# How Dodo Payments Helped IndieKit Go From Rejection to Revenue > When every payment processor says no, you don't just lose a vendor--you lose the ability to sell. - **Company**: IndieKit - **Industry**: Developer Tools - **Payment provider**: Dodo Payments (Merchant of Record) - **Published**: 2025-02-20 - **URL**: https://dodopayments.com/case-studies/indiekit ## Key Metrics - **+43%** -- Checkout conversion increase - **5** -- Products launched & monetised with Dodo - **400+** -- Paying customers via Dodo --- ## The Company **IndieKit: the fastest way to launch a SaaS** IndieKit was built from a familiar frustration. Every time Chiranjit started a new project, he found himself rebuilding the same foundations: authentication, payments, database setup, UI components. The work before the real work. Instead of reinventing the wheel, IndieKit provides a production-ready Next.js boilerplate with everything built in, including AI integrations and multi-tenant infrastructure. Today, IndieKit has 350+ customers, a 4.9 rating, and has helped founders launch to $2,500+ MRR within days. Its growth is driven largely by community, with strong traction from Reddit and organic discovery through AI tools. But none of that growth would have been possible if he had not first solved a more fundamental problem: finding a payment processor that would actually let him sell. ## The Challenge The challenge Chiranjit faced was not about choosing the wrong payment processor. It was about not being able to get onto any of them at all. For Indian indie founders building individual ventures outside of a registered company, the payment landscape is hostile. Stripe, the default choice for most global SaaS builders, rejected his application. The reason given was not about his business or his product. It was volume: too many applications, unable to process. LemonSqueezy also rejected him. The rejections were not personal, but the consequences were. > "What would have been the cost of waiting? A lot. Two to three startups, I would say. Before that, I started something, but I was unable to launch it because payments were delayed. Eventually, I gave it for free." > > -- Chiranjit, Founder, IndieKit One product was launched entirely for free, simply because there was no way to charge for it. Attempts with alternatives didn't help. Poor documentation, missing payment methods, and breaking APIs made them unreliable for a real business. Every delay in payments meant lost time, lost revenue, and stalled ideas. > "I formed a sole proprietorship. Then I tried to sign up for Stripe. They rejected. And also I tried LemonSqueezy. They also rejected. And the reason was not even provided. I was not using anything before Dodo Payments." > > -- Chiranjit, Founder, IndieKit ## The Solution The turning point came not from a product search or a comparison table--it came from a tweet. Blocked by every conventional option, Chiranjit posted publicly asking if anyone could help him access a US payment channel. The tweet went viral within the indie hacker community. Dodo Payments responded. He signed up, integrated, and started selling. IndieKit was not his first business on Dodo--it was his third or fourth. The relationship had been built over years of early access, product feedback, and a shared understanding of what indie founders actually need from a payment layer. As a Merchant of Record, Dodo handles the full compliance and operational stack on IndieKit's behalf: - Tax collection and remittance globally - Compliance across jurisdictions - Local payment methods (including UPI) - Localised currencies - Simple payment links and developer-friendly APIs For the first time, payments were no longer a blocker. > "The way you have organised your documentation is similar to Stripe. And Stripe has got the best documentation platform in the world. I would rate Dodo similarly. That was the reason it was very easy for me to integrate." > > -- Chiranjit, Founder, IndieKit ## The Implementation The integration was fast and straightforward. With clear, Stripe-like documentation and simple APIs, IndieKit was able to go live without delays, debugging cycles, or back-and-forth with support. The checkout worked from the first test, and payments were up and running within the same session. What stood out wasn't just the speed--it was the simplicity. Instead of managing multiple steps or complex configurations, Chiranjit could create a product, generate a payment link, and start selling immediately. There were no tax settings to configure, no currency handling to manage, and no additional layers to stitch together. > "As I think about coupons, the next week coupons were there. Within two or three weeks, the MCP of Dodo was there. Dodo is keeping up with the trends and what customers really want. And you guys are shipping it." > > -- Chiranjit, Founder, IndieKit Over time, Dodo Payments became more than just a tool--it became part of IndieKit itself. Today, Dodo is integrated directly into the IndieKit boilerplate, allowing other founders to launch and accept payments without setting up infrastructure from scratch. ## The Results Dodo Payments didn't just enable IndieKit to sell--it helped them unlock the ability to build a real business. ### From free products to real revenue Before Dodo, products couldn't be monetised. Now, IndieKit is a **4.9 rated product with 350+ customers**, and has helped founders generate revenue within days of launch. The biggest shift was simple but critical: the ability to charge from day one. ### Higher conversion, smoother checkout With localised pricing and global payment methods, IndieKit improved its checkout experience significantly. Conversion rates increased from **1.4% to 2%**, driven by reduced friction and better support for international customers. ### Tax compliance--fully handled Global tax compliance, once a major blocker, is now completely off the table. Dodo manages tax collection and remittance across all regions, with no need for registrations, filings, or manual tracking. This allows a solo founder to operate globally without a finance team. ### Stayed on Dodo--even after Stripe approval Eventually, Chiranjit did get approved for an individual Stripe account in India. He has not moved. Dodo handles the tax, the compliance, the global payment methods, and the operational overhead that would otherwise fall on a one-person operation. The switching cost in the other direction--from Dodo back to a processor that does not carry those responsibilities--is simply not worth it. ### A payment layer that moves as fast as founders Beyond functionality, what stood out was speed. Dodo ships features quickly, often in response to direct user feedback--aligning with how indie founders build and iterate. > "I have an individual account on Stripe in India. I got it approved. But I'm still on Dodo Payments. I'm not moving out. Because taxation is being handled and a lot of other stuff is already handled. They have delivered more value than Stripe." > > -- Chiranjit, Founder, IndieKit --- ## About Dodo Payments Dodo Payments is the billing and payments platform for AI-first companies. As a Merchant of Record, Dodo handles tax collection, compliance, billing, and payouts across 220+ countries so founders can focus on building. Features include credit-based billing, usage metering, subscriptions, one-time payments, adaptive currency pricing, 40+ local payment methods, and built-in analytics. - [Learn more about Dodo Payments](https://dodopayments.com) - [All case studies](https://dodopayments.com/case-studies) - [Pricing](https://dodopayments.com/pricing) - [Sign up](https://app.dodopayments.com/login)