Billing Management Tools: Should You Buy, Build or Something In-Between?

The options available for handling recurring billing (and your subscriber or membership database) are exploding — regardless whether your business is a start-up or

The options available for handling recurring billing (and your subscriber or membership database) are exploding – regardless of whether your business is a start-up or large-scale. From all-in-one platforms, WordPress apps, billing engines and platforms to companies that build their own billing and subscriber management platforms, making the right decision for your company is no easy choice.

The discussion of buy vs. build is one that merchants of all sizes (and budgets) need to make. Evaluating security risks, PCI-compliance, internal resources, financial resources and core competencies are important, but also understanding your options and how they map to your resources and competencies will help you make the right decision for your business.

There is no across-the-board right or wrong decision, it’s all about finding the right match for your business. This 55-minute paneled discussion explores your options and choices by bringing together two billing platform providers and one subscription business that built their own.

Moderator:

Melanie Stout, VP of Client Success, PLC

Panel:

Dan Burkhart, CEO, Recurly
Doug Smith, SVP, Customer Success, Vindicia
Robert Brauns, CEO, MergerNetwork
Sean Daniels, Director of Engineering, MergerNetwork

55:05

Filed in Best Practice and How To, Payment Processing, Product Development, Start Here, Subscriber Only, Technology

Melanie Stout

As a Partner at PLC, LLC, leading experts in "card-not-present" recurring payments and Pulse Payments Analytics, Melanie Stout brings her recurring payments expertise to optimize payments outcomes for hundreds of subscription merchants.

This expertise has been honed through decades of leading the Product and Marketing teams at subscription businesses across multiple verticals, including SaaS and direct to consumer companies.

PLC, LLC exists to maximize the lifetime value of subscriptions by helping to crush credit card-caused churn. The company's mission is to serve the community of subscription merchants by optimizing their bottom-line credit card processing results through the application of the recurring industry's best practices in the most effective ways. PLC delivers fine-tuned tools and weapons to more than 400 subscription merchants, including, Angie's List, Audible, Conde Nast, Disney, Dollar Shave Club, and Ipsy.