The right payment integration changes everything – especially for fast-moving ISVs

Today, business owners expect their software to do more – especially when it comes to payments. From fitness centers and field technicians to golf courses and boutique retailers, the ability to accept fast, flexible payments isn’t just a convenience, it’s a core feature.

Independent software vendors (ISVs) are on the frontlines of this digital transformation, helping businesses streamline operations, enhance customer experiences and unlock new revenue.

Yet even the most sophisticated platforms can stumble without the right payment infrastructure behind them.

That’s the challenge CEO Jason Pearsall faced while building Club Caddie, an all-in-one management platform for golf courses. His team had developed a sleek, iPad-based system designed to unify operations across tee times, food and beverage, and the pro shop. But when it came time to take payments, everything stalled.

“The hardware couldn’t print receipts. Transactions lagged. Waitstaff couldn’t take orders at tables. And forget about selling at the 11th hole,” Pearsall said. “It was clunky. We needed something that worked everywhere – on the course, in the restaurant, at the pro shop.”

That need for seamless, flexible payments drove Club Caddie to reimagine the way they supported golf courses nationwide. It’s a case study on how ISVs can take a strategic approach to payments and evolve their solutions from software to strategic growth engines for their clients - and their own business. For ISVs like Club Caddie, payments are no longer a side note, they’re a core part of the value they bring to the table.

Club Caddie’s collaboration with Fiserv showcases how ISVs evolve from basic payment processing to driving real transformation. To succeed, ISVs need payment device integration that’s fast, secure and built to move at the speed of their clients’ business. That’s exactly what Fiserv and Clover delivers, with scalable APIs, intuitive Clover hardware, and a partnership designed to support ISVs from integration to expansion.

Here are five reasons why choosing the right payment integration is critical for ISVs.
 

 

Reason 1: Reduced costs and complexity with pre-certified, secured devices

Developing a point-of-sale (POS) that complies with PCI and EMV standards can be costly and complex. To simplify the burden, ISVs should look for a payment processing provider that offers a range of pre-certified payment devices that ISVs can integrate with. This not only saves time, but it’s critical for security and to protect cardholder data too.

Fiserv provides a range of Clover payment devices that are certified for PCI compliance, support EMV specifications, and have undergone thorough testing to help ISVs efficiently integrate secure payment processing into their software. Enhanced security features like point-to- point encryption (P2PE) and tokenization help to protect customer data, reduce fraud risk and significantly lower PCI scope, making audits less time-consuming and expensive.

In addition, Fiserv provides robust APIs and software development kits (SDKs) that streamline connectivity with existing software. This reduces development and allows ISVs to achieve EMV acceptance quickly and affordably.

 

Reason 2: Integration versatility and scalability

ISVs serve a variety of different customers and industry types, each with unique and varying payment processing requirements. Therefore, to provide tailored solutions, ISVs must find a payment processing provider that offers diverse hardware options. The same applies for scalability as merchants’ needs grow and evolve over time. Whether it’s new use cases, increased transaction volumes or new payment methods, ISVs must be able to adapt.

Fiserv offers flexible integration and implementation options, including:

• No-code integrations for rapid deployment with minimal configuration
• Semi-integrated setups that link external software to Clover devices
• Fully integrated solutions that allow apps to run natively on Clover hardware for a seamless, all-in-one experience

For Club Caddie, the ability to run their apps natively on Clover hardware is crucial. Golf courses often span hundreds of acres with multiple payment points, from the pro shop to the 11th hole. “You need to be able to sell everything anywhere on those 200 acres,” Pearsall said. “The other gateways we worked with just didn’t have that true flexibility.”

This level of versatility also accelerates time to market.

“One single integration gets clients access to multiple devices and payment methods without requiring a rebuild for each new scenario,” said Jon Halpern, Head of ISV at Fiserv.

