After years of helping developers implement mobile payment SDKs to add payment processing to their POS solution, the Apriva Integration Services (AIS) team has learned several best practices for effective implementation. In the coming months, we will be sharing these tips and recommendations to help your team prepare for integration, make the process as smooth as possible, and keep your mPOS solution up to date long after launch. 

This month’s tip is about how to assess your integration options and select the right path for your needs.

Integration Paths

Apriva Integration Services include APIs, mobile payment SDKs for Android and iOS, and web services to securely connect your merchant’s POS solutions to 35 different payment processors.

• APIs (XML): With APIs, you can develop your payment acceptance solution in any language and then connect to Apriva through the API. This is the most direct integration path, and it supports almost any industry, point of payment, hardware, or type of transaction. 
• Mobile payment SDK: Our SDKs handle the legwork of connecting with Apriva’s platform to save you time and effort. This is the best path for small and mid-size merchants who use a magnetic stripe reader, such as peripherals from Anywhere Commerce or IDTech, and who would like to build an mPOS solution that will operate on an iOS or Android device.
• Web Services (JSON): Web Services are focused on a particular set of data, which leads to a smaller data size and faster transmission speed.  

Six Questions to Ask When Selecting an Integration Path

Before selecting an integration path, consider these six questions. Then, contact our Integration Specialists at devsupport@newpayments.apriva.com or (844) 291-4701 to share your answers and receive guidance on the option right for your mPOS integration.

1. What industry is the merchant in?
   • Parking
   • Car Wash
   • Vending
   • Mini Market
   • Retail
   • Restaurant
   • Other
2. Is the point of payment attended or unattended? What type of form factor is used?
   • Attended
     • Mobile
     • Multi-Lane
   • Unattended
     • Kiosk
     • Indoor
     • Outdoor
     • Vending Machine
     • Online
3. What features does the payment hardware include?
   • MSR
   • NFC or EMV Contactless
   • EMV Chip + PIN
   • EMV Chip with no PIN
   • Read Head Encryption
4. What kind of operating system does the application use?
   • iOS
   • Android
   • Windows
   • Linux/Unix
5. What types of transactions would the merchant like to accept?
   • Major brand credit cards
   • Debit cards
   • EBT
   • Stored value (Campus or Gift Cards)
   • Store and forward 
   • Recurring billing
6. What processor will the merchant utilize for transaction authorization and settlement?
   • TSYS
   • Global Payments
   • Elavon
   • Vantiv
   • First Data Nashville
   • First Data Omaha

For more integration advice and technical support, read other tips in this series or log in to your account and visit the “Support” section.”  If you do not have an account, sign up here.