When Stripe and other similar payment providers first emerged, they were hailed as disruptors, simplifying online payments and empowering businesses to integrate payments quickly and easily. But as the payments landscape continues to evolve, a new question is being asked: have these now dominant providers become the new legacy?

Key Challenges with "New Legacy" Providers

1. High Costs and Hidden Fees
Traditional providers often saddle SMEs with excessive fees and opaque pricing structures. These costs can quickly erode margins, leaving businesses with fewer resources to reinvest in growth.

2. Outdated Technology and Business Model
Many dominant players rely on legacy systems and business models that fail to keep pace with emerging trends. As customer preferences evolve—demanding new payment options like real-time payments and BNPL—these providers struggle to adapt quickly.

3. Limited Localization
Global providers often fall short in addressing local needs. Their focus on serving multiple countries means they can’t fully tailor their solutions to local markets. In Australia, for example, popular payment methods like eftpos and NPP (New Payments Platform) are integral to consumers but remain underutilized by global payment platforms.

4. Limited Support
Personalized service is often an afterthought for legacy providers. SMEs are left to navigate complex systems alone, leading to frustration and lost opportunities.

How the Xpanse Universal Gateway Breaks the Mold

1. Cost-Effective Innovation
With a low-cost business model that eliminates unnecessary intermediaries, the Xpanse Universal Gateway provides cutting-edge technology at a fraction of the cost. Transparent pricing ensures no surprises, enabling SMEs to focus on growth.

2. Truly Local Solutions
The Xpanse Universal Gateway is designed with Australian SMEs in mind. It leverages payments orchestration to offer a comprehensive bundle of payment methods that resonate with local consumers, including eftpos, NPP, digital wallets, BNPL options like Zip and Afterpay, and card schemes with innovations like Click to Pay and scheme tokenization. By focusing on local needs, Xpanse ensures that businesses can meet customer expectations while staying competitive in their market.

3. A Smarter, Scalable Solution
The Universal Gateway supports SMEs as they grow. Whether it’s integrating new payment methods, handling increased transaction volumes, or scaling operations across platforms like Magento, Woo Commerce and Salesforce, Xpanse makes it seamless.

4. Local and Dedicated Customer-Centric Support
Unlike traditional providers, Xpanse delivers dedicated, localized support to ensure SMEs have the guidance they need—whether during onboarding or while troubleshooting.

5. Future-Proofing Payments
The Universal Gateway leverages advanced cloud technology and a smarter business model to adapt more easily to the ever-changing payments landscape. SMEs can easily adopt new payment methods and integrate emerging platforms as they grow.

It’s Time to Move Beyond Legacy

The era of the "new legacy" provider is giving way to smarter, more agile solutions. SMEs need more than just a payments gateway—they need a partner that evolves with their business and understands their local market. The Xpanse Universal Gateway empowers businesses to break free from the constraints of outdated systems, offering a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective alternative for the modern age.