Why Embedded Payments Need UX Partnerships, Not Just AI

Stripe made a bold move. Instead of buying an AI company to improve fraud detection, they partnered with OpenAI and NVIDIA, the firms already at the cutting edge of AI. It was a clear recognition that building the best AI-driven payments experience isn’t just about having the right technology—it’s about working with the right partners.

Embedded payments need the same approach. If payments companies want to ensure a seamless experience across their entire product portfolio, they don’t just need developers and engineers—they need UX experts who understand how users interact with payments at every touchpoint.

The Problem: Embedded Payments Are Often a Mess

Many companies treat payments as an afterthought. They focus on building their core product, then bolt-on payments at the end. This approach leads to clunky experiences, confusing interfaces, and lost revenue.

Consider a CFO approving a vendor payment inside an ERP system. If the experience feels disconnected—requiring multiple logins, unclear fee structures, or a lack of transparency on transaction status—they will hesitate. If they hesitate, the company loses efficiency, and the payment provider loses revenue.

Or take an SMB trying to integrate an embedded checkout into their SaaS platform. If it feels inconsistent with the rest of their UI or lacks intuitive error handling, customers will drop off before completing their transaction. Again, lost revenue.

The challenge isn’t just building payments into a product—it’s making sure the entire experience feels like it was designed as one seamless flow.

The Stripe Playbook: Smart Partnerships for a Competitive Edge

Stripe understood that fraud detection isn’t just a technology problem—it’s an intelligence problem. That’s why they partnered with OpenAI and NVIDIA instead of trying to build their own AI models from scratch.

Payments UX is the same. The smartest payments companies know that partnering with UX specialists is a strategic move, especially in the era of digital payments.

The ones that invest in expert UX will create seamless, intuitive experiences that attract and retain users. Those that don’t will see their users gravitate toward competitors who do.

A well-executed embedded payments experience requires:

• Consistency: Every payment flow should feel like an organic part of the product, not an add-on.
• Clarity: Users should always know what’s happening with their money—when a payment is processed, when it’s pending, when it settles.
• Trust: Payment interfaces must be designed to eliminate friction while still making security and compliance visible to the user.

Meeting these demands requires a dedicated focus on how users think, behave, and make decisions around payments.

Where Payments Companies Go Wrong

1. They Focus Only on Functionality, Not Experience
   Too many companies believe that as long as the payment "works," the experience is good enough.
   
   But payments live inside larger workflows, and if the flow feels disjointed, users will abandon it or make errors.
2. They Ignore the Business Impact of UX
   Poor UX in payments directly impacts the business. If users struggle to complete transactions, have doubts about security, or don’t understand the fee structure, they hesitate or abandon transactions entirely.
   
   A better-designed experience directly translates into higher transaction volumes and lower support costs.
3. They Try to Solve UX Internally Without UX Experts
   Just like Stripe recognized that they weren’t the best at AI, payments companies need to recognize that UX isn’t something you just "figure out." It requires deep expertise.
   
   The companies that work with UX specialists will set themselves apart, offering a superior experience that keeps users engaged and loyal.

The Right UX Partner Gives You an Edge

The best payments experiences are the ones users barely notice. They don’t stop to think about how to pay—they just do it naturally.

Achieving this requires:

• Deep understanding of payments UX across industries (SaaS platforms, ERP systems, fintech apps, etc.)
• Cross-functional collaboration between product teams, compliance teams, and engineering
• A relentless focus on reducing friction while maintaining trust and transparency

WDIR specializes in helping payments companies and fintechs build embedded payments experiences that feel effortless. We work with leaders across payments, banking, and fintech to ensure that payments don’t just "work"—they enhance the overall product experience.

Takeaways for Payments Leaders

If you’re a decision-maker for payments at your company—whether you’re a CFO, Chief Product Officer, or leading a fintech—ask yourself:

• Are our embedded payments experiences intuitive, or do they feel like bolt-ons?
• How much friction do users experience when making or receiving payments through our platform?
• Are we losing revenue because our payment flows are confusing or inconsistent?
• Do we have the right UX expertise in-house, or would a strategic partner improve our holistic experience?

Partnering With WDIR: The UX Experts in B2B Payments

Embedded payments are about trust, clarity, and ease of use. Companies that get UX right will see higher adoption, smoother transactions, and stronger customer loyalty.

The payments companies that invest in holistic UX will be the ones that attract and retain users, while those that neglect it will lose ground to competitors who prioritize the user experience.

If you’re serious about making your embedded payments feel seamless, WDIR can help. We specialize in B2B payments UX, helping fintechs, banks, and SaaS companies create payment experiences that drive real business impact.