Microsoft is launching a Teams Payments app intending to help small and medium businesses (SMBs).
SMBs can now manage and collect payments for the products and services they provide over Teams — including classes, webinars and appointments — during conversations within the Teams platform. Microsoft has partnered with Stripe, PayPal and GoDaddy to support Teams Payments with commerce features.
Alberto Martinez-Interiano, Product Marketing Leader at Microsoft, wrote in a blog post:
For example, a lawyer or financial advisor can collect payments for consultative appointments, a real estate instructor can do the same for license-renewal sessions, or a teacher for tutoring classes—all while the customer is engaging with them."
The solution is usable via desktop and mobile and is now in public preview in the Teams Store. It will be available for Teams Essentials and Microsoft 365 business subscribers at no extra charge. It is currently exclusive to the United States and Canada.
Partnerships Key to Payments App
Partnering with some of the most significant vendors in internet payments enables Microsoft to fuse the collaboration capabilities in Teams with the cutting-edge commerce technology that GoDaddy, PayPal and Stripe can offer.
Martinez-Interiano said the Payments app aspires to "increase your revenue and make it even easier for customers to interact with you."
After a user configures the Payments app into their platform, they can connect to their GoDaddy, PayPal or Stripe account(s). They can then send a payment request to customers mid-meeting with just a few clicks. Customers can also remit payments using their credit or debit card, digital wallet, and more.
The app includes an at-a-glance view of payments feature, allowing users to see what payments have been received and those still outstanding from customers.
