North American Bancard

An open SDK for mobile payments

This story originally appeared in The Green Sheet Issue 120102 on January 23, 2012.

Payment processor North American Bancard now offers an open software development kit (SDK) for Apple Inc. iOS that is free to third-party developers who integrate its Pay Anywhere mobile payment platform within their own applications. The Pay Anywhere software application and card reader enable merchants to accept credit card payments on Apple or Google Inc. Android mobile devices. NAB plans to release an SDK for Android devices shortly.

"Our goal in making the Pay Anywhere SDK available is to enable developers to create apps that provide merchants with a smooth payment processing experience," stated Marc Gardner, NAB founder and President. "The Pay Anywhere mobile payment platform comes with nearly 20 years of experience in credit card processing, and this allows developers the freedom and peace of mind to concentrate on what matters most to them - app development."

Developers can choose between basic and advanced versions of the SDK. Pay Anywhere SDK-Basic provides a plug-and-play application programming interface (API) that requires minimal programming to implement within existing applications.

According to NAB, a software developer's existing application handles the amount and itemization of the transaction, and the API passes critical information to Pay Anywhere for completing the transaction.

Developers who require greater programming flexibility can create a customized application using Pay Anywhere SDK-Advanced. With this version, private-label branding keeps the focus on the developer's application while still relying upon Pay Anywhere for processing transactions.

Pay Anywhere users have access to a secure merchant portal and customer support, along with such built-in features as "geo tax" calculation and default tipping. The application also provides real-time reporting functions that can trigger automatic email sales activity alerts and track best-selling items at multiple locations.

NAB said it charges a flat transaction fee and set percentages for swiped and keyed entries, so Pay Anywhere merchants pay only to process payments.

"The Pay Anywhere SDK, along with the credit card reader, provides the opportunity for a developer to integrate a cost-efficient and secure payment interface into their application," NAB stated. "Developers can rely on the security of the Pay Anywhere system, which adheres to the strictest standards of PCI compliance, and ensures every transaction is encrypted."

Additionally, Pay Anywhere is backed by North American Bancard, which processes over $1 billion in monthly credit card transactions for more than 125,000 merchants nationwide, the company reported.

North American Bancard
877-788-5167
www.nabancard.com