Table of Contents

  1. Introduction

  2. Understanding Dolibarr ERP/CRM

  3. What is Stancer?

  4. Why Integrate Stancer with Dolibarr?

  5. Prerequisites for Integration

  6. Overview of the Integration Process

  7. Technical Architecture

  8. Key Features of the Stancer-Dolibarr Integration

  9. Development Challenges and Solutions

  10. Security Considerations

  11. Future Enhancements

  12. Conclusion

1. Introduction

In today's competitive business environment, companies demand seamless management of operations, invoicing, and payments. Dolibarr ERP/CRM stands out as a robust open-source solution for SMEs, freelancers, and associations. Stancer, a flexible online payment platform, offers simple and efficient ways to accept payments. Integrating Stancer into Dolibarr can significantly enhance the platform’s payment processing capabilities, providing users with a streamlined, end-to-end business solution.

2. Understanding Dolibarr ERP/CRM

Dolibarr is an open-source ERP and CRM software designed to manage business processes like invoicing, sales, human resources, inventory, and finance. Created with simplicity in mind, Dolibarr can be deployed as a standalone application or as a module within a broader infrastructure.

Key characteristics of Dolibarr:

  • Modular Design: Users can activate only the features they need.

  • Ease of Use: The interface is user-friendly with minimal learning curve.

  • Open Source: It is available under the GNU General Public License (GPL).

  • Scalability: Suitable for small to medium-sized enterprises but powerful enough to scale.

  • Community Support: A vibrant community contributes to its continuous improvement.

Modules in Dolibarr cover diverse areas such as accounting, warehouse management, project management, email campaigns, point of sale (POS), and more. Integration with external applications and APIs is also a strong point, making Dolibarr a flexible hub for businesses.

3. What is Stancer?

Stancer is a French online payment solution provider that simplifies the process of accepting card payments, bank transfers, and other digital transactions. Known for its developer-friendly APIs, transparent pricing, and strong security, Stancer is especially attractive for startups, e-commerce platforms, and SaaS providers.

Core strengths of Stancer:

  • Transparent and Low Fees: No hidden charges, with a straightforward cost model.

  • API-First: Easy to integrate with web and mobile applications.

  • Security: Full PCI-DSS compliance.

  • Customizable Payment Pages: Merchants can adapt the look and feel.

  • Recurring Payments: Ideal for subscriptions and membership models.

4. Why Integrate Stancer with Dolibarr?

Integrating Stancer into Dolibarr creates an all-in-one business management and payment processing system. Here’s why this makes sense:

  • Simplified Workflow: Clients can pay invoices directly via Stancer.

  • Improved Cash Flow: Faster payments mean healthier business finances.

  • Better User Experience: Offering modern, secure, and diverse payment methods increases customer satisfaction.

  • Reduced Errors: Automating payment reconciliation with invoices minimizes human mistakes.

  • Customization Opportunities: Specific payment processes can be tailored to fit unique business needs.

In a world where businesses aim for agility and customer-centricity, this integration becomes a competitive advantage.

5. Prerequisites for Integration

Before starting the integration, the following must be prepared:

  • Dolibarr Installation: A working Dolibarr environment (version 13 or later is recommended).

  • Stancer Account: Merchant account with access to API keys.

  • Technical Skills: Knowledge of PHP, REST APIs, and webhooks.

  • Backup: Always ensure backups are made before modifying a live Dolibarr system.

It’s also advisable to set up a staging environment for testing before rolling out to production.

6. Overview of the Integration Process

The integration involves several steps:

  1. API Key Setup: Securely store and manage the Stancer API keys.

  2. Module Development: Create a custom Dolibarr module or modify existing payment modules.

  3. Invoice Hooking: Hook into Dolibarr’s invoice generation process.

  4. Payment Form Creation: Develop payment forms/pages that link to Stancer.

  5. Webhook Handling: Capture asynchronous notifications from Stancer (e.g., payment success, failure).

  6. Status Updates: Update invoice statuses automatically in Dolibarr.

  7. Testing: End-to-end testing of payment scenarios.

  8. Deployment: Move the integration to the production server.

7. Technical Architecture

The architecture is relatively straightforward:

  • Front-End: Invoice page with a "Pay with Stancer" button.

  • Back-End: PHP module within Dolibarr handles API communication.

  • Security: Token-based authentication and HTTPS-only communication.

  • Database: Dolibarr database extended (if necessary) to store transaction metadata.

  • Webhooks: Stancer servers push transaction updates to dedicated Dolibarr endpoints.

Proper API error handling, logging, and fallback mechanisms are crucial for maintaining system reliability.

8. Key Features of the Stancer-Dolibarr Integration

8.1 Payment Initiation from Invoices

Clients can click a payment link directly on their invoices. This redirects them to a secure Stancer checkout page or embedded form.

8.2 Automatic Invoice Status Update

Upon successful payment, Dolibarr automatically marks the invoice as paid, recording the transaction ID and payment details.

8.3 Real-Time Notifications

Thanks to webhook support, Dolibarr instantly knows if a payment fails, is pending, or succeeds.

8.4 Refund Management

Merchants can initiate refunds directly from Dolibarr, and Stancer processes them without the need for separate logins.

8.5 Multiple Payment Methods Support

Credit cards, SEPA direct debits, and other options supported by Stancer become available to clients.

8.6 Payment History

A dedicated section within Dolibarr lists all Stancer transactions linked to customer profiles and invoices.

9. Development Challenges and Solutions

9.1 API Versioning

Stancer's API might evolve. Implementing version controls ensures that Dolibarr modules remain compatible even when updates occur.

9.2 Webhook Security

Without verification, webhook endpoints could be a vulnerability. It’s critical to validate incoming webhook payloads using Stancer’s recommended signatures.

9.3 UX/UI Consistency

Custom payment forms should match Dolibarr’s user interface to prevent disjointed user experiences.

9.4 Error Handling

Retries, informative error messages, and fallback mechanisms should be implemented to handle network issues or API downtime.

10. Security Considerations

Security should be baked into every stage of the integration:

  • Use HTTPS Everywhere: Both Dolibarr and Stancer communications must occur over HTTPS.

  • Secure API Keys: Store API keys outside the web root, preferably using environment variables.

  • Validate Webhooks: Confirm authenticity using HMAC signatures.

  • PCI Compliance: Ensure no card data passes through Dolibarr servers to reduce compliance scope.

  • Audit Logs: Maintain logs for all payment interactions.

By following best practices, the integration can meet high-security standards.

11. Future Enhancements

Several improvements can be envisioned for future versions of the module:

  • Subscription Billing: Automate recurring invoice creation and payment.

  • Advanced Reporting: Dashboards summarizing payment performance.

  • Mobile Payments Support: Optimization for mobile-first transactions.

  • Multi-currency Management: Extend support for businesses operating across different regions.

  • AI Fraud Detection: Integration with machine learning models for suspicious transaction detection.

Keeping a roadmap of features will ensure the solution evolves along with user needs and market trends.

12. Conclusion

Integrating Stancer with Dolibarr creates a powerful and efficient ecosystem for managing business operations and payment collections under one roof. It simplifies workflows, improves financial health, and enhances customer satisfaction. While development presents technical challenges, careful planning, adherence to best practices, and a focus on user experience will lead to a successful integration. As businesses continue to seek streamlined solutions, a robust Stancer-Dolibarr integration will undoubtedly offer a significant competitive advantage.