The Importance of Payment Gateway Integration In iOS And Android Apps

The Importance of Payment Gateway Integration In iOS And Android Apps
mobile app development
Do you carry cash everywhere or a smartphone?
Don’t we all shop from our smartphones? Lately, mobile payments have gained prominence by providing a fast and easy way to make purchases and helping users save time and get an enhanced shopping experience.
How do we make the payment then? Of course, with the help of online payment options using payment gateways. Whether you talk about Retail companies, or you are on e-Commerce stores, freelancing platforms, travel agencies, they all are using payment gateways to help ease your payment.
Based on Statista website, by 2023, there will be around 1.31 billion proximity mobile payment transactions by users worldwide.
The payment gateway integration is not subject to one mobile OS; it’s for both Android and iOS. These two OS’s have captured the entire global market, as we all know. Let’s uncover the crucial aspects of integrating payment methods for both Android and iOS.
Let’s start with;

What is a Payment Gateway

Payment gateways are the median between online customers and financial institutions. Without intermediaries, in-app purchases and payment processes can’t take place.
As we see, many apps like Amazon, Netflix, etc., ask for a subscription to watch shows, movies, etc. While paying for a subscription, it gets easy as, within a few steps, users can buy the subscription via the third-party app (Google Pay, PayPal).
The funds move through an interbank network, a complex sequence of operations and create risk associated with security assurance. It just takes users a few seconds, but it’s a huge amount of work to deal with underneath the app.
Fortunately, banks take responsibility for all transactions and data safety, but how do you deliver this information to the bank? How will the application know that the customer has funds in his accounts and the account belongs to the customer?
Moreover, what about storing your payment details? What if all this information gets in the hands of the wrong people? Who is responsible for this? Both business owners and mobile app developers should not be the ones to bear this blame.
To get deep insights, let’s now understand how a payment gateway works?
payment apps
  • Before opting for payment, users open a cart to buy the items they like. After doing so, they go to payment, wherein you have to enter debit or credit card details.
  • The information you fill in is sent to a payment gateway system. It then encrypts user data and passes it to a payment processor.
  • The payment processor is another mediator that begins the transaction process and gets feedback from the bank (Visa or Mastercard).
  • The processor verifies the data accuracy and then transmits the information to the bank (financial institution), which has to finalize the verification (it takes seconds).
  • After approval, the amount is withdrawn from the buyer’s card and sent to the merchant’s account.

Why choose payment gateway integration?

Considering the USA market, one can expect the USA Digital payment market to register a CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) of 12.14% over the forecast period from 2022 to 2025 (Source: Statista). Hence, it has become the most important aspect of any business.
The positive thing is that it allows collecting money through the customer’s preferred bank without risking sensitive data.
With the increasing awareness about the ease of online transactions and digital evolvement, consumers are changing their priorities for making payments online. Hence it generates confidence among the users for switching to online transactions, which is why we see the boost in payment gateways.
Here we will see what the trend globally looks like:
payment gateway integration
In the year 2020, the size of the mobile payment market across the globe was valued at 1.54 trillion USD. This value rose to 1.97 trillion USD in 2021. The market has been predicted to grow at a CAGR of 29.1% from 2021 to 2028 and reach 11.83 trillion USD by 2028.
payment gateway integration

How to do the integration of payment gateway with iOS and Android?

  • Install the app or any type of payment gateway based on your needs, such as the size of the business, industry or the targeted country.
  • One should add client tokens when the server sends a request from your app. It helps generate a new token on every app launch with full authorization and configuration specifics to let the client initialize the SDK. One can execute it using various programming languages like JavaScript, React, NET, PHP, Python etc.
  • Then the software developers will test the credentials such as customer id, public and private keys etc.
  • It is important to install additional certifications that accept the PCI-DSS for better security. Further, the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) guarantees clients’ sensitive information protection.
  • While processing a transaction, the one-time payment method needs to be configured. It works as: the client sends you card information, the gateways forward it to the server and uses that data to initiate the transaction.

How to know the best applicable payment apps for you?

