repeat customers, which often leads to referred business. Adding an online element is a great step toward creating a positive experience in your customers’ minds.
2. Technology and functionality. Speaking of customer experience, you want to make sure your gateway provider can support the type of functionality (i.e., reporting, emailed receipts) that best suits your business and appeals to your customers. Easy integration is key. Your gateway provider should offer the flexibility that allows you to do business today, AND as your business grows in the future. Look for a provider that is constantly developing new ways to elevate user experience and ease of use.
3. Your business location and incorporation. Where your business is located, and where your provider is located can make a difference in how you incorporate your business, which is what most gateway providers will ask of you. This means there are a different set of incorporation rules for an American business seeking processing service from a gateway provider in the UK, and vice versa. It’s important to know those details ahead of time to get you accepting online payments quicker.
4. Your business model, products and services. The type of business you have is just as important as the type of gateway provider you choose. Some payments processors don’t support businesses and services that are considered “high risk”. Before you make a selection, save yourself some time by making sure the payments processor you choose doesn’t put your business in that category. Examples of high-risk industries are:
   • Gaming
   • Gambling
   • Dating
   • Travelling
   • Adult entertainment
5. Pricing, fees and service value. How much profit do you make on a single sale? What’s your average margin? Knowing your business’ numbers are key when you are negotiating payments processing fees. Keep in mind, however, that the lowest fees don’t always mean the best value for your business. Many providers will boast of lower fees to attract you, but will your site’s look and feel attract customers to you? To get the best bang for your buck, look for a transparent fee structure, hidden fees in the fine print, conversion rate, and value-added services.
6. Technical and customer support. There’s nothing worse than losing a sale because of a technical glitch, or not being able to accept a payment because you’re confused about how your gateway processor works. Be sure the online payments processor you choose offers live assistance from a responsive team or account manager. Hopefully, you’ll never need it, but you want to make sure it’s there to ensure you’re always up and running.
7. Payments security. You may offer the best product or service possible, but if customers don’t feel safe shopping on your site, it’ll be hard for you to make a sale. Your gateway provider should at least meet these minimum requirements:
   • Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance on their end.
   • Maximum protection of cardholder data, including card information storing, tokenization, verification from card brands, etc.
   • Tools to help you meet and maintain PCI compliance for your business.
   • If you are unsure about what any of this means, it’s best to do your research on PCI and payments security before you contact a gateway provider.
8. Getting paid and reserve. You’ll want to be aware of how your money gets to you before you choose a payments provider. Many offer daily or weekly settlement options, which will make a difference in how quickly you are able to access your funds. These services may come with additional transfer fees, so be sure to ask for those details upfront to eliminate any surprises. Have you thought about chargebacks? Do you know that as banks get to know your business, they may withhold a portion of your funds for a period of time to account for any fees your revenue doesn’t cover? Get a clear explanation of these policies as well.
9. Recommendations from peers. Who are your peers using? Your competitors? It’s not one size fits all, but you may be able to pick up tips and pointers from fellow business owners who have already gone through the selection process. Consider their advice as you go through your selection process.

https://www.statista.com/outlook/243/109/e-commerce/united-states#

Quick check: How has business been for you so far this year? Have you got a better handle on managing cash flow? Have sales increased? Are your customers happy?
The National Federation of Independent Business’ (NFIB) survey of 700 U.S. small business owners in March 2017 shows SMBs are optimistic overall. Forty-six percent expect to see the economy improve, 18% expect to see an increase in sales, and 22% see now as a good time to expand. But what hasn’t been going so well? What have been the biggest frustrations so far? NFIB asked this question as well and we’ve got solutions for the top three challenges SMBs experienced in 2017.

Tax woes

This survey was conducted just a few weeks shy of Tax Day 2017, and with tax reform being such a hot topic in today’s political climate, it’s not surprising that tax concerns top the list. Twenty percent of respondents of the survey said tax issues were top of mind – and the reasons why probably run the gamut. But everyone wants to survive tax with much money in their pocket as they can, so here are the top hiding places for tax credits:

1. Health insurance. If you are a small employer, there is a tax credit that can put money back in your pocket. The IRS and the SBA websites have more detailed information on how you can take advantage of this tax credit.

2. Contributions. Have you donated goods or services to charitable organizations this past year? You may be eligible to take a deduction for the value of these items. Be sure to get a valuation for any non-cash items you donate so you’ll have the appropriate documentation to back-up your deduction.

3. Equipment and software. Some tangible property purchases can be fully deducted during the year you buy them under Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code, up to $500,000. That includes off-the-shelf computer software programs and business equipment. The IRS provides information electing the deduction and what types of property are eligible.

4. Interest. If you’ve borrowed money to fund your business start-up or growth, the interest paid on those funds is deductible. Even if you have borrowed from a friend or a family member, if the loan is properly documented, you can deduct interest payments. Similarly, bank charges are also deductible.

5. Education and training expenses. You can deduct expenses paid for education to the extent permitted by law, if the education was needed to maintain or improve your skills.

Quality of labor

Sixteen percent of respondents say quality of labor is their biggest frustration, while another sixteen percent plan to hire more employees this year. Selecting the right employees is obviously an important factor in your business’ success. Recruiting the right staff does take a degree of patience, but there are some best practices to make the process a little easier:

1. Narrow your searches. If you don’t define the scope of your job candidate search you could end up leading yourself on a wild goose chase. You’re looking for a potential employee that has a certain set of skills and talents, so you wouldn’t search for just anybody. Keep in mind the position that needs filling and the requirements and qualifications it needs.

2. Use social media. Check out candidates via their LinkedIn pages and do some further delving by looking at their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter feeds if they have them. Doing this can give you a better perspective of possible candidates since many people post about their talents and interests. Obviously, you can’t learn all there is to know about a person via their online presence, but you can get a good sense of whether he or she would click with you and your office.

3. Keep a few on the back burner. If you’re recruiting for one position and interview multiple candidates for it, don’t forget about those applicants who didn’t get the job. Hold on to their resumes and contact information, because they could turn out to be solid employees in the future.

Poor sales

Increasing sales is the biggest challenge for 12% of SMBs. This is a common symptom for strategic issues, like pricing, marketing and inventory management. Could the problem also be in how you accept payments? Are you losing business because you don’t offer the payment methods customers have come to expect? Our 2018 Payments Landscape Report, a survey of over 1000 small businesses and 1000 shoppers for their take on the current state of payments, shows 87% of shoppers say the easier a merchant makes the purchasing process, the more likely they will choose that store over their competition. This could be the year you re-evaluate if and how you accept non-cash payments, like mobile wallets and online payments.