Stripe expands NZ preview, now available to all Kiwi businesses

Stripe is expanding its preview in New Zealand, in a move that enables any business across the country to sign up for the platform.

Previously, a business had to be invited in order to preview the Stripe platform.

Stripe provides online tools for websites and software applications to process customer payments. It started as /dev/payments in 2010, quickly renamed itself to Stripe, and has since gone on to receive around $300 million in funding. The company launched its first commercial product in early 2011.

Stripe has a number of different products the web developers an integrate with to accept payments on their websites. It also has a simple setup process for new merchants. It has  a seven-day waiting period for initial transactions, during which time it profiles the businesses involved to protect against potential fraud. Stripe then transfers the funds directly into the bank account linked to the payee. It also accepts a number of non-credit card payment methods like Bitcoin, Apple Pay, Google Pay and AliPay.

Now that has Stripe has made its way into the New Zealand landscape, Kiwi businesses will be able to accept payments from customers around the world in 136 currencies, build global marketplaces using Stripe Connect, or create great mobile experiences using Apple Pay and Android Pay. Stripe Radar, its machine-learning based fraud toolkit, is also available in New Zealand.

Users based in New Zealand will also be able to take advantage of business services and platforms that work with Stripe, including Xero, Squarespace and Shopify.