Payment integrations
SaaS billing: Paddle and Lemon Squeezy
We integrate Paddle or Lemon Squeezy into SaaS products, apps and digital products sold in many countries. As merchant of record, the platform formally sells to the end customer and collects and remits each country's VAT or sales tax. Your team keeps the product, the subscriptions and the customers, and receives payouts with those taxes already handled.
Sell worldwide without handling tax country by country
A software product can have customers in dozens of countries in its first month. Each of those countries has its own rules for VAT or sales tax, and many require you to register before your first sale. For a small team, that eats time that should go into the product.
A merchant of record solves this differently: in practice, the platform resells your product to the end customer. It calculates, collects and remits each country's tax, issues the receipts and deals with payment disputes.
Paddle or Lemon Squeezy
Both platforms follow the same model, with differences in features, fees and approval rules. We compare the two for your product, your type of customer and the expected volume before choosing.
Connecting it to your app
In an MVP for startups or a platform already in production, checkout sits inside the website and webhooks tell the app who has an active subscription. A plan change, a declined card or a cancellation is reflected in access, with no manual work. Customers manage their card, invoices and cancellation in a portal of their own.
When it makes sense
A merchant of record makes sense when you sell software or digital products to many countries and would rather not manage tax in each one. If your product is aimed at startups and SaaS mainly in Europe, or you need full control over checkout, we also compare it with Stripe before deciding.
Payment methods
- Card
- PayPal
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
- Local methods by platform and country
Typical uses
- SaaS products with monthly or annual plans
- Apps and extensions sold worldwide
- Digital products such as templates, courses and licences
- Startups that want to charge from day one
What we set up
- Paddle or Lemon Squeezy checkout built into the website and the app
- Plans, free trials, discounts and plan changes
- App access tied to subscription status through webhooks
- Portal for customers to update their card, see invoices and cancel
- Licence keys or file access delivered after payment
- Testing in the platform's sandbox before going live
Payment providers
- Paddle
- Lemon Squeezy
Frequently asked questions
What does merchant of record mean?
It means that, as far as the end customer is concerned, the platform is the seller. Paddle or Lemon Squeezy issue the receipt, charge the right tax for the customer's country and pay it to the authorities. Your business receives the sales from the platform, minus taxes and fees.
Why not just use Stripe?
Stripe processes the payment, but your business is still the seller, with the tax obligations of every country you sell to. If you sell to many countries and don't want to deal with that, a merchant of record makes life simpler. If you sell mostly in Europe, Stripe may be enough.
How much does a merchant of record cost?
The platform's fees apply, and they are usually higher than a payment processor's because they include tax handling. We explain the ones that apply to you in the proposal. Our own work is on request, quoted for each project. Request a quote
Can any product be sold this way?
No. These platforms mainly accept software and digital products, and they review each account before approving it. In-person services and physical goods are out. We check that your product is eligible before we start.
What about accounting in Portugal?
Because the end customer buys from the platform, your books mainly record the payouts the platform sends you. The exact tax treatment should be confirmed with your accountant. We prepare the reports they need.
Shall we talk about your project?
Tell us what you have in mind and what you want to achieve.