mobile app developer
Firstly, make sure the payment gateway supports your product.
Many payment gateway providers support both digital and physical products. However, not everyone does that, plus some product groups are riskier, so the providers don’t join in.
For example, Stripe has Restricted Businesses, including investment and credit services, gambling, adult content and services, get-rich-quick schemes, and many other categories.
Thus, you must be sure you’re on the “white list” of a particular provider.
Pay attention to pricing
When it comes to payment gateway integration, keep in mind these fee types: monthly fee, gateway setup, merchant account setup, and per-transaction fee.
Dig through gateway documentation to ensure there are no hidden fee charges and the pricing policy is crystal clear.
Check payment methods and card types
You should always list payment tools and services used by your audience and make sure that a payment gateway of your choice supports all of them.
The integration of digital wallet payments differs from payment card support because of different tokenization processes. You must check if a payment gateway allows using mobile wallets.
Another essential point is that if you are targeting the international market, check the cost for businesses and multi-currency payments as some gateways require additional fees.
Study transaction limits
Payment gateways often have limitations for the numbers or amounts of transactions to take place. For example, Square’s maximum transaction is 50,000 USD. This amount is enough for most businesses but may not be the same for you. Anything beyond this limit needs to be split into different instalments.
Look closely at merchant account options
A merchant account is an intermediary account where payments are parked before you get them, a kind of money storage. It is basically for a smooth shopping experience. At times buyers want to return the product or get a refund. To clear such issues easily, one can manage them with the money accumulated in your merchant account.
Well, when we talk about merchant accounts; then there are two types to know about: First is a dedicated account that is for your business only. It helps you to control your money and operations. Companies with dedicated accounts usually receive faster transactions, but paying a higher price is also necessary to obtain the shortages.
The second is an aggregated account for several merchants (businesses). Mostly, entrepreneurs pick this option as it’s cheaper and easier to set up (it takes less than 24 hours).

The Use Case: Square

Currently, three payment apps mostly applicable for payment gateway integration are Square, Stripe, and PayPal.
Square is the application that provides an all-round top choice for making payments in different ways (online, invoices, in-person, over the phone). It comes with many free features, a powerful POS app, and attractive equipment options.
Square acquired many companies, including Storehouse, Fastbite, and Kili. Major competitors for Square are Google Wallet (GOOGL), Intuit Inc. (INTU), and PayPal-owned (PYPL) Venmo.
Let’s see what Square provided to a company named Kili (developed silicon, electronics, and software that simplify and optimize payment processing) after the acquisition.
While Square already offers a payment option to the users of credit cards via mobile, the Kili acquisition will let the company begin experimenting with Near Field Communication (NFC) payments (like Apple Pay). It will help compete with larger companies by delivering simple and affordable hardware that gives the sellers a safe and smart way to do business.

Conclusion

Does your company deal with any kind of online transaction? You need to allow payments in your mobile app. Using a payment gateway will give you a competitive advantage. The payment gateway is the connecting link between the bank and the customer and removes the hassles associated with safe data storage, transaction security and fraud detection.
Want to build an app that requires online payment gateway integration and looking for a mobile app development company to help you? Contact us today.

Swift Or Dart: Which One is the Most Viable Choice for iOS App Development!

Swift Or Dart: Which One is the Most Viable Choice for iOS App Development!
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Planning to develop an iOS app and pondering which programming language to pick – Swift or Dart? Well, both Swift and Dart are exceptional languages and therefore, it’s not an easy task to pick the right option that best suits your iOS app development requirements.
So, I have penned down a comparative analysis between Swift and Dart – the two most noteworthy programming languages that are used for architecting iOS apps. A quick read will help you to understand which programming language is a perfect fit for your upcoming iOS mobile app development project.

Swift: An Overview

Swift is an open-source programming language and is entirely dedicated to native iOS app development. It was developed by Apple and came into being in 2014. Swift had gained a lot of traction in the developer community and is preferred over Objective-C for building iOS apps.
It is an interactive, secure, and speedy programming language that integrates the best of both worlds – the wisdom of Apple’s engineering culture and the thought processing of new-age programming languages. Its compiler is optimized for performance and at the same time, the language itself is optimized for development.
Swift is an intuitive and powerful language that comes with some disruptive offerings including speedy coding, imaginative methodology, and intensive documentation. Moreover, it is conducive for mobile app development, ensures security, and creates software that runs very fast. Furthermore, the design patterns of Swift can be utilized for work area, web, and worker apps.
Coding with Swift is not only interactive and enjoyable for iOS developers but is also concise and yet, expressive. Most of the iOS devices including Apple watches, iPads, Apple TV, etc. are programmed using Swift.

Dart: An Overview

Dart is a Google-developed open-source programming language that was launched in 2011. Dart is used for building iOS as well as Android apps having a solitary codebase.
Dart is a client-optimized programming language for crafting fast apps. It provides a native-like look and feel, to both iOS as well as Android applications, thereby saving the time, cost, and efforts of developing apps for these two platforms separately.
This mobile software development kit (SDK) forms the foundation of the Flutter framework. It powers Flutter apps by offering the language and runtimes. It also supports several core tasks of developers including formatting, analyzing as well as testing the code.

