FastSpring

Name: FastSpring
Brand: FastSpring

Merchant-of-record payment platform handling global sales tax and VAT for software and digital goods.

softwarePayment ProcessingMerchant of RecordSubscription BillingGlobal Payments

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Our Verdict

Best for

Software and digital product companies that want to outsource global tax compliance while selling internationally.

Skip if

You need a standard payment processor for physical goods rather than a merchant-of-record for digital products.

What is FastSpring?

FastSpring is a payment processing and subscription billing platform built for companies selling software, SaaS, digital products, and games globally. As a merchant of record, it takes on responsibility for calculating and remitting sales tax and VAT across more than 200 regions and 35+ currencies, which removes a major compliance burden for companies expanding into new international markets. Beyond payments, it offers subscription and recurring billing management, a customizable localized checkout, fraud prevention tools, a built-in affiliate marketing network, and B2B sales quoting with e-signatures. FastSpring reports over 3,200 customers including Adobe, Intel, and Rovio, processing more than $2 billion in annual transactions, and provides REST APIs and webhooks for developers building custom purchase flows.

SpecificationsAI-estimated

deploymentCloud/SaaS

open source❌ No

api available✅ Yes

Key Features of FastSpring

Acts as merchant of record, taking on liability for calculating and remitting sales tax and VAT globally.

Processes payments across 200+ regions and 35+ currencies for international expansion.

Subscription and recurring billing tools manage upgrades, downgrades, and dunning automatically.

Customizable, localized checkout pages adapt language and currency to the buyer's region.

Built-in fraud prevention reduces chargebacks with automated risk alerts.

Affiliate marketing network helps digital sellers recruit partners to drive sales.

Interactive B2B quoting tools include e-signatures and CRM integration for sales-assisted deals.

REST APIs, webhooks, and JavaScript libraries support custom checkout and billing integrations.

Use Cases for FastSpring

Global SaaS subscription billing

Software companies sell subscriptions worldwide without building their own tax compliance infrastructure.

Game and digital product sales

Game studios and digital creators sell downloadable products across many countries and currencies.

B2B software sales with quotes

Sales teams generate quotes with e-signatures for larger enterprise software deals.

Affiliate-driven digital sales growth

Digital sellers use the built-in affiliate network to recruit partners who promote their products for commission.

Pros & Cons of FastSpring

Pros

Merchant-of-record model removes the burden of tracking global tax law changes in-house.
All-inclusive flat-rate pricing avoids the per-feature fee stacking some competitors use.
Proven scale with 3,200+ customers and over $2B processed annually.
Combines B2C subscription billing and B2B quoting in one platform.

Cons

No public pricing; exact fees require a sales conversation to determine.
Merchant-of-record model means less direct control over payment processor relationships than a standard PSP.
Best suited to software, SaaS, and digital goods sellers rather than general physical retail.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does merchant of record mean?

FastSpring becomes the seller of record for transactions, taking on responsibility for calculating and remitting sales tax and VAT globally.

How is FastSpring priced?

Pricing is flat-rate and based on transaction type and business volume, determined during a sales conversation rather than published publicly.

Does FastSpring support subscriptions?

Yes, it includes recurring billing management alongside one-time purchase processing.

Who uses FastSpring?

Software publishers, SaaS companies, game developers, and digital product creators, including Adobe and Intel.

Pricing Overview

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Contact for Pricing

Detailed plans are not listed. Visit the official website for pricing information.

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