Discover how you can launch the new exciting Buy Now Pay Later app
Covid-19 changed the way we live our lives, and that includes how we spend our money. In wake of the pandemic, Buy Now Pay Later accelerated in popularity.
This gave consumers the opportunity to make an online purchase either paid back at a later date or in instalments.
It is becoming an increasingly popular payment option for e-commerce. If you’re not using BNPL, you could be losing out on a large, lucrative market of consumers. That’s why Invatechs is here to help. In our BNPL app development guide, we’ll run you through how you can create a solution from scratch.
This article is perfect for businesses with a marketplace and e-commerce store. It’s great if you’re looking to build and launch the new, exciting BNPL app for consumers as well. Don’t have the tools or team to make it a reality? Don’t worry. We’ll also introduce you to Invatechs’ own e-commerce solutions and services if you need help with building and implementing your BNPL system.
Are you ready to reach a whole new audience with the power of BNPL? Stick with us, and Invatechs will show you how.
BNPL: How it Works and the Features You’ll Need
Buy Now Pay Later, like a credit card or small loan, gives consumer a flexible option. Consumers are required to pay back their instalments and/or the fee on time to avoid damaging their credit score.
As BNPL grew in popularity during the pandemic in 2020, so did fraudulent behaviour. As a result, more stringent cyber security measures were introduced, and the compliance and legislation are sure to keep growing. So, fundamental to your BNPL system has to be premium data protection and thorough legal understanding. Furthermore, consumers and users want to know exactly what they’re signing up for.
Invatechs’ team are equipped with the legal knowledge and skills to navigate fintech development and solutions. If you need advice on where to start, we’re here to help. More on that later though. For now, what features will you need?
Purchasing Power – consumers are looking for an effective and competitive loan, which you’ll need to offer and cap.
Fully Digital – you should be able to offer a fully paperless experience, with contracts and bills available on the user’s app.
Convenience - the beauty of BNPL is the convenience it affords consumers. That’s why a smooth and accessible UI/UX is paramount for your app’s success.
Set Your Loan Terms – you need to decide the frequency of your loan repayments. These could vary from weekly to fortnightly, monthly or even over the span of a couple of years.
How to Build Your BNPL App
So, you’re looking to build an app like Affirm or Klarna, but where do you get started? Let’s break down the steps you need to take to get the ball rolling with our quick guide.
1 – Identify the scope and infrastructure of your project:
BNPL is relatively new, but the market for vendors and apps is already getting competitive. That’s why you need a concept with unique features and a great software development team behind you. UI/UX, QA testing, Java, React, and cloud engineering experience and knowledge are all key ingredients for a successful team.
You’ll also need to select and decide on some fundamentals:
Whether you want to use APIs, PaaS or SDKs to develop your app.
The best cloud provider that gives you access to a great IT infrastructure.
The appropriate system development life cycle (SDLC) methodology.
How your project and solution can successfully and sustainably scale with changing compliance and user traffic.
An online payment solution and ID verification system. Your ID verification is a regulatory requirement for online payment service providers.
2 – Define and decide on your tech stack and architecture:
How you build your architecture and tech stack will inform the efficacy of your product in the long run. That’s why it’s a crucial step to get right. These steps will also help make your product easier to maintain and develop. Two go-to architectural patterns include:
Broker pattern – this allows unlinked devices and computers on different systems to communicate with each other without needing to be directly connected. The broker architecture coordinates information between these different systems.
Layered pattern – this is one of the most popular architecture patterns. It splits your database and code into different functional layers. These include the presentation layer, business logic layer, data access layer and database layer.
3 – Define your metrics for success:
How are you measuring the success of your BNPL solution? You’ll need relevant data to understand its strengths and areas for improvement. The number of users, average order value (AOV) and total sales revenue will help merchants measure the impact of your BNPL.
4 – Safety and security review:
As we touched on, regulation and compliance are pivotal for BNPL, especially as it’s a reasonably new payment system. You need to ensure you’re creating your solution with the most up to date security policies. For regulators, some of their main concerns are overspending by consumers and a lack of clarity around the BNPL terms and conditions.
Not only is safety and security important for your app’s compliance, but also to win the trust of your users and keep them safe in the knowledge you’re sensible with their credit score and details.
5 – Development and QA:
When you have your team, tech stack, architecture and project scope, you can begin development. Our article on how to develop a mobile app has some great tips and guidance for app development, including tools and techniques for an effective project. When your app is ready, testing it for quality assurance is a crucial final step.
Launching a sturdy and functional product is going to capture and retain your users more efficiently than a rushed, incomplete product.
Important Tips for App Development
Because safety and security are particularly important for your BNPL app, we’ve got some additional tips and suggestions.
Utilise two-factor authentication – this has become standard for most online transactions and purchases. Building it into your app provides double the protection for your users at checkout.
Data encryption – when data is stored on the internet, it isn’t necessarily secure. This can be fatal for a BNPL system that doesn’t encrypt and protect users’ data. So, ensure that data in your app is encrypted at every stage of handling and processing. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure there are plenty of security layers throughout the app’s design and build.
Do your research – consumers want to make their purchase in seconds. However, as we’ve discussed, they’re also looking for unique features and offerings with their BNPL vendor. That’s why market research and discovery is a key step in the initial stages of your app’s development.
Make assessments – if you want to know if your BNPL app will be a hit on the app store, you’ll want to make some prior assessments. Value and usability risks will help you understand the utility and UX efficiency of your app. Feasibility and business viability risk assessments will let you know if you have the resources and business to make it work.
BNPL Expertise with Invatechs
You might be ready to take the next step with building the next big BNPL solution. However, you still don’t have the understanding or means on how to get it done. Maybe you’d like to launch a BNPL app, but you don’t have the team to execute it properly.
Clearly, BNPL is hugely popular, and becoming a growing demand for consumers. If you don’t know where to get started, we’re here to help. With our tailored services, we can build your BNPL payment gateway or app that’s bespoke for your business’s demands.
Our best work speaks for itself. We were tasked with creating a microcredit platform that gave users access to personalised financial management tools. It provided them with unearned income in exchange for a fair transaction fee. It also gave users data analysis on their spending with custom advice and support. As fintech experts, we’ve provided customers and clients with a range of credit and crypto solutions. These have included our cryptocurrency saving app, alongside our dedicated payroll solutions and products. If you want to discover more about fintech, we even have a dedicated InvaBlogs page, covering everything from NFTs to the IoT.
We’re not just developers and designers. We partner with you to identify the customisable features you’ll need to create a truly unique product for commercial use or for your own company. That means we also build a product that is legally compliant and scalable with the demands of your consumers and staff. More than that, we offer post-launch maintenance and support, so we can help you fix and develop your BNPL service even after its launch.
In Conclusion – What it Takes to Make A BNPL App Users Will Love
In this article, we’ve discovered and delved into the popular new payment system. Increasingly it’s becoming the norm, but regulations and a competitive market still make it a tricky app to crack.
That’s why when you partner with us, we’ll ensure you’re equipped with everything you need to launch a great BNPL app. Whether you need to integrate it into your e-commerce store or want to build a new app to rival the likes of Klarna.
We’ll work with you to create a seamless and convenient user experience that keeps them coming back to your business. Ready to get started? Contact Invatechs today.