July 4 2019
What's next for Pancake
TL;DR: Pancake hasn't stopped development! 😃 We're still working hard (helping our existing customers, working on a new website, big Pancake improvements), so it's been super busy around here. We're hoping to have some news very soon!
We've been quietly working away on improvements, and keeping them quiet, but the time has finally come for us to talk about what we've been up to. This article will be broken down into parts, since there are a few areas we want to cover.
Pancake 4.14
We've just released a minor update (4.13.20) containing a few important bugfixes that needed to be released to make sure Pancake keeps running smoothly, and will be releasing more of these minor updates over the next couple of weeks. We are still working on Pancake 4.14, which will include a lot of improvements, and will be released later in the year.
Pancake 4.14 will be a free update for all Pancake 4 users, as expected.
PSD2: Strong Customer Authentication (SCA)
In Europe, a new regulation will come into force on the 14th of September 2019, which will require additional authentication when making card payments.
- If you use PayPal, you don't need to do anything. Your clients are sent to PayPal's website, and they will handle the additional authentication.
- We're adding support for Stripe Checkout, which will send your clients to Stripe's website, just as it works with PayPal. They will then take care of everything.
- We're updating our current Stripe integration to use Stripe Elements, which will work with this new regulation as expected, as well as bring support for the other payment methods Stripe supports (e.g. Apple Pay) to your Pancake.
- If you use a third-party payment gateway and are based in Europe, please let us know. We're working with the developers of these gateways to make sure those of us in Europe aren't left behind.
These updates will be released in the next few weeks and will make sure Pancake works fine once SCA comes into force in September.
New Pancake Website & Community Forums
Over the next few weeks, we will be launching a brand new website for Pancake. With the launch of the new website, we will be able to support people who'd like to have Pancake hosted for them, as well as offer new services and a better experience when wanting to find out more about Pancake.
Part of that includes bringing back our community forums and improving the situation for developers of the Pancake Store, as well as our knowledge base, so you can find the answers you want without having to wait.
Pancake Concierge
We are introducing a new service to help people get started with Pancake. We will do whatever you need:
- Install Pancake for you on your own server.
- Transfer all your data to Pancake (even if it's on spreadsheets!).
- Train you and your team on Pancake.
We want people to be able to use Pancake without any concerns, and migrating is usually the main worry when considering a new system for your business. We want to take that worry away by giving you a guarantee that whatever you need, we'll take care of it for you.
And, it's free. Just reach out to us, and we'll help you.
Once the new website goes live, a lot of this information will be described in greater detail, but this service is available right now for any new Pancake customers.
The next couple of months will be very big in the world of Pancake, and we just wanted to keep you updated. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to message us, either via live chat, the contact us page, or our support ticket system. 😊