Overview
FocusPlanIT is a consulting firm dedicated to the managed service provider (MSP) industry. The company specializes in helping MSPs improve operations, financial performance, and business processes within the ConnectWise ecosystem. Through strategic consulting and deep industry expertise, FocusPlanIT helps MSPs streamline their systems and scale their businesses more effectively.
Industry: MSP Consulting / IT Services
Company Size: 2-10 Employees
Challenge
Rising Payment Costs and Operational Complexity
FocusPlanIT struggled with a payment processor that had become increasingly expensive and inefficient to manage. Credit card processing fees continued to rise, creating a growing impact on the company’s financials.
At the same time, the platform required multiple portals and extra steps to complete routine payment tasks, slowing down financial operations and adding unnecessary complexity for the team.
Escalating Credit Card Processing Costs
A large percentage of FocusPlanIT’s clients prefer to pay by credit card, which meant processing fees quickly accumulated. With the previous provider, there was no simple way to pass those fees on to clients without significant manual work.
This left the business absorbing growing costs month after month. When the provider announced yet another price increase during contract renewal discussions, it became clear that a new solution was necessary.
Inefficient Payment Workflows
Operational complexity created additional friction for the team. Issuing refunds required logging into separate systems and sorting through confusing transaction records. What should have been a quick task often became a multi-step process, adding unnecessary time to routine payment management.
Inconsistent Cash Flow Timing
Payment payouts were inconsistent, with some transactions settling in three days and others taking five or seven. This lack of consistency made cash flow difficult to predict. The system also lacked the flexibility to adjust payout timing when faster access to funds was needed.
Solution
A Simpler and More Flexible Payment Platform
FocusPlanIT implemented Alternative Payments to reduce processing costs, simplify payment operations, and create a better experience for both the team and its clients.
From onboarding through daily use, the platform introduced a cleaner interface, streamlined workflows, and clearer financial visibility.
Smooth Onboarding and Client Transition
One of the main priorities was ensuring the transition would be smooth for clients. Payment details needed to be updated and a new portal introduced, making clear communication essential.
Alternative Payments provided a structured onboarding process, clear documentation, and a ready-to-use client communication template. Clients were simply notified about the new portal and prompted to enter their updated payment information.
The transition was completed smoothly, with no negative feedback from clients.
Passing Credit Card Fees to Clients
Alternative Payments made it easy to pass credit card processing fees to clients, helping FocusPlanIT reduce operational costs without adding complexity to billing.
The platform also provides the flexibility to enable or disable fee pass-through for specific clients, giving the team greater control over how fees are applied.
Real-Time Payment Insights and Automation
Alternative Payments introduced greater visibility into financial metrics through its Insights dashboard. Instead of manually searching through multiple systems for payment data, the team can now view metrics such as payment timing, transaction volume, and invoice activity at a glance.
Automation features like auto-pay rules and email notifications streamline accounts receivable management, reducing the time spent chasing payments and allowing the team to focus more on their clients.
“With Alternative Payments, if I need to issue a refund, I literally just log in, click, click, and the refund’s done. It’s so easy.”
Results
Lower Costs, Better Visibility, and Simpler Payments
Since implementing Alternative Payments, FocusPlanIT has significantly improved the way it manages billing and collections. By simplifying processes and improving financial visibility, the platform has reduced operational friction while giving the company better control over payment operations.
The transition not only helped lower processing costs but also made daily payment tasks faster and easier for the team.
- Reduced credit card processing costs by passing fees to clients
- Improved visibility into payment metrics and transaction data
- Faster and simpler refund and payment management workflows
- Flexible payout timing to support cash flow needs
“When you can actually see credit card processing on your P&L making a huge impact, you’ve got to do something about it—and in this case, Alternative Payments was the answer.”
