Case study: Northius

Northius – Transforming Payment Infrastructure with Square1

Northius is a globally recognised online education company offering a broad range of programmes, from professional courses to specialised master’s degrees, across fields such as technology, veterinary science, audiovisual production, and civil service exam preparation. Despite successfully using Stripe for its payment flows, Northius faced unique billing requirements that called for specialised branding and more advanced usage of Stripe’s subscription system. These needs ranged from creating custom landing pages for each brand to streamlining reconciliation processes and implementing automated notifications.

To address these challenges, Northius collaborated with Square1’s Consulting and Development teams. Through a combination of tailored training and hands-on implementation, Square1 introduced a middleware solution that preserved each brand’s identity while maintaining robust payment functionalities. Moreover, Square1 provided in-depth sessions on Stripe Billing, financial reporting, and best practices, empowering Northius’s internal teams to manage and optimise their payment infrastructure. This case study highlights how Northius capitalised on Square1’s expertise to deliver an enhanced and cohesive payment experience for learners around the globe.

Company Overview

Northius operates across multiple countries, standing at the forefront of digital education. Founded on values of transparency, passion, and professionalism, the organisation strives to deliver top-tier learning experiences tailored to industry demands. From technology and veterinary science to audiovisual production and civil service exam preparation, each Northius-owned school focuses on equipping students with real-world skills that directly enhance their employability.

Positioned as a leader within the online education sector, Northius has recognised the industry’s increasing emphasis on remote learning and simplified e-commerce functionalities. Its commitment to continuous innovation sets it apart, allowing the platform to refine its offerings and remain competitive amid evolving market trends. By leveraging cutting-edge technology and strategic partnerships, Northius continues to push the boundaries of global online education, ensuring that students can easily enroll, pay, and progress through courses designed to meet modern workforce requirements.

Challenge Revolutionising Mobile Entertainment

The Challenge

Stripe Billing had been successfully handling Northius’s enrolment and tuition instalments, but the platform’s expansion revealed the need for more specialised solutions. While Stripe’s subscription system provided essential core functionality, Northius identified several unique requirements demanding bespoke development. Chief among these was the complexity of operating numerous brands via a single Stripe account—an arrangement that often led to uniform branding and limited differentiation on customer-facing payment pages.

Additionally, Northius’s teams sought deeper knowledge of Stripe’s capabilities, including reconciliation processes and advanced features critical for scaling payment operations. As the organisation continued to evolve, adapting its payment flows quickly and smoothly became essential to avoid disrupting user experience. By seeking specialised support that encompassed both technical enhancements and targeted employee training, Northius aimed to maintain its competitive edge while delivering a streamlined payment journey for students across diverse brands.

The Solution

Square1 responded to Northius’s needs with a multi-faceted approach designed to address both immediate technical gaps and long-term operational improvements. Central to this solution was comprehensive consulting that directly addressed Northius’s unique setup:

Customised Training: Square1 led in-depth sessions covering Stripe Billing, financial reporting, and best practices, empowering Northius’s teams to optimise their day-to-day operations.
Q&A Sessions: By submitting queries beforehand, Northius’s teams ensured that training was highly relevant and productive, with real-time troubleshooting and clarity on pressing challenges.
Implementation Guidance: Square1 offered strategic advice on integrating Stripe products within Northius’s existing systems, emphasising minimal disruption and maximum efficiency.

In addition to consulting, Square1 created an external middleware solution to generate brand-specific landing pages. This approach guaranteed that each brand under the Northius umbrella retained its identity whilst delivering consistent payment workflows. By providing dedicated URLs and customised branding, these new landing pages offered a seamless user experience, elevating the perception of professionalism and brand cohesion across Northius’s multiple educational offerings.

Implementation

From a development perspective, Square1 implemented a middleware layer between Northius and Stripe to meet the group’s multi-brand requirements. Rather than relying on Stripe’s default Hosted Invoice Page—where all invoices feature the same design—this external system dynamically generated unique payment pages reflecting each brand’s specific identity.

Brand-Specific Pages: By using custom URLs and design elements, Square1 ensured that learners interacted with landing pages distinctly tied to the brand from which they were purchasing.
Streamlined Workflows: The middleware minimised changes to Northius’s existing systems, allowing for a smooth integration without major restructuring.
Webhooks & Automated Alerts: To manage subscription billing, especially in the case of cancelled subscriptions, Square1 set up webhooks to deliver real-time notifications, enabling prompt actions and enhanced oversight of all payment events.

This collaborative process leveraged Square1’s extensive knowledge of Stripe, allowing Northius to seamlessly adopt a multi-brand approach while maintaining the unified vision of a modern, learner-centric online education platform.

The Result

Following the successful rollout of the customised middleware and comprehensive training sessions, Northius saw immediate improvements in its payment infrastructure. Learners benefited from brand-specific payment pages that built trust and streamlined the enrolment process. Meanwhile, Northius’s internal teams gained the confidence and skills necessary to manage and reconcile payments, thanks to a deeper understanding of Stripe’s advanced features.

This newfound autonomy allowed for swift resolution of subscription and billing issues. The bespoke solution also enabled the group to manage cancelled subscriptions more effectively, ensuring that invoices could still be activated and processed when needed. As a result of Square1’s guidance, Northius retained a flexible yet cohesive payment system across its multiple brands, reinforcing a consistent user experience aligned with each individual school’s identity.

Crucially, the collaboration delivered not only a technical transformation but also empowered Northius to evolve continually. With internal teams now familiar with Stripe’s capabilities, the organisation is well-positioned to adapt and expand its digital payment framework, firmly supporting its mission to provide exceptional online education worldwide.