Deko support Novuna finance.

The software project with Deko has now started, implementation will be May/June time.

The sooner the better if the fees are less than V12!!

We've been writing the general finance calculation logic into our overhauled checkout (this will apply to Deko), this is now code reviewed and has test coverage and is in the code tree now. It was that interesting I did 13 straight hours on it last Thursday 0530-1845, when code catches your interest its hard to stop! We also recognise the value in this feature so we are keen to get it completed.

We have signed a contract with Deko and we can support Novuna thru them.

We're working on an overhaul of our checkout, which is coming along well, we're aiming for code complete on the checkout by the turn of the year and then we can look at Deko integration. I'd guess Q2 next year as a launch date, but that depends on development progress and the complexity of the API.

We're making real progress now, it's looking like we'll be able to support Novuna as our primary option but via a finance gateway (Deko) which means we can have other lenders available.

This means if change happens in the marketplace our customers don't get 'stuck' on one vendor or if as has happened before a finance vendor just pulls our at short notice we're not all stuck.

It's been an absolute battle to get this far with the commercials, operating in this way is more expensive for Citrus-Lime but we wanted to get something which is hopefully future proof, the whole situation with the legacy providers in cycle falling out with our customers has been a nightmare for us and our customer base.

All,

Just an update here. We've been speaking to both Novuna and a finance gateway (Deko) which would perhaps prevent us ending up in a situation whereby a provider changes rates and we're the blocker to our customers working to find a more competitive finance offering. https://www.dekopay.com/

Both Deko and Novuna will support retailers much smaller in the cycle space than V12, so that is an exciting development as well.

We have a major project underway to replace our current checkout from V2 to V3, it needs modernising, but also its exceptionally complex to add new payment providers, this work is going on in anger and once completed we'll work to add more finance options. I'd estimate we'll be ready to onboard people in the Autumn to the V3 checkout and that should have better finance options.

I think at launch we might not support the margin functionality we have with V12 and I think it will be unlikely we'll allow the customisation of deposit levels. We've made a rod for our own back here, other platforms don't support these pieces of functionality but its made the work required to integrate a new finance provider far harder than it needs to be which has stopped us doing something last year.

Overall we're now moving on this issue, you can speak to the Success Team to see concepts of the new checkout which will be easier for consumers to use, be covered by automated testing to reduce problems and head off bugs before they get deployed and it will be far easier to add more payment options.

We're still involved in the legals here, the draft Novuna terms are not currently ones which protect Citrus-Lime and our customers.

For example we'd be legally liable for the presentation of finance elements, something not completely within our or our clients control as the data comes from the Novuna API or can be altered via Google Tag Manager. Also from a risk reward basis the commercials on offer are a trickle payment for support so there is no reason we'd incur legal risk here.

Novuna have indicted they'll send that back to their legal team.

Nothing can be progressed until this is resolved. We've had similar issues with PayPal where the legals took six months and the software development part six weeks, it's unfortunately a vital part of the process when we're processing hundreds of millions of finance orders over a three year period.

We are pleased to update that securing an integration with Novuna is well under way. We have been in talks with their Business Development Team and are working hard to secure competitive rates for our customers. We are waiting for a proposal from Novuna and hope to be able to progress the partnership very soon!