Comparing Swift & Dart in terms of iOS App Development Requirements

ios app development
Take a look at the differences between Swift and Dart in terms of iOS app development requirements based on the following parameters.
Onboarding/Installation
The first step in iOS app development is onboarding – the process of downloading and installing the Integrated Development Environment commonly called the IDE. Once this IDE is set up, it provides a Software Development Kit (SDK) that is used to begin coding.
The only tool required for iOS mobile app development with Swift is XCode which has to be installed on the Mac OS device. Dart, on the other hand, needs a larger toolkit as compared to Swift to create binaries for coding. Dart developers use XCode, a Mac device, and an IDE such as Android Studio or IntelliJ IDEA for this purpose.
Inference: Swift needs lesser onboarding tools than Dart, though both of these involve an easy configuration process!
iOS App Profiling
Profiling refers to the process that estimates how an iOS app will be presented. This process revolves around the CPU, memories, and assets.
Swift uses XCode which provides a comprehensive framework that enables one to monitor an iOS app. Here, there are certain layouts that can be used for different profiling tests including the Time Profiler. The Time Profile allows one to evaluate the CPU strings in multiple occasions. This way, you can assess an iOS app’s performance, focussing on the resources, memory, and the CPU.
Dart comes with exceptional documentation concerning app profiling. Here you can use either an IDE or an order line to indicate the time required for Dart app profiling.
Inference: Win-win situation between Swift and Dart!
Size of the App
Dart applications turn out to be bulky in terms of size as its engine doesn’t permit the app size to be smaller than a specific value. Contrarily, the apps created with Swift are smaller in size.
Inference: Swift is the winner!
Accessibility Support
Accessibility support refers to an app’s capacity to cater to the needs of individuals with disabilities. Accessibility was considered as an optional feature earlier but now has become an essential function to include while developing apps, particularly in iOS app development. Today’s applications must be accessible to everyone, including the ones with physical disabilities.
Swift comes with an iOS native-owned in-built feature, a UIKit that offers accessibility support features, and so, you need not import any other framework for this purpose. The only aspect that needs to be taken care of is providing the correct accessibility to each UI element duing the process of swift app development. However, Dart lacks this feature, and to include this function, Dart developers need to employ the Accessibility Inspector of X-code; as suggested in Dart’s documentation.
Inference: Swift outshines Dart!
Build Time Involved
The build time refers to the time taken for creating a clean build (A build that is not incremental or a build that doesn’t contain any derived data). And, the build time happens to be a crucial aspect for a developer because the more the build time the higher is the cost of development. Moreover, quicker build time enables the addition of new features effectively as well as speedily.
Swift fares better than Dart in regards to native iOS app development and hence, is preferred for building iOS-only applications.
Inference: Swift outshines Dart when it comes to build time!
App Reloading Abilities
When there is a need to append new features to an iOS application, developers have to reload and then conduct testing on a device or a simulator. During this phase of iOS app development, the developer assesses the code and evaluates how the app is affected by the modifications introduced.
Dart uses the hot reloading approach and so the modifications made to the app are instantly displayed and can be viewed pretty fast, in just two or three seconds. However, with Swift as the programming language, the reloading process takes longer. Here, when the changes made are reflected in the app while the app is running on a test framework, simulator, or device, Swift developers need to alter a feature. Like the renaming of button and then the native code is upgraded for testing. And, this process approximately takes 12 seconds.
Nevertheless, these days, the Swift UI enables hot reloads and one can also use non-native solutions like InjectionIII to append novel features speedily.
Inference: Swift outshines Dart when it comes to build time!
Testing Approaches
Despite following different testing approaches, both Dart and Swift offer robust and effective testing modules. The testing environment offered by Dart allows developers to execute various kinds of tests including UI tests and functional-level tests. Developers can create tests that are to be executed by the Dart driver.
Swift eases out conducting tests during iOS app development owing to the availability of its testing platform XCTest. Using the Swift testing environment, one can test myriad components and aspects including UI modules, execution, incorporation, performance, integration, and navigation.
Inference: Swift outshines Dart!
Development Time and Expenses
The time taken for architecting apps are of great significance to the development team as well as the clients. A lengthy iOS app development process means more expenses and efforts. While Dart and Swift employ XCode for determining the development process, Swift apps overshadow Dart apps in this area.
Coming to the development cost, both Swift and Dart being open-source programming languages, do not incur additional expenses.
Inference: If you intend to create an iOS app only, Swift is preferable whereas Dart is recommended if you develop an app for Android as well as iOS.
Community Back-up and Popularity
The central Swift community, Swift.org boasts of 902 contributors on GitHub, enjoys 57.5k GitHub stars and 9.2k forks, and has 303463+ questions concerning Swift on the popular online portal Stack Overflow.
Dart has only 36 GitHub contributors, 1.5k stars and 117 forks, and 58480+ questions on the Stack Overflow platform.
Inference: Swift is more popular than Dart!


Conclusion:

Both Swift and Dart are incredible programming languages and cater to specific iOS development needs. Swift is recommended for native iOS mobile app development projects, while Dart is more suitable for projects that include developing apps for Android as well as iOS platforms.
If you need assistance with iOS app development, contact Biz4Solutions, a Swift app development company that has helped numerous clients around the globe to craft unparalleled apps.