The Problem We Were Actually Solving
We weren't just trying to process payments; we were trying to overcome the limitations of traditional e-commerce platforms. Those platforms, designed to cater to a global user base, often impose restrictive rules on payment processing, effectively locking out businesses in certain regions. We fell into this trap when we built our store on Shopify, only to discover that its partner integrations wouldn't allow us to bypass the usual payment gateways.
What We Tried First (And Why It Failed)
We started by experimenting with alternative payment methods, such as Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies. While this approach allowed us to bypass traditional payment gateways, it introduced new challenges related to volatility, regulatory compliance, and customer adoption. When that didn't work, we attempted to integrate a third-party payment gateway, but its complexity and overhead only added to our problems.
The Architecture Decision
