Augmenting Sales Engagement & Revenue Generation Capabilities by Leveraging a Merchant-Facing Mobile Application
Executive Summary
Merchant payments companies today struggle with thinning margins driven by aggressive pricing competition and the constant struggle of high attrition rates. In addition the market is saturated with thousands of ISOs and agents vying for the same opportunities with essentially the same services on offer and tools at their disposal to win business. This problematic environment necessitates a strategic shift towards cultivating new and creative channels for sustainable revenue growth. This whitepaper posits that a dedicated, merchant-facing mobile application is no longer an optional enhancement, but a critical imperative. It is the obvious answer to diversifying revenue by driving new merchant acquisition, facilitating robust upselling and cross-selling of ancillary products and additional merchant accounts, and ultimately accelerating overall revenue growth. By centralizing critical resources, leveraging effective communication channels, and streamlining key processes, a mobile app empowers merchants, enhances engagement, and provides a significant competitive advantage in a market where every account and opportunity is critical.
1. Introduction: Navigating Revenue Realities
In this challenging environment simply relying on traditional sales and growth tactics is no longer sufficient. Merchant payments providers must be cognizant of new channels for engagement & revenue growth. Additionally, merchants, from small businesses to large enterprises, are seeking streamlined access to their providers & the solutions that they offer. A dedicated merchant-facing mobile application directly addresses these multifaceted needs. It represents a powerful, always-on digital channel transforming the merchant-ISO relationship into a dynamic partnership, fostering deeper loyalty, enhancing engagement, and crucially, providing a vital pathway to diversify revenue streams and drive mutual growth amidst a highly competitive landscape.
In 2025, mobile apps are expected to generate more than $613 billion in revenue.
BankMyCell, 2025
2. Driving New Merchant Acquisitions
A user-friendly branded mobile application serves as a powerful magnet for attracting new merchants. Its intuitive interface, which is far more user-friendly than a website, and comprehensive features can significantly reduce the friction associated with onboarding and managing payment services.
Simplified Onboarding: The ability to apply for a new merchant account directly within the mobile app streamlines the often cumbersome application process. Merchants can easily upload necessary documents & submit application data which significantly reduces the time and effort required to get started. What's more, prospective merchants can ask questions and interface with sales & support via the app, including video chat and messaging, for a more streamlined and personalized experience.
Market Differentiation: The presence of a sophisticated mobile application immediately sets your payments service apart from competitors who do not offer this type of technology enhancement. This demonstrates a commitment to innovation and merchant empowerment. A content-rich app also allows merchants to immediately grasp the unique value proposition of your organization, building confidence and trust even before a full commitment from a prospective client.
QR Code Marketing: A mobile app extends the reach of merchant acquisition efforts by enabling direct and highly visible promotion through QR codes. Payments companies can prominently display QR codes for their app download at industry events, within their marketing materials, on their website, and even on business cards. This simple scan-and-download approach directly links prospective merchants to the app, engaging a wider audience accustomed to digital-first solutions and simplifying the entry point into your services.
3. Merchant Base Upselling & Cross-Selling
The true power of a mobile app for existing merchants lies in its ability to facilitate strategic upselling and cross-selling leading to a longer, more productive business relationship.
Ancillary Products and Services: Imagine all of your company’s ancillary products and special offers on display – easily accessible to your merchants simply by tapping to open the mobile app featured conveniently on their mobile device. The same goes for equipment and other acceptance options such as gateway & ecommerce solutions.
Special Offers & Bundled Packages: The app is an ideal platform to showcase limited-time offers, seasonal promotions, or bundled packages of services at a discounted rate. Personalized offers based on a merchant's profile or industry can significantly increase conversion rates.
Additional Merchant Accounts: For growing businesses or those with multiple locations a mobile app can simplify the process of applying for and managing additional merchant accounts. This eliminates the need for repeated paperwork and allows merchants to consolidate their services access within a single, convenient interface.
4. The Effectiveness of Leveraging Push Notifications
Push notifications are a critical feature enabling timely, relevant, and actionable communication.
Alerts and Updates: For any important messaging this is the first place that merchants will look – their mobile devices.
Personalized Promotions and Offers: Push notifications can be highly targeted, delivering specific upsell or cross-sell opportunities directly to relevant merchants. For example, a notification about a new ecommerce product for a merchant primarily processing in-store payments, or a discount for a newly released POS terminal for a merchant experiencing high transaction volume.
Engagement and Retention: Regular, valuable push notifications keep the app & your brand top-of-mind for merchants, encouraging consistent engagement. This proactive communication can significantly reduce churn by demonstrating ongoing value and support. Push notifications are also generally perceived as much less intrusive than a text message.
Operational & Sales Nudges: Reminders for important actions such as uploading statements or reviewing a savings analysis or quotation are easily facilitated via a branded mobile application.
“Push notifications are one of the most powerful business mobile app development tools. These real-time, attention-grabbing messages appear on a user’s mobile screen even when the app isn’t open. They enable businesses to communicate directly with customers, prompting actions like exploring new products, engaging with promotions, or consuming relevant content.”
