Embedding Request-to-Pay (R2P) in UX

Request-to-Pay (R2P) is quickly emerging as a powerful feature in payment ecosystems, giving businesses the ability to request payments in real time—while empowering users with greater control, transparency, and convenience. 

For fintechs, embedding R2P into product UX isn't just about plugging in another payment option. It’s about designing secure, real-time, and intuitive workflows that bridge invoicing, notifications, and confirmations—without breaking the flow for users or compromising compliance. 

Let's explore how to integrate R2P capabilities into frontend experiences while supporting them with scalable backend infrastructure, event-driven workflows, and secure communication channels. 

What Is Request-to-Pay? 

Request-to-Pay is a messaging framework (not a payment method) that allows a payee to initiate a payment request, which the payer can then approve or reject. It’s increasingly supported by real-time payment schemes like SEPA Instant and UK Faster Payments. 

Key benefits: 

• Real-time control for payers (approve/deny) 
• Easier reconciliation for merchants 
• Automated invoicing & reminders 
• Can reduce fraud compared to pull-based flows 

For fintechs, R2P can enable seamless bill payments, P2P transactions, or merchant requests within one unified experience.  

UX Considerations: Seamless, Secure, and Predictable 

1. Embedded R2P Widgets 

Instead of redirecting users to external flows, embed payment requests within: 

Notifications or message centers 

Billing dashboards 

Contextual screens (e.g. invoice detail → Pay Now) 

Use clear CTAs like “Approve & Pay” and display: 

Requestor identity 

Amount and currency 

Reason for payment 

Due date (if applicable) 

Pro Tip: Include fraud warnings and enforce identity verification for first-time recipients. 

2. Approval Flows with Feedback 

Implement in-app transitions that reflect request status: 

Pending → Approved / Declined 

Add real-time loaders + fallback messages 

Confirmations via email, push, or in-app banners 

3. Multi-Device UX 

Ensure request notifications and approvals work consistently across web, iOS, and Android, including deep linking from external sources (like emails or SMS). 

Backend Architecture for R2P 

To make R2P work at scale and in real time, you need backend systems that are: 

Event-driven 

Secure and traceable 

Integrated with payment rails (e.g. SEPA Instant, RTP) 

API-first and compliant with messaging standards (e.g. ISO 20022) 

Let’s break it down.  

Key Backend Components 

1. R2P Orchestration Service 

Handles lifecycle of a request: 

Validate the payer and payee 

Format request according to ISO 20022 or internal schema 

Store metadata (reason, timestamps, expiration) 

Assign a unique reference ID 

Push the request to the Notification layer 

Should expose: 

POST /r2p/requests 

GET /r2p/requests/{id} 

POST /r2p/requests/{id}/respond (approve/decline) 

2. Notification System 

Real-time messaging: WebSockets or push gateways 

Fallback channels: SMS, email 

Signed payloads for integrity verification 

Read receipt tracking 

3. Payment Triggering Service 

Once the user approves the R2P: 

Initiate a payment via internal ledger or third-party PSP 

Lock the request to prevent double execution 

Update payment + request status atomically 

Use idempotent transaction IDs to avoid duplicates. 

4. Audit & Compliance Logging 

Track: 

Who initiated what and when 

Approval IP/device fingerprint 

Consent trail (e.g. via biometric or PIN auth) 

Failed or suspicious requests 

This data should be tamper-proof and exportable for audits. 

Tech Stack Recommendations 

Integrating Request-to-Pay (R2P) capabilities into a fintech product requires close alignment between frontend design and backend engineering. On the frontend, the goal is to create a seamless user experience where invoice requests, payment approvals, and notifications feel intuitive and instant. This means embedding R2P triggers directly into existing payment or billing flows, ensuring that users can send and respond to requests without leaving the app’s core interface. 

Behind the scenes, this experience must be powered by a scalable backend architecture capable of handling high volumes of real-time requests. Event-driven workflows are ideal here, enabling immediate state changes—such as marking an invoice as paid the moment a payment is confirmed—without relying on periodic polling. Secure communication channels, backed by encryption and authentication, are essential to protect sensitive payment data and maintain compliance with industry regulations. By tightly coupling these backend patterns with a frictionless frontend, R2P becomes a natural, trusted part of the payment journey. 

Deploy using containerized workloads (Kubernetes or ECS) with support for: 

Horizontal scaling (autoscale R2P orchestration service) 

Event replay (for notification retries) 

Circuit breakers and retries 

The New User Experience Opportunity 

R2P isn’t just a new payment method—it’s a new user experience opportunity. Fintechs that treat it like a modular feature—with strong UI/UX, backend traceability, and secure real-time processing—can increase engagement, reduce fraud, and streamline money movement. 

As real-time payment adoption grows, embedding R2P directly into your customer experience and infrastructure is a strategic advantage.