Django Partners with FNBO to Bring Fast, Scalable Embedded Payments to SaaS Platforms

In a major step forward for embedded finance in the SaaS ecosystem, dhango, a payments infrastructure specialist, has announced a strategic partnership with FNBO (First National Bank of Omaha) designed to help software platforms, independent software vendors (ISVs), and marketplaces quickly launch and manage integrated payments. The collaboration aims to streamline and accelerate how businesses embed payments into their products — a capability increasingly seen as essential for modern SaaS platforms looking to offer seamless financial experiences without the complexity of building payments systems from scratch.

As digital platforms evolve, the demand for embedded payments — where payment processing is integrated directly into software workflows — has grown rapidly. Instead of redirecting customers to external payment providers, SaaS platforms can now provide a unified experience that includes invoice settlements, subscription billing, ACH transfers, checks, and card transactions all within their own branded interface. This is particularly valuable in industries with high volumes of business-to-business (B2B) transactions or recurring payments, such as professional services, construction tech, utilities, senior living, and education services.

Tackling a Persistent Challenge

Traditionally, many SaaS companies have struggled with payment integrations that are slow to deploy, expensive to maintain, and restrictive in terms of transaction limits. Third-party payment processors often impose high fees, hold funds for extended periods, or cap transaction volumes, making it difficult for platforms with ambitious growth plans or significant ACH traffic to scale effectively. With that backdrop, dhango’s middleware layer serves as a bridge between platforms and payment rails — handling merchant onboarding, compliance, risk controls, and unified payment flows under a single API.

FNBO brings to the partnership its deep experience as an Originating Depository Financial Institution (ODFI) — essentially acting as the bank that processes and settles transactions for third-party senders. With over 165 years in business and nearly $35 billion in assets, FNBO is well-placed to help SaaS platforms navigate the complexities of bank relationships, regulatory compliance, and risk management. This collaboration allows dhango to leverage FNBO’s banking infrastructure, while offering SaaS platforms the responsiveness and flexibility needed for modern payment services.

“Most processors simply aren’t built for large-scale ACH,” said Milan Malkani, founder of dhango. According to him, this shortcoming leads to unnecessary limits and disruptions for merchants — challenges that the dhango-FNBO partnership is expressly designed to overcome by giving platforms greater control over economics, funding timing, and the potential to monetize payment processing.

What the Partnership Offers

Under the dhango-FNBO collaboration, SaaS platforms can expect a range of capabilities that dramatically reduce the time and effort required to launch payments:

• Rapid time to market: Platforms can go live in as little as 30–60 days using dhango’s API and onboarding tools, shortening what typically might be months of development and compliance work.

• Unified payments experience: A single API powers card, ACH, and check payments, allowing platforms to offer a seamless financial interface within their own user experiences.

• Improved economics and control: Platforms can benefit from lower fees, greater control over the timing of fund transfers, and the ability to earn from payments and processing floats.

• Built-in risk and compliance: dhango’s infrastructure handles automated KYC/AML checks, merchant vetting, fraud mitigation, and bank-grade controls — critical components for regulatory compliance.

• High-volume ACH scalability: Particularly useful for platforms handling significant ACH traffic or large B2B payments, this capability positions them to support complex payment workflows effectively.
  

These features not only enhance the capabilities of SaaS platforms but also open up new ways for them to generate revenue. Platforms can now monetize payment services directly — for example, through facilitated payment fees or float on processed funds — creating an additional income stream beyond subscription or licensing revenue.

Industry Impact and Customer Success

Early adopters are already seeing the benefits of the integrated solution. Studio Designer, a SaaS platform serving the interior design industry, completed its integration within 35 days and went live in just 45 days using the new infrastructure. The company now enjoys improved cash flow, fewer payment holds, tailored transaction limits, and lower processing fees — all while maintaining full branding and contract control with its merchant customers.

This case underscores a broader trend in the fintech and SaaS space: the move toward payments as a strategic capability rather than a peripheral service. By embedding payments into core workflows, platforms can reduce friction for end users, increase engagement, and fortify their competitive advantage in crowded markets. This trend aligns with wider industry shifts towards embedded banking and finance, where APIs from banks and technology providers empower non-bank platforms to deliver financial services natively.

Looking Ahead

As embedded finance continues to evolve, partnerships like dhango and FNBO are set to play an increasingly important role in shaping how SaaS companies engage with payments. By combining advanced infrastructure, compliance automation, and bank partnerships, the collaboration provides a blueprint for how platforms can build scalable, secure, and profitable payment solutions.

With the demand for seamless, integrated financial experiences only set to grow, this partnership could serve as a model for other players in the ecosystem — highlighting how fintech innovation and traditional banking expertise can come together to unlock new opportunities for SaaS platforms and the businesses they serve.