Online Payment Processing: Scotiabank eCom+
Scotiabank introduced it’s very own payment gateway in 2022 called Scotia eCom+. It’s a clear signal that local E-Commerce is steadily marching forward.
It’s the first direct competitor to Powertranz (formerly First Atlantic Commerce), which has been the only similar option available in Trinidad & Tobago.
What’s
Under the
Hood
Since it’s introduction, Scotiabank’s Com+ payment gateway has been growing in popularity in Trinidad & Tobago and the Caribbean, and is primarily requested for integration with Shopify stores.
Scotiabank still offers other solutions like Powertranz and Fygaro, but being their own branded gateway, there is an inherent advantage over its competition.
On This Page
About Scotia eCom+
Scotiabank’s new online payment solution is a bona fide payment gateway, in that it can be integrated with your shopping cart for seamless checkout experience. It can also be used as a standalone payment portal, i.e. without integration, by redirecting customers from your website to their secure payment platform by embedding their payment form into your website.
How it Works
Scotia eCom+ uses the same Hosted Payment Page (HPP) method of integration where the customer is redirected away from the online store’s checkout page, which would be a different URL, to enter credit card details. They are then automatically redirected back to the online store for the standard on-screen ‘success’ confirmation. The customer also gets the standard email confirmations and the merchant gets their standard email notification emails as well.
Integration with e-commerce platforms is via direct coding via a developer, there is no available plug-in.
Who It's Best For
Scotiabank eCom+ is typically well suited for:
- Companies with an established banking relationship
- Merchants expecting moderate to high transaction volume
- Businesses requiring robust fraud prevention tools
- Companies serving regional or international customers
It may be less suitable for:
- Very small startups without complete business documentation
- Informal businesses not properly registered
- Businesses seeking instant self-service onboarding
Platforms & Technical Compatibility
Scotia eCom+ can be integrated with most popular shopping carts once they are open source or provide access. Forward Multimedia already has live online stores on the WordPress/WooCommerce platform, such as Royal Bengal Trading, which was one of the very first integrations in the country, and on the Lightspeed platform on Cost Savers., and several integrations with Shopify, which will make it 3 different platforms.
Scotiabank provides a public API which would allow any developer to write the code necessary to integrate with any shopping cart or application.
Forward Multimedia, via a partnership, has developed a WordPress plugin that interfaces with the Woo Commerce system, as well as plug-ins that work with the Lightspeed and Shopify platforms The plugin acts like a Payment Gateway and can be configured to work with any Payment Provider. This plugin has been configured to work out of the box with Scotia eCom+.
Our plug-in is available only for our clients where we do the installation, configuration and provide support. It’s therefore NOT an à la carte ‘off-the-shelf’ plug-in for sale.
Key Features
With Scotia eCom+, there is the option to keep your USD, which makes it a more attractive solution. All other local banks provide only TTD currency support even if you’re earning USD from transactions using non-TT credit cards.
As we are all painfully aware, the lack of USD in Trinidad & Tobago is an ongoing headache, and all signs are that it will continue indefinitely as long as the local economic challenges remain.
For fraud protection, Scotiabank eCom+ (and Powertranz) supports the latest version called 3D SECURE 2.0, which introduces a new feature called Frictionless Flow. By performing risk-based authentication in the access control server (ACS), issuers are now able to approve a transaction without the need for input from the cardholder.
Scotiabank does not have an additional fraud protection like Powertranz has in Kount, which also performs a risk analysis profile of the user. However, the Kount service is at a cost for the additional protection, and it would seem that the 3DS version 2 is robust as there haven’t been incidents of fraud for our integrations..
Fees & Costs
Generally, the monthly cost of this solution is less than half of the cost of Powertranz. And to be fair, the costs banks charge are per their internal cost structures based on their licensing agreements with FAC. As Scotiabank’s own solution, they are able to control their own pricing.
Note that the bank fees involved with any online payment solution may comprise:
- Set-up fee (one time, and sometimes waived)
- Processing fee (from 3% of order value and up, negotiable in some cases)
- Transaction fee (from $1.75 TTD per transaction and up
- Monthly maintenance fee ( from $25 USD up to $100 USD/mth)
Also note that the above fees are between you and your bank and sometimes subject to negotiation and your business relationship. Forward Multimedia’s integration fee is separate.
Integration Process
Once your account is approved by Scotiabank:
- You provide us with your merchant credentials.
- We configure the gateway for your platform.
- Sandbox (test mode) transactions are conducted.
- Live credentials are activated.
- Final checkout testing is performed before go-live.
Typical integration time (once credentials are received):
2–3 weeks.
The structure of this gateway requires an email account to send notifications from, so clients will normally have to provide an email address and necessary technical settings to configure.
The final step of the integration is an official Approval Letter from Scotiabank, clearing the platform for live transactions.
Sign-Up & Approval Process
If you’re already a Scotiabank customer, whether personal or business, then the process to obtain this solution would require less steps being already in their system. If you don’t have a business account with Scotiabank, then you’ll have to go through the necessary paperwork to open an account, after which you’ll be able to apply for the payment gateway.
To apply for eCom+, you will generally need:
- Business registration documents
- Director/shareholder identification
- Bank account details
- Website URL (live or staging)
- Business description and product/service details
Approval timelines vary depending on:
- Bank processing speed
- Completeness of documentation
- Industry risk classification
In the Caribbean context, approval can take several weeks.
Advantages & Considerations
Advantages
- Direct integration with your bank
- Trusted banking infrastructure
- Funds deposited directly into your Scotiabank account
- Suitable for established businesses
- Recognized international card processing standards
Considerations
- Onboarding can be slower than third-party gateways
- Requires full merchant account approval
- Documentation requirements may be extensive
Support
Online payment offerings are only going to increase in Trinidad & Tobago as local E-Commerce continues its upward trend. Trinis are not only open and receptive to online shopping now, but also treat it as standard, and are actually surprised if merchants don’t provide some form of online commerce— even the lowly online bank transfer option. Expect more banks to follow Scotia’s lead and come up with their own branded solutions.
You may learn more about the solution on Scotiabank’s website here.
Summary & Recommendation
Online payment offerings are only going to increase in Trinidad & Tobago as local E-Commerce continues its upward trend. Trinis are not only open and receptive to online shopping now, but also treat it as standard, and are actually surprised if merchants don’t provide some form of online commerce— even the lowly online bank transfer option. Expect more banks to follow Scotia’s lead and come up with their own branded solutions.
You may learn more about the solution on Scotiabank’s website here.
Still Have Questions?
If you still have any questions about Scotiabank’s eCom+, send us a message or check out our knowledgebase.