Migrating your payments platform requires careful planning to avoid disruptions in business operations. Key steps include assessing your current setup, identifying necessary stakeholders, assembling a project team, and developing a timeline with specific milestones. Testing throughout the migration and maintaining old systems in parallel can help mitigate risks associated with the transition.

1. 1
Migrate Your Payments
Platform Without
Disrupting Your Business

2. 2
If your business is growing, you
may be on the way to outgrowing
your payments platform.

3. 3
Switching to a full-featured payments platform can let you:
• Access better reports/analysis
• Receive funds more quickly
So how do you make the
transition smoothly?
• Accept international payments
• Improve security

4. 4
Businesses that map out a migration
plan avoid business interruptions
and customer snafus.

5. 5
HERE’S HOW:
First, lay the groundwork

6. 6
Assess the scope
Your e-commerce setup and how you
accept card payments determines the
technical scope of the transition.

7. 7
If you use a virtual terminal, then:
Start processing on the new platform within minutes.
2
Receive a new merchant ID number and step-by-step instructions.
1

8. 8
If you have a robust setup with third-party APIs, plan to:
Point developers to sandbox to learn about available tools.
2
Plan and carry out internal migration work.
3
Coordinate and align third parties.
1

9. 9
Identify the service options you
need to support your business
• What payment choices will you offer
customers?
• What reports do you set up to support
analytics and decision-making?
• What transaction volume do you expect?
• Will you sell globally?

10. 10
Do your housekeeping to
qualify for a merchant account
• Your e-commerce site discloses terms and
conditions, such as privacy, shipping,
returns and refund policies.
• You’ve compiled the financial statements
and transaction history required by the
new payment processor.

11. 11
NEXT:
Follow this tactical checklist
to guide the migration:

12. Identify, engage and inform key
stakeholders:
12
• Successful migration requires the support and
involvement of key executives and peers.
• Determine who they are, then educate them on
why the transition is necessary and how it
aligns with goals.


13. Assemble the right project team
13
• Tap departments across your organization to
provide the expertise needed to carry out the
project.
• Get committed resources from IT, finance and
marketing.
• Keep legal and risk management informed.


14. Allocate the appropriate hours
and budget
14
To avoid delays, make sure the project has the
necessary team hours and dollars dedicated to it
before kickoff.


15. Develop a timeline
15
 Set a schedule that identifies milestones for
each phase of the migration:
• Business analysis
• Gathering requirements
• Coding
• System setup
• Testing
• Certification
• Launch

16. 16
Tip: As you set your schedule, keep
these points in mind:
• Review your customers’ buying patterns so you go live
when volumes are the lowest, minimizing the impact of
any potential hiccups.
• Typical migration projects take 1-4 months.

17. Review your business continuity
plan
17
• Work with your merchant services advisor to
evaluate your plan for handling any payment
processing glitches that arise.
• Make sure your team has a list of partner
contacts who can help resolve issues.
• Keep old systems running in parallel during the
changeover so that a rollback is possible.


18. Build in the time and resources
needed for testing
18
• Testing at every stage will minimize the risks of
disruption to your business.
• Don’t test only at the end — commit to testing
throughout the transition process.


19. 19
Review: Your checklist for an efficient
payments platform migration
 Identify, engage and inform key stakeholders.
 Assemble the right project team.
 Allocate the appropriate hours and budget.
 Develop a timeline.
 Review your business continuity plan.
 Devote the resources needed for testing.

20. Get advice from the experts at svb.com/merchant-services/
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Want to know more about how to migrate
your payments platform?