Reason 3: Modern payment hardware attracts merchants

In today’s competitive marketplace, offering versatile and appealing payment hardware is essential for attracting and retaining merchants. Choosing the right devices can broaden market reach and improve merchant satisfaction. Legacy terminals often lack the flexibility, security and user experience businesses now expect. They’re harder to maintain and quickly fall out of compliance.

Modern payment devices should offer:

• Form factor flexibility – from countertop terminals to handheld, mobile and self-service options, allowing businesses to take payments wherever service happens
• Multiple connectivity options – including 4G/LTE, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and Bluetooth to ensure consistent performance across varied business settings.
• Broad payment method support – enabling acceptance of EMV chip, contactless (NFC), magnetic stripe, PIN debit, digital wallets and keyed- in entries to accommodate all customer preferences.

With a comprehensive suite of features, Clover devices are well-suited for ISVs seeking modern payment hardware that can enhance their solutions and meet the diverse needs of merchants.

“The Clover Flex and the Clover Mini have really been game changers,” said Club Caddie’s Pearsall. “Golf courses have historically struggled with mobility. After we had success with the Flex from a mobile beverage cart standpoint, then we turned it to tableside. And now waiters and waitresses use it to take orders to send to the kitchen and service the restaurants at golf courses.”

And since Fiserv designs and maintains its hardware, ISVs benefit from faster innovation and seamless integration. “Because we offer proprietary hardware, we’re not subject to external factors like changes, defects, or bugs from other companies. This control allows us to deliver a significantly improved experience for our clients,” explained Nick Aceto, SVP Technology - Merchant Solutions at Fiserv.

Reason 4: Device and portfolio management

But integration is just the start. Once merchants are up and running, ISVs need the right tools to manage everything efficiently behind the scenes – such as devices, onboarding and support. That means having an easy way to order, activate and maintain payment devices.

Provisioning plays a big role here. Devices should show up preconfigured and ready to go, so merchants can just plug them in and start selling. That kind of seamless setup reduces support calls and keeps things moving. And after merchants are live, ISVs still need to track device status, monitor activations and manage support, ideally through a centralized platform.

That’s where CoPilot from Fiserv, a portfolio management platform designed exclusively for partners, excels. CoPilot gives ISVs a powerful dashboard to:

• Oversee merchant onboarding
• Order and track equipment
• Manage device provisioning and support requests
• View merchant and device status in real time

With CoPilot, ISVs can scale efficiently while maintaining visibility and control over their entire portfolio.

 

Reason 5: Post-integration support

For ISVs, staying competitive means deploying quickly, onboarding merchants smoothly, and resolving issues without delay.

Technical questions and merchant issues can arise at any point, and when they do, responsive, knowledgeable support makes all the difference by minimizing disruptions and maintaining a positive merchant experience.

Just as important is having sales and account support that can uncover new opportunities, encourage adoption of additional features, and fuel long-term growth. With the right partner, ISVs are better equipped to scale, retain customers and increase revenue.

Fiserv understands this. From the beginning, developers get access to well-documented, developer-friendly APIs and toolkits designed to make building and testing integrations easier. When questions come up, dedicated integration support teams are ready to step in with real guidance – not just ticket numbers.

When payments go live, Fiserv streamlines merchant onboarding with flexible enrollment options and an easy online sign-up process. ISVs also benefit from dedicated sales and cross-sell teams that manage the full merchant sales cycle – from lead generation to deal closure. Once a user converts, a 24/7 support team handles ongoing technical and account- related questions. For ISVs, this level of end-to-end support isn’t just helpful, it’s a competitive advantage.

 

The right partner, the right tools

ISVs can’t afford to treat payments as an afterthought. Seamless, scalable integration with high-quality payment devices is essential for enhancing user experiences, maintaining security and compliance, supporting innovation and driving business growth. With Fiserv, ISVs do not only acquire access to Clover devices, they also gain a growth partner, a flexible platform and the confidence to scale their solutions – from the front desk to the 11th hole.