5. The Value of a Centralized Solutions Center
Embedding a comprehensive solutions center within the mobile app transforms it into an indispensable resource for merchants.
Equipment Catalog: A digital catalog of available payment processing equipment (POS terminals, gateways, peripheral devices etc.) with detailed specifications. This allows for easy viewing by the merchant user & helps to simplify the procurement process. Additionally, this feature ensures that merchants have access to the latest technology offered by your organization.
Special Offers & Ancillary Products (Revisited): The solutions center serves as a dedicated showcase for all value-added services & promotions. Clear descriptions, benefits, and calls-to-action make it easy for merchants to explore and maximize their usage of your services.
Support & Contact Information: Easy access to customer support channels (chat, phone, video, & messaging) ensuring merchants have access to assistance whenever needed.
Application for New or Additional Merchant Accounts: As highlighted earlier, this critical feature within the solutions center empowers merchants to expand their services seamlessly as their business grows, without leaving the app environment.
6. Embedded Payment Gateway Access
A key functional advantage of a mobile app is the ability to embed login access to the payment gateway of your choosing. This can be especially complimentary if your organization leverages a branded gateway product - gateway access being housed conveniently within your branded mobile application.
Convenience & On-the-Go Payments : Merchants can simply click and be routed, within the app, to their login page. This eliminates the need for merchants to remember specific URLs and significantly simplifies their ability to accept payments; especially in a pinch.
This integrated access is crucial for merchants who may need to take payments quickly, whether they are at an event, a customer's location, or simply away from their primary POS system. It transforms the mobile app into a portable payment acceptance hub – both reflecting your company’s branding & reinforcing the value of your service.
7. Beyond Merchants: Implications for Your Agents
A mobile application is not just a merchant-facing product; it's a significant addition to your toolkit for attracting and retaining agents.
Attracting New Agents: In a highly competitive agent recruitment landscape, offering a cutting-edge, merchant-facing mobile application serves as a powerful differentiator. Agents are constantly looking for innovative solutions to offer their prospective merchants; as well as ways to stand out from the competition. An app's streamlined onboarding, comprehensive features, and direct access to ancillary products provides a compelling sales argument, enabling agents to close more business and attract a higher caliber of merchant. This unique tech enhancement positions your organization as a forward-thinking partner. Additionally, there is the option to reflect your agent’s branding within the mobile environment thus upgrading the mobile app to a brand enhancement vehicle as well.
Retaining Existing Agent Business: For existing agents, a mobile app translates directly into increased efficiency and improved merchant engagement, which are key to retention. Ultimately, your agents will value your mobile application for the same reasons that you and your merchants do:
Centralized Portal & Content Access: Their unique URLs & content embedded reflecting their branding – from ancillary products and special offers to equipment solutions and upgrades available.
Communication Tools: Chatbot, Messaging/Push Notification, Videochat, and Click to Call. Maintaining a streamlined connection has never been this simple.
Streamlined Document Sharing & Application Data Collection: From a merchant submitting a statement or business license to your agent providing a cost comparison. Along with the simplified question & answer process to submit merchant application data.
Brand Affinity & Recognition Growth: Showcase your agent’s branding within the mobile app environment allowing them to drive brand affinity & recognition.
8. Lantern-i: Diversified Revenue Strategy for Payments Organizations
The cumulative effect of the benefits outlined above directly contributes to a substantial commercial advantage for the payments services providers that incorporate a mobile-product strategy. As Amer Wilson (2024) asserts:
“In today’s mobile-first world, consumers are spending a significant amount of time on their mobiles. If you’re not investing in your business’s mobile presence you’ll miss out on building a new revenue growth opportunity. A well-designed mobile app can be a game changer for your business’s revenue growth.”
In a landscape characterized by razor-thin margins and intense competition, the need for a diversified revenue strategy is paramount. This is where Lantern-i emerges as a pivotal solution for merchant payments companies. Lantern-i delivers turnkey, configurable mobile application technology, built for the acquiring space, allowing payments companies to sell & service more effectively, optimize their engagement opportunities, and enhance their overall digital brand.
Conclusion
Launching a mobile application that augments your merchant payments business is a strategic investment that yields significant returns across multiple facets of the organization. By focusing on driving new merchant acquisition through simplified onboarding, fostering growth via targeted upselling and cross-selling, leveraging the power of push notifications, centralizing resources & content, embedding payment gateway access, and empowering your agent network with unique tech, payments orgs can create an ecosystem that benefits their merchants and accelerates their growth & longevity. Ali Raza (2025) further emphasizes the forward-looking impact:
“In 2025 and beyond, mobile apps will continue to reshape how businesses engage customers, streamline operations, and drive revenue growth. With global investment in mobile technologies rising steadily, a well-planned mobile app for business can offer significant advantages, from opening new sales channels to building lasting customer loyalty.”
A robust, merchant-facing mobile application isn't just a competitive edge; it's the cornerstone of a resilient, diversified revenue strategy that will define your success today and well into tomorrow.
