Handpoint Review: Embedded Payments Platform Built for SaaS Revenue

Tired of clunky payment processes slowing you down?

If you’re struggling to choose a payment solution that actually works with your POS or SaaS platform, I know exactly why you’re looking at Handpoint.

The real headache? Most solutions still leave you dealing with frustrating setup delays and constant integration issues that drain your time (and patience) daily.

Handpoint flips the script with a payment platform that’s built for SaaS providers—offering easy integration, processor flexibility, and bulletproof security like PCI-P2PE right out of the box.

In this review, I’ll show you how Handpoint can help you scale payments without the stress by breaking down their platform’s strengths, pricing, and hidden tradeoffs.

You’ll see exactly how Handpoint stacks up—features, support, value—against other major Payfac and embedded payment competitors in this Handpoint review, so you can decide if it’s really the fix you need.

You’ll come away with the features you need to decide confidently and skip those costly implementation mistakes.

Let’s get started.

Handpoint Overview

Handpoint has been in the payments game since 1997, based out of Reykjavik, Iceland. From my research, their mission is clearly focused on helping software companies integrate payment processing.

They’re not trying to be a generic solution like PayPal. Their niche is empowering SaaS companies with embedded payments. This specialization means you’re getting a platform built for deep integration, not just surface-level processing for a retail shop.

Their recent acquisition by Electronic Payments is a major move you should know about. You’ll see through this Handpoint review how this extends their reach and brings more resources to the table.

Unlike competitors such as Stripe Terminal, which are great developer-first tools, Handpoint’s value is in enabling software companies to embed payments. Their “Payfac as a Service” model simply gives you more operational control.

You’ll find them working with a diverse range of SaaS partners, from high-growth startups to established multinational software providers who need to scale their complex payment operations efficiently.

It’s clear to me their current strategy centers on security and developer-friendly tools. This directly addresses your need to own the user experience while outsourcing the headache of PCI compliance.

Now let’s examine their core features.

Handpoint Features

Still dealing with clunky, insecure payment systems?

Handpoint features offer a robust, integrated payment platform designed for SaaS and Payfac companies. These are the five core Handpoint features that truly stand out in solving modern payment challenges.

1. Payment Terminals

Tired of payment terminals that limit your sales?

Outdated or immobile payment devices can restrict where and how you accept payments, potentially losing sales opportunities. This often frustrates both you and your customers.

Handpoint provides modern, versatile payment terminals that support all major payment types, from EMV to NFC. From my testing, their mobile-first design really empowers field teams to take payments anywhere, which is crucial for dynamic businesses. This feature ensures you never miss a sale, whether in-store or on the go.

This means you can offer ultimate payment flexibility to your customers, enhancing convenience and boosting your transaction volume.

2. Payment Gateway

Worried about payment security and transaction failures?

Insecure payment gateways can expose your business to fraud and data breaches, leading to costly chargebacks and reputational damage. This is a constant headache for any business owner.

Handpoint’s payment gateway provides secure, reliable online and mobile transaction processing with robust fraud prevention. What I love about this approach is how it’s processor-agnostic, giving you ultimate control over your data and financial relationships. This feature means transactions are safe, stable, and compliant.

So you can process payments with confidence, knowing your transactions are protected and your data is secure from threats.

3. Comprehensive Payment Platform

Struggling to manage disparate payment and business tools?

A fragmented approach to payments, sales, and inventory creates operational silos, making unified business management a nightmare. This leads to inefficiencies and lost insights.

This Handpoint feature provides a unified commerce platform, bringing together payments, sales tracking, and even CRM functions. Here’s what I found: it’s like having a control center for all your payment and business operations, offering cloud-hosted terminal management. This platform helps you streamline operations across all channels—in-person, online, and in-app.

The result is a holistic view of your business that simplifies management, saves time, and helps you make smarter decisions.

4. Developer-Friendly APIs and SDKs

Does integrating card payments feel like a security headache?

Complex or insecure payment integrations can force your software into PCI scope, leading to costly audits and development delays. This is a common frustration for developers.

Handpoint offers intuitive REST APIs and Android SDKs for seamless card-present payment integration, critically shielding your software from unmasked card data. This is where Handpoint shines: it simplifies development while keeping you out of PCI scope, giving you control over the user experience. This feature lets you embed payments directly into your apps without the usual security burden.

This means your development team can build powerful payment experiences faster and safer, focusing on innovation rather than compliance.

5. P2PE (Point-to-Point Encryption) Security

Are you constantly concerned about data breaches and payment fraud?

Compromised payment data can devastate your business through financial losses, regulatory fines, and shattered customer trust. This risk is always looming with traditional systems.

