The DIY Myth: Why Embedded Payments Need More Than Just an Integration
In the mid-2010s, Stripe helped usher in a new era of embedded payments. By simplifying the integration process, they made it easier for software platforms to add payments—and inspired a generation of API-first solutions that followed.
But while the technical barrier came down, a new gap emerged: most software platforms now have access to embedded payments, yet very few unlock their full revenue potential.
Proven Results
The average platform captures less than 20% of the payments opportunity available to them. They know embedded payments can double ARPU. They’ve seen it happen—or invested in companies where it has. So they assume that launching an integration and sending out a few emails will lead to the same success.
More often than not, it doesn’t.
What follows is a common story: the integration works just fine, but the business impact falls short. Attach rates stay low. Margins remain slim. Payments revenue never meets expectations.
Why most DIY efforts fall flat
Reaching best-in-class payments performance—70%+ attach rate, 80+ basis points of margin, 2x SaaS ARPU—requires a series of high-stakes decisions. Each one has to be right: from go-to-market motion and pricing to onboarding flows and support.
Hiring a VP of Payments is one option—but not always the answer. The reality is, true end-to-end payments expertise is rare. Many candidates have scaled payments inside a functioning system, but few have built it from scratch.
We’ve worked with platforms that are on their third or fourth hire, still searching for traction.
There’s a better path
Forward’s Maximize program gives your team instant access to proven expertise. A fractional VP of Payments helps design and optimize the program from day one. Our team then activates your customers and continuously adjusts your program to grow revenue faster.
When your attach rate is high and the program is humming, you can transition to our Rails program—and bring more of the function in-house, on your timeline.
Don’t mistake an integration for an outcome.
You wouldn’t check the “customer success” box just because you launched a help desk. Payments are no different. Success means real business results—higher ARPU, stronger margins, and reliable revenue you can reinvest in growth.
We’ve helped hundreds of software platforms bridge the gap from technical integration to business success. Let’s do the same for you.