PayU: An International Payment Gateway for Businesses and Freelancers

With recent technology advancements in the fintech space, anyone can buy and import products internationally. Along with big businesses, most small and medium businesses are trying to target global customers. A payment gateway that supports various currencies is a must to fulfill this requirement. Many existing problems involved with international logistics, communication, and reach are already resolved, but the issues related to payments still exist. This article will go through the roadblocks involved in international payments and provide a quick guide for international payment gateway for travel, business, and freelancers. Let’s start this article with problems involving international payments.

Problems in International Payments

Compliance

Before receiving payments from foreign banks, businesses must comply with several regulatory requirements imposed by the Reserve Bank of India. While following these principles is a one-time commitment, its complexity may be exhausting.

Conversion of currencies

Once you’ve completed the paperwork and established the legitimacy of your company, the following step is to determine the appropriate cost for your goods based on different exchange rates. You must also devise a method to take payments in numerous currencies. Your money should be instantly translated into Indian rupees (INR) to ensure a smooth transaction.

Payment monitoring

Accepting foreign payments without connecting with a payment gateway will be time-consuming and inconvenient in the long run. International payment tracking is notoriously tricky and unreliable. Merchants must follow up manually with the issuer’s bank and the buyer to obtain the funds.

Excessive transaction fees

The transaction fees paid by banks or card providers are one component of worldwide payments that many Small and medium businesses neglect. You would be correct in believing that foreign payments are subject to a high transaction fee.

How Do International Payments Work for Travel Websites Using Payment Gateway?

Below are some of the steps for an international payment gateway for a travel website

• The customer visits the merchant’s website and pays using a credit or debit card.
• The money is sent to the Payment Gateway.
• Later payment gateway sends the amount to the merchant’s account in INR.

Steps to Activate International Payments on PayU

Step 1: The merchant submits the necessary paperwork

Step 2: The PayU staff ensures that all paperwork is in order and that all charges have been completed.

Step 3: The PayU team submits the lead for approval to the banking partner.

Documents Required for International Payments

Below are some of the documents required to activate the international payment gateway for travel businesses and freelancers

1. Bank statement (from the previous year) / ITR (the latest two years). (Only for new businesses).
2. The balance sheet for the last two years has been audited. (If the company is older than two years)
3. Statement of profit and loss (If a company is more than two years old)
4. In the case of physical goods, and an import/export certificate is required.
5. In the case of bakeries and food goods, an FSSAI license is required.
6. An IATA certificate or any other recognized certificate for travel LOB is required in the travel business.

PayU’s Document Verification Steps 

1. The Terms and Conditions, Privacy Policy, Refund, and Cancellation Policy, and Shipping Policy should all be included.
2. The refund and cancellation policy should include the reimbursement method and the period for processing refunds. If the payment is in the form of shop credit, the validity of the store credit must be stated.
3. The shipping policy should specify whether the merchant additionally delivers internationally. Submit the IE (Import/Export) code, transit insurance, and delivery partners.
4. Validate the transaction flow by testing the login and password to be shared.

If a URL redirection is required, merchant compliance must be supplied. The specifications of the redirection URL should be explicitly communicated to the merchant compliance team in the merchant compliance email.

Bank approval

The bank gives the final permission, and the service will be activated in your PayU account.

International Payment Gateway for Travel Business and Freelancers

The travel business and freelancers have particular obstacles when it comes to payments. These difficulties, ranging from late payments to organization-specific payment schedules, can pressure cash flow. As a result, a good payment gateway should address these concerns. Also, some of the benefits of having an international payment gateway  for freelancers are

• Easy currency conversion.
• International payments can be easily tracked.
• Heavy transaction charges can be avoided.

PayU can act as the best international payment gateway for freelancers as well as for travel businesses.

Below are some of the features one should look for international payment gateway for freelancers in India

Various payment options

As a freelancer, you may work with different types of customers. When it comes to paying, each customer may have their preferences. Some clients may choose net banking to make payments, while others prefer UPI or wallet transfers. Allowing your customers to choose whatever payment option works best for them will encourage them to pay you sooner. A decent payment gateway should support all payment methods, including card and wallet transfers.

Transaction limit

The transaction limit is the most money that may be transmitted in one go. Transaction limitations vary amongst payment gateways. It is critical to define the transaction limit for freelancers dealing with huge settlements to avoid uncertainty in the future. If a client cannot pay all of their dues in one transaction, they may be discouraged from doing so. It may also be detrimental to your reputation.

Settlement time

The time it takes for money to appear in your bank account after a client has cleared payment is known as settlement time. There is a time between when a payment is started and when it is settled in most cases. Payment gateways provide a variety of settlement alternatives. As a freelancer, choosing one with the shortest settlement time can help you solve cash flow challenges.

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