Handpoint’s PCI-P2PE security encrypts payment data from the moment of swipe, providing ironclad protection against fraud. From my evaluation, their validated P2PE solution offers unparalleled peace of mind, virtually eliminating data breach risks at the point of interaction. This feature sets a new standard for payment data security.

So you get industry-leading protection that safeguards your customers’ sensitive information and strengthens your business’s reputation.

These Handpoint features work together to create a secure and flexible payment ecosystem for your business, empowering growth and operational efficiency. Here’s how this all translates into real-world pricing.

Handpoint Pricing

Confused about what you’ll actually pay monthly?

Handpoint pricing is based on a custom quote model, meaning you’ll need to contact their sales team directly for specific costs tailored to your business needs.

1. Pricing Model & Cost Factors

Understanding their cost structure.

Handpoint’s pricing operates on a quote-based model, which means there are no public tiers or fixed rates. Instead, your cost depends on transaction fees, monthly software/hardware fees, and potential setup charges. What I found regarding pricing is that several elements, like the number of terminals or specific platform features, drive your final quote.

From my cost analysis, this means your Handpoint pricing is customized to your exact operational requirements.

2. Value Assessment & ROI

Is this pricing worth it?

Handpoint’s solution offers a significant value proposition by embedding payment capabilities, potentially optimizing growth for SaaS and Payfac companies. From my cost analysis, this means strong ROI through streamlined payment processing and robust security features like PCI-P2PE, which helps reduce fraud.

The result is your budget gets better protection against breaches and more efficient payment handling than manual methods.

3. Budget Planning & Implementation

Consider all your costs.

Beyond the custom quote, you should factor in potential long-term contractual commitments and any specific hardware purchases needed. From my research, it’s crucial to clarify all potential fees during the sales consultation to understand the total cost of ownership over time for your business.

So for your business, you can expect to allocate budget not just for the subscription but for implementation and ongoing support.

My Take: Handpoint’s custom pricing is ideal for SaaS and Payfac companies needing scalable, embedded payment solutions tailored to their specific volume and integration demands.

The overall Handpoint pricing reflects customized value for specialized payment processing needs.

Handpoint Reviews

What do actual users say?

This section provides an in-depth look at Handpoint reviews, drawing insights from real user feedback to give you a balanced understanding of the software’s performance and customer sentiment.

1. Overall User Satisfaction

Most users express clear satisfaction.

From my review analysis, Handpoint users generally report positive experiences, often highlighting how the platform helps them innovate and manage growth effectively. What I found in user feedback is a strong appreciation for its robust integration capabilities, which simplifies payment processes for businesses aiming to enhance their payment capabilities.

This indicates you can expect a reliable and well-integrated payment solution.

2. Common Praise Points

Integration and security are big wins.

Users consistently praise Handpoint’s strong integration capabilities with existing POS systems, making setup smooth and efficient. From customer feedback, the P2PE security standard is a significant advantage, assuring businesses that payment data is securely transmitted and protected against fraud and breaches, keeping you compliant and safe.

This means you can rely on secure transactions and seamless operational flow.

3. Frequent Complaints

Customer service and contracts can be tricky.

While generally positive, some reviews mention mixed experiences with customer service quality and responsiveness. What stands out in user feedback is the mention of long-term contractual commitments, which might not suit every business model or budget, causing some users to express concern in Handpoint reviews.

Consider if these contractual terms align with your business flexibility needs.

Overall, Handpoint reviews reveal a highly capable platform, though customer service experiences and contract terms vary.

Best Handpoint Alternatives

Confused by too many payment processing options?

The best Handpoint alternatives include several strong options, each better suited for different business situations, priorities, and integration requirements you might have.

1. Stripe Terminal

Do you have strong in-house development capabilities?

Stripe Terminal excels when you have the resources to build highly customized, branded in-person payment solutions that seamlessly integrate with your existing software ecosystem. What I found comparing options is that Stripe provides robust developer tools and APIs, giving you granular control over payment flows, as a strong Handpoint alternative.

Choose Stripe Terminal if you prioritize deep customization and have the development team to leverage its powerful APIs.

2. Clover

Need an all-in-one POS system out-of-the-box?

Clover provides a comprehensive, user-friendly POS system with integrated hardware, software, and an app marketplace for retail and restaurant businesses. From my competitive analysis, Clover offers a complete, ready-to-use solution for managing various business aspects, though it involves more upfront investment than Handpoint’s focus.

Consider this alternative if you’re a small to medium-sized business needing a full POS system with integrated payments.

