What are omnichannel payments?
Omnichannel payments refer to the unification of all transaction flows, whether they originate from your physical store, ecommerce website, mobile app, click & collect service or marketplace. The objective is simple: to offer customers a seamless and consistent payment experience, regardless of how or where they choose to shop.
Unlike multichannel payments, where each sales channel operates in isolation, an omnichannel approach relies on a centralised infrastructure. Payment data, customer preferences and purchase history circulate in real time across all touchpoints.
The three pillars of omnichannel payments
Technical unification
A single payment platform manages all transactions, whether they come from your website, physical store or mobile app. This eliminates technological silos and simplifies operations.
Experience continuity
Customers benefit from the same payment options, security guarantees and ease of use across all channels. This consistency builds trust and makes purchasing easier.
Data centralisation
All payment-related information is consolidated within a single system. Merchants gain a complete view of transactions, simplifying accounting, performance analysis and customer relationship personalisation.
Omnichannel vs multichannel payments
In a multichannel model, each sales channel operates independently. Your ecommerce site may use one payment provider, while your physical stores rely on another. This fragmentation complicates management and prevents a holistic view of activity.
Omnichannel payments connect all channels through a unified solution. A customer can start a purchase online and complete it in-store, while you retain full visibility over the entire journey. This approach fundamentally improves how you understand and serve your customers.
How does an omnichannel payment system work?
The technical infrastructure
At the core of the system is a unified payment platform that centralises all transactions. This platform connects to your various sales channels via secure APIs.
For online payments, the platform integrates directly with your ecommerce site using payment plugins compatible with your CMS, whether you use WooCommerce, Shopify or a custom-built solution.
In physical stores, payment terminals connect to the same infrastructure, ensuring a consistent experience between digital and physical channels.
This centralised architecture allows you to share the same configurations, payment methods and security rules across all channels, a prerequisite for true omnichannel continuity.
Real-time synchronisation
When a customer makes a payment, the information becomes immediately available across all channels. A customer pays online for a click & collect order? The transaction is instantly recorded in the in-store management system, allowing staff to process collection without friction.
For multi-location retailers, this synchronisation extends across the entire network. A payment made in one city appears instantly in the central back office, enabling centralised cash flow management.
Tangible benefits for merchants
Simplified management
Managing multiple payment systems creates significant administrative overhead. With a unified platform, operations are centralised. A single dashboard provides access to all transactions, regardless of channel.
Bank reconciliation becomes automated, reports are generated in just a few clicks, and full transaction traceability is ensured. This operational efficiency saves valuable time.
Deeper customer insight
Omnichannel payments unify customer data across channels. Merchants can identify purchasing habits, understand common customer journeys and gain clearer insight into preferences.
This enriched understanding supports more effective strategies, such as identifying cross-selling opportunities, timing personalised offers and anticipating customer needs.
Greater flexibility
Omnichannel payments provide the flexibility needed to experiment with new business models. Services such as click & collect, web-to-store or try & buy can be rolled out progressively without reconfiguring the entire payment infrastructure.
This flexibility also applies to adapting to market trends. New payment methods can be added as they gain popularity, and innovative solutions such as payment links can be tested without operational complexity.
An optimised customer experience
Seamless journeys
Customers naturally move between channels: browsing on mobile, adding items to a basket on desktop, and completing the purchase in-store. Omnichannel payments support this fluidity without introducing friction.
Customers encounter the same information, guarantees and payment options throughout their journey. This consistency builds trust and encourages repeat purchases.
Reduced cart abandonment
Cart abandonment remains a major challenge for online commerce. According to Shopify, more than 70% of shopping carts are abandoned before payment, often due to friction or lack of flexibility at checkout.
Omnichannel payments help address this indirectly by allowing customers to resume or complete their purchase on another channel. A basket started online can be paid for in-store, after trying products or to avoid delivery fees.
This continuity reassures hesitant shoppers and converts some abandoned carts into completed sales.
Challenges to anticipate
Technical integration
Unifying payment systems requires coordinated integration between ecommerce platforms, point-of-sale systems, CRM tools and accounting software.
Depending on your environment, integration may rely on modern APIs, ready-to-use connectors or secure interfaces requiring little or no custom development. Expert support helps identify the most suitable approach and ensures a smooth, phased rollout.
Change management
Moving to an omnichannel model also requires organisational change. In-store teams must adopt new tools and understand new customer journeys.
Gradual training, clear communication of benefits and feedback collection are essential to ensure successful adoption.
Enhanced security requirements
An omnichannel payment system centralises more sensitive data, making consistent security measures across all channels essential.
This requires compliance with strict standards such as PCI DSS, strong customer authentication under PSD2, and tokenisation to protect card data.
Monext: a complete omnichannel payment solution
A unified platform across all channels
Monext centralises payment flows through a single platform covering all touchpoints: ecommerce websites, mobile apps, physical stores, click & collect and marketplaces.
Integration adapts to existing tools through robust APIs and preconfigured connectors for leading ecommerce platforms. Deployment remains fast and smooth, whether you use WooCommerce, Shopify or a custom solution.
More than 80 payment methods available
Monext offers extensive coverage of payment methods suited to all channels:
- International cards: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diners-Discover
- Digital wallets: PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, Amazon Pay
- Buy Now Pay Later solutions: Klarna, Oney, Cofidis, Cetelem
- Local payment methods: Bancontact, iDEAL, Bizum, Satispay, Alipay, WeChat Pay
- Industry-specific solutions: meal vouchers, holiday vouchers, gift cards
This diversity allows merchants to tailor payment options to customer preferences and sector-specific needs.
Features designed for omnichannel commerce
Monext includes features that ensure payment continuity and consistency across physical and digital channels.
Hybrid journeys such as click & collect, web-to-store or try & buy are fully supported. Customers can start a purchase on one channel and complete it on another without disruption.
Multi-channel tokenisation enables returning customers to be recognised across channels without re-entering payment details, while payments and refunds remain synchronised.
Merchants also benefit from flexible payment options, including payment at order, shipment or delivery, as well as modern methods such as BNPL and payment links.
A consolidated view of customers and transactions enables global oversight and a truly unified experience.
Take action: make omnichannel payments a growth driver
Omnichannel payments have become essential for merchants seeking to meet modern customer expectations. By unifying sales channels and centralising payment flows, businesses create a sustainable competitive advantage.
Customers expect simplicity, consistency and freedom in how they shop. Omnichannel payments deliver on these expectations while providing merchants with unified visibility, operational efficiency and new growth opportunities.
Monext supports this transformation with a solution designed for unified commerce: a centralised platform, broad payment method coverage, innovative features and expert support.
Ready to transform your payment experience and grow your business? Discover how Monext can support your omnichannel strategy and request a personalised demo to evaluate the concrete benefits for your organisation.
