Payment

22/7/2025

5 minutes

Payment page or embedded payment: the guide to choosing your approach

22% of cart abandonments are due to an overly complex checkout process. That’s nearly a quarter of your potential sales flying out the window! What if the solution lies in choosing between embedded payments and redirection? Discover how to optimize your checkout flow so you stop losing customers.

Taking the time to think about optimizing your payment journey is a strategic move. Every detail counts. The slightest friction can lead to a lost sale.

In this article, we will examine the challenge of integrating payments into your checkout flow by comparing two approaches: a payment page hosted by your payment provider versus an embedded integration within your site.

Imagine a shopping journey so seamless that your customers think of only one thing: completing their purchase. The secret? Optimized payment integration. Join us as we dive into the debate between embedded payments and redirection to provide a frictionless experience and boost your conversions based on your specific context and desired user experience.

Embedded payments: a seamless experience

Embedded payments, also known as embedded payment, involve integrating the payment module directly into your merchant site's pages, creating a completely fluid experience for the user. The customer stays on your site, in a familiar environment, from the beginning to the end of their transaction, without any break in their journey.

Why it’s effective for conversion

An optimal and reassuring user experience

The customer never leaves your environment. They remain immersed in your branding, colors, and style guide. This visual continuity reinforces reassurance and builds trust —two key elements for reducing cart abandonment and improving conversion.

Advanced customization that reflects your brand

You retain full control over how the payment module appears in your checkout flow. The experience is customizable: design, positioning, wording—everything can be adapted to your brand identity.

For the user, it is the least disruptive experience: they do not leave your site and remain in a trusted environment until the final click.

Accessible and secure technical integration

Contrary to popular belief, embedded solutions are now simple to deploy.
Despite the impression of full integration into your site, the card entry fields are actually hosted by the payment service provider (PSP): no sensitive data passes through your site, and you remain 100% compliant with security standards (PCI DSS).

Purse offers two options for seamlessly integrating payments into your checkout flow:

the payment widget : a ready-to-use component to place on your checkout page
the headless checkout : a software development kit (SDK) to build your own custom checkout page

📌 To learn more about these integration methods, you can check out our dedicated article.

Hosted checkout page: simple integration and versatile use

Your customers are redirected to a hosted payment page, fully managed by your payment service provider, such as the hosted pageoffered by Purse.

This is a classic, often called "legacy," approach that is widely used and one that consumers are perfectly accustomed to.

Fast and hassle-free deployment for merchants

One of the main advantages of redirection is its ease of integration.
It is the easiest solution to implement, making it ideal if you need to quickly launch a functional payment flow.

In practice, implementation is straightforward:

Integration of the payment form into your checkout.
Customize your URLs, logo, and colors.
Run a few tests, and you're all set!

It’s an ideal solution if you have limited technical resources or a need for a quick launch, without compromising your brand identity.

Use cases to expand your conversion channels beyond e-commerce

Redirect payments aren't just for standard e-commerce checkouts.

They are perfectly suited for off-site or omnichannel use, thanks to features like Pay by Link.
In practice, you generate a secure payment link tailored to the transaction context, which can be sent via email, SMS, or WhatsApp.
The customer clicks, accesses a hosted payment page, and completes their transaction in seconds—on any device.

This approach is particularly useful in the following scenarios:

Recovering abandoned carts with a personalized offer,
Assistance over the phone by your customer service team,
Remote sales operations (MOTO),
Credit transaction (repayment),
Debt collection,
Rapid launch of a new business, sales channel, or market test, without integration.

The impact on user experience

Unlike embedded payment, redirection creates a brief break in the purchasing journey. The customer briefly leaves the site to finalize their payment.

However, this interruption can be offset by a perfectly optimized payment page:

Customization (your brand's logo and colors),
Reassuring design,
Explicit mention of data security.

The dedicated and secure environment can even strengthen the trust of certain users who are particularly sensitive to online payment security issues.

Mobile optimization: a cross-functional challenge

On mobile, the impact of the integration method (embedded or redirection) becomes secondary to a more decisive factor: the fluidity and speed of the payment.
Here, what really matters is the choice of payment methods with one goal: minimizing sources of friction, particularly manual card number entry and 3DS authentication.

To offer a smooth and effortless journey to your users, you can capitalize on two essential levers:

Mobile-first payment methods

Apple Pay, Google Pay, or other digital wallets… These solutions allow for one-click, simple, and immediate payment. They significantly reduce friction, regardless of the integration method used.

Card tokenization and secure storage of payment methods

This feature allows your regular customers to pay faster and feel recognized with every order.

Whether embedded or redirected, a high-performing mobile payment journey relies above all onergonomics, speed, and simplicity.

How do you choose the right approach for your needs?

Deciding between embedded payments and redirection requires a careful analysis of your specific situation. There is no one-size-fits-all solution: the right choice depends on your constraints, your goals, and your specific customer journeys.

Here are the main criteria to consider:

Available technical resources

Embedded payments require more in-depth integration, although modern widgets (like those offered by Purse) significantly simplify implementation.

👉 If your technical team is limited or you need a quick deployment, redirection may be the more pragmatic solution.

Strategic priorities

If your priority is to provide a seamless, continuous customer experience that aligns with your brand identity, embedded payments are the ideal choice.
👉 They build trust, reduce drop-offs, and fit naturally into an optimized user journey.

Sales channels

Are you a multi-channel business? Do you manage payments via a call center, collection campaigns, or remote sales?
👉 Redirection using Pay by Link offers valuable flexibility to cover these specific use cases.

International context

If you sell internationally, embedded payment can be more reassuring for your customers.
👉 Users don't always recognize the PSP or local bank displayed on a hosted page. Conversely, seeing your brand identity throughout the entire checkout process builds trust, even abroad.

Embedded payment or redirection: choose, test, optimize

Rather than pitting embedded payment against redirection, it is more relevant to view them as two complementary approaches to be used according to your goals and constraints.

With Purse, you have the option to enable both integration modes and test their effectiveness based on channels, usage, or customer profiles.
Thanks to A/B testing, you can identify the mode that best maximizes your conversion rate.

Adopting a flexible, data-driven payment strategy means aligning your checkout flow with your business objectives while meeting your users' expectations.

The key? Having the tools to experiment, measure, and adjust continuously.

Ultimately, the best payment method is the one that fits your technical constraints, business goals, and customer expectations. In an environment where every conversion point counts, this flexibility becomes a decisive competitive advantage.

Want to evaluate your options and optimize your payment flow? Let's talk.