3. SumUp

Are you a micro-business or highly mobile merchant?

SumUp works best for very small businesses, sole traders, or mobile merchants needing a simple, cost-effective way to accept card payments without extensive integration. What I found comparing options is that SumUp keeps costs low with basic card readers, making it an attractive Handpoint alternative for lower transaction volumes.

Choose SumUp if you need extreme simplicity and affordability for straightforward mobile payment acceptance.

4. BlueSnap

Do you process payments globally across many currencies?

BlueSnap excels if you’re a business with significant international sales, requiring a unified platform to manage diverse payment methods, currencies, and compliance across different regions. From my analysis, BlueSnap offers an all-in-one global payment platform designed to optimize international processing, a different focus from Handpoint’s “Payfac as a Service.”

Choose BlueSnap when extensive global reach and diverse international payment method support are your top priorities.

The best Handpoint alternatives depend on your specific business needs and integration capabilities, not just features alone.

Handpoint Setup

Worried about a lengthy, disruptive payment system rollout?

Handpoint implementation typically involves integrating APIs or SDKs into existing software, offering a streamlined path for deployment. This Handpoint review will set realistic expectations for your setup.

1. Setup Complexity & Timeline

This isn’t just installing an app.

Handpoint implementation focuses on API/SDK integration, which means developers will be actively involved. From my implementation analysis, the process is designed for developers and requires specific technical expertise to integrate correctly, influencing your timeline.

You’ll need to allocate developer resources and plan for a testing phase to ensure a smooth transition.

2. Technical Requirements & Integration

Expect technical teams to lead the charge.

Your team will integrate Handpoint’s REST API or Android SDK, requiring a dedicated Slack channel with Handpoint developers for support during the process. What I found about deployment is that cloud integration only needs an API key, simplifying connectivity, while native apps require SDK embedding.

Plan for developer availability and ensure your existing systems are ready for API-level or SDK-level integrations.

3. Training & Change Management

User training will be crucial for your team.

Staff will need to understand the new payment workflows and how Handpoint integrates into their daily POS operations. From my analysis, Handpoint offers various training options, including live online sessions and documentation, which will aid in adoption.

Invest in these training resources and designate internal champions to facilitate user comfort with the new payment system.

4. Support & Success Factors

Vendor support makes a significant difference.

Handpoint provides a dedicated Slack channel for developers during integration, and they closely monitor initial pilot merchants. What I found about deployment is that their certification process ensures solution readiness, but user feedback on general customer service can be mixed.

Prioritize clear communication channels with Handpoint’s technical team and plan for diligent internal testing.

Overall, a successful Handpoint setup relies on developer expertise and effective integration planning to leverage its robust payment capabilities.

Bottom Line

Is Handpoint the right payment solution for your business?

This Handpoint review offers my final assessment, outlining who benefits most from its embedded payment capabilities and highlighting key considerations for your decision-making process.

1. Who This Works Best For

SaaS companies and Payment Facilitators.

Handpoint excels for businesses looking to integrate in-person payment processing directly into their software, or those wanting to become payment facilitators. From my user analysis, SaaS companies seeking unified commerce experiences will find this platform indispensable for retaining control over their customer journey.

You’ll succeed if your business requires robust, secure and flexible in-person payment solutions tailored for software integration.

2. Overall Strengths

Unmatched integration and security capabilities.

The software succeeds by offering developer-friendly APIs and stringent PCI-P2PE security, ensuring seamless, compliant in-person payment integration within existing POS systems. From my comprehensive analysis, its robust security framework significantly reduces PCI scope, which is a critical benefit for protecting sensitive payment data from breaches.

These strengths translate into operational efficiency, reduced compliance burden, and the ability to scale your payment offerings confidently.

3. Key Limitations

Customer support and contractual terms need scrutiny.

While Handpoint offers powerful integration, some users have reported mixed experiences with customer service responsiveness and quality. Based on this review, potential long-term contractual commitments warrant careful inquiry during the sales process, as they might not align with all business models.

I’d say these limitations are important considerations, but not necessarily deal-breakers if the core integration capabilities meet your strategic needs.

4. Final Recommendation

Handpoint receives a strong recommendation for specific niches.

You should choose this software if your business is a SaaS company or Payfac prioritizing deep integration of in-person payments, robust security, and control over the customer experience. From my analysis, Handpoint delivers significant value for specialized payment needs where off-the-shelf solutions fall short for your specific business context.

My confidence level is high for those requiring custom, secure payment integrations, but I recommend a thorough demo.

This Handpoint review identifies strong value for the right business profile, while also highlighting important support and contractual considerations.