GoDaddy, Worldpay Deal Eases Omnichannel Payment Friction for SMBs, Consumers

In today’s ever-changing e-commerce landscape, small businesses need the latest tools to remain competitive.

A partnership between Worldpay from FIS and GoDaddy allows small businesses to sell and accept payments from online marketplaces to social media. The payments deal announced earlier this month solves a money issue choking business transactions between online and in-store shop owners.

As consumers move more regularly between online and in-the-store shopping, they need the convenience that includes seamless payment options for both online and in-store purchases.

Inking the deal between Worldpay and GoDaddy aims to solve that problem by helping SMBs meet that consumer demand with the launch of Commerce 360, an all-in-one omnichannel solutions platform designed to provide small businesses with the ability to manage their website, inventory, and marketing efforts all on the one-stop platform.

Worldpay was merged into FIS in 2019. In February 2023, in the wake of pressure from activist investors, FIS announced it would spin off its merchant business, which consisted of Worldpay, in the next 12 months.

The partnership combines the business tools of GoDaddy and the expertise of the world’s largest payment acquirer in Worldpay from FIS.

“Small businesses serve as the cornerstones of our communities and the engine that powers our economy,” said Christina Wagner, head of Worldpay Small Business Solutions, FIS. “It is our passion and purpose to enable businesses to thrive by providing holistic solutions and evolving beyond payments.”

Cashing in on Omnichannel Payments

According to Wagner, FIS’ research spearheaded the partnership as a way to allow small and medium-sized businesses to reach customers and sell in any way they can.

“This means tapping into omnichannel sales and operations, including in-person, online, and social media. However, it is not easy for smaller brands to create this omnichannel experience on their own,” she told the E-Commerce Times.

That led to creating a way for these small businesses to grow across all channels. GoDaddy’s strong marketing, customer experience abilities, and flexible point-of-sale solutions, combined with Worldpay’s substantial customer base and expertise in payment processing, enable businesses to sell anywhere, anytime.

The combined offering, Commerce 360, consists of a custom website, a smart point-of-sale device, and a merchant dashboard, allowing SMBs to accept payments on any channel.

How Commerce 360 Works

Commerce 360 is an all-in-one omnichannel solution. Businesses log into a user-friendly and intuitive portal to toggle across each of their active channels. They can modify their website via GoDaddy’s services and enable CRM features like creating marketing campaigns such as promotional offers in the form of QR codes and email blasts.

Merchant options include selling through online marketplaces and social media, accessing everything a payment provider portal has, and an essential feature where merchants view transactions.

GoDaddy provides the front end of the commerce platform, and Worldpay handles the back end of the platform, the engine behind the payments.

SMBs across the U.S. face macroeconomic challenges like inflation, less access to capital, and the need to embrace digitization. Worldpay’s ecosystem of solutions helps SMBs sell more and manage their limited resources, whether time or money, more efficiently, according to Wagner.

Ultimately, this solution contributes to the sustainability of their business. When businesses can focus on what they do best, offering their communities their products and services, it positively impacts the local economy by creating jobs and providing emotional value for customers.

“It is a true marriage of what both companies do really well,” Wagner said.

Banking Benefit

Commerce 360 provides a custom, curated website and merchant dashboard that enables small retailers to sell on the go at events through online marketplaces and more. Its efficient setup lets merchants be up and running quickly, according to Prashant Nedungadi, vice president of commerce for partners at GoDaddy.

“GoDaddy built our omni-commerce solution to be the easiest and most powerful way for small businesses to take advantage of the latest technology online and in person,” he said.

He added that launching Commerce 360 with Worldpay from FIS and having them join the GoDaddy Global Commerce Partner Program enables small businesses all over the U.S. to keep their existing bank relationships while taking advantage of the latest technology.

Positive Impact on E-Commerce

Merchants of all sizes are in the midst of a massive boom in e-commerce, but SMBs have especially seen an increase in sales online, observed Wagner, even if they were never online before.

“Previously, business owners who wanted to sell in-store and online had to manage partnerships with different vendors and acquirers, pricing structures, and reporting structures,” she explained.

Now, the Commerce 360 platform makes it easier to sell across multiple channels, and it is helping these businesses grow rapidly and seamlessly.

“This solution is here to stay, and it will help these businesses not only sustain but also grow throughout their digital transformation journeys,” said Wagner.