FastSpring
FastSpring is a comprehensive merchant of record platform that handles global payments, sales tax compliance, and subscription management for software companies to accelerate international growth and reduce operational risk.
PostPilot
PostPilot is a direct mail marketing automation platform that allows ecommerce brands to send personalized postcards and catalogs as easily as sending an email to increase customer retention.
Quick Comparison
| Feature | FastSpring | PostPilot |
|---|---|---|
| Website | fastspring.com | postpilot.com |
| Pricing Model | Custom | Freemium |
| Starting Price | Custom Pricing | Free |
| FREE Trial | ✘ No free trial | ✘ No free trial |
| Free Plan | ✘ No free plan | ✓ Has free plan |
| Product Demo | ✓ Request demo here | ✓ Request demo here |
| Deployment | ||
| Integrations | ||
| Target Users | ||
| Target Industries | ||
| Customer Count | 0 | 0 |
| Founded Year | 2005 | 2018 |
| Headquarters | Santa Barbara, USA | Spartanburg, USA |
Overview
FastSpring
FastSpring acts as your merchant of record, taking over the complex burdens of global commerce so you can focus on building great software. Instead of managing multiple payment gateways and tax jurisdictions yourself, you get a single solution that handles everything from localized checkouts to VAT collection and remittance worldwide.
You can scale your software or SaaS business globally without worrying about compliance or financial liability in different countries. The platform manages your entire customer lifecycle, including trial conversions, recurring billing, and proactive churn prevention. It simplifies your back-office operations by consolidating global payments into a single, manageable system that grows with your revenue.
PostPilot
PostPilot is a direct mail automation platform built specifically for ecommerce brands that want to reach customers physically. You can create, launch, and track postcard or catalog campaigns directly from your dashboard, treating direct mail with the same speed and data-driven precision as your email marketing. By connecting your store, you can trigger physical mail based on real-time customer behavior like abandoned carts or second-purchase reminders.
You can design your own mailers using a simple drag-and-drop editor or lean on their professional design services to handle the creative work for you. The platform eliminates the traditional headaches of direct mail like minimum order quantities and long lead times. It helps you cut through the digital noise of crowded inboxes by landing a tangible, personalized message directly in your customers' mailboxes to drive higher lifetime value.
Overview
FastSpring Features
- Merchant of Record Offload your global tax collection, remittance, and compliance liabilities to a partner that assumes all financial responsibility.
- Global Payment Methods Accept dozens of local currencies and popular payment methods like Pix, Alipay, and cards to increase your international conversion rates.
- Subscription Management Set up flexible billing models including monthly subscriptions, tiered pricing, and usage-based billing to match your product strategy.
- Localized Checkout Provide your customers with a checkout experience in their native language and currency based on their specific geographic location.
- Dunning Management Recover lost revenue automatically with smart payment retries and customizable email reminders for failed or expired credit cards.
- Interactive Quotes Empower your sales team to create and send digital quotes that allow B2B customers to complete purchases instantly.
- Fraud Protection Reduce your risk with built-in fraud detection that screens every transaction to prevent chargebacks before they happen.
- Developer APIs Connect your existing tech stack and automate data flow using robust APIs and webhooks designed for software developers.
PostPilot Features
- Behavioral Triggers. Automatically send postcards when customers abandon a cart, make a first purchase, or reach a specific spending milestone.
- Drag-and-Drop Editor. Create beautiful, branded postcards and catalogs in minutes using an intuitive design interface built for non-designers.
- Real-Time Tracking. Monitor your campaign performance with automatic ROI tracking that matches mail deliveries to actual store purchases.
- Smart Segmenting. Target specific customer groups by filtering your audience based on purchase history, location, or total lifetime value.
- Concierge Design. Access professional designers who create custom, high-converting mailer layouts for your brand at no extra cost.
- No Minimums. Send a single postcard or thousands at once without worrying about the restrictive minimums of traditional print shops.
Pricing Comparison
FastSpring Pricing
PostPilot Pricing
- No monthly fee
- Standard postcard pricing
- Basic segmenting tools
- Self-service design editor
- Email support
- Everything in Free, plus:
- Lower per-piece mailing rates
- Automated lifecycle campaigns
- Concierge design services
- Advanced ROI reporting
- Priority support
Pros & Cons
FastSpring
Pros
- Handles all global VAT and sales tax compliance automatically
- Reduces the need for a large internal accounting team
- Fast and helpful customer support for technical setup
- Easy to implement localized checkouts for international buyers
- Reliable payment processing with high authorization rates
Cons
- Transaction fees can be higher than standard gateways
- Dashboard interface feels dated compared to newer competitors
- Payout schedules can be restrictive for very small businesses
PostPilot
Pros
- Seamless integration with Shopify and Klaviyo
- High-quality print and card stock
- Excellent concierge design team support
- Easy to track actual ROI from mailings
- No minimum order requirements for campaigns
Cons
- Monthly subscription fees are relatively high
- International shipping options are more limited
- Learning curve for complex segment logic