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Accepting online payments is essential for businesses of all sizes, whether that be an eCommerce store, digital services, products sold through social media, or something else entirely. Providing seamless payment options can enhance customer experience and boost sales.
In this article, we take a look at the different ways to accept online payments and how to choose the best solution for your business.
Identify Which Types of Payments Are Right for Your Business
The first step to start accepting payments online is ensuring that you choose the best online payment methods that fit well with your business needs.
Most popular payment methods include credit and debit cards, mobile wallets (like ApplePay and Google Pay), Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), and other alternative payment methods.
Choose the Right Payment Gateway
A payment gateway is a technology platform that acts as the go-between for electronic financial payments. It is a type of software that acts as a bridge between your website and the payment processor - securely transmitting your customers’ payment data. Choosing the right one is a key element for successfully accepting payments online.
Well-known examples include AmazonPay, PayPal, Stripe, and Verifone. There are many more, each one comes with its unique perks and choosing the best for your business will vary depending on your needs.
Fees
One thing to consider is the payment processing fees. These are usually charged as a monthly fee.
Payment gateways typically charge a combination of fees. The most common are transaction fees, which usually consist of a percentage of each transaction plus a fixed amount, depending on the transaction type.
Some providers also add on subscription fees, charged in addition to transaction fees. While setup fees are less common, certain gateways require this, though many, like Stripe, don't utilise these.
Businesses also need to consider chargeback fees, for each disputed transaction.
Additional costs may apply depending on the provider. This could include cross-border fees, currency conversion fees, or refund fees, as some gateways do not return the original transaction fee.
How Well it Integrates with Your Site
Another thing to factor in is what payment gateway is optimal for site integration to accept payments online.
Some payment gateways may connect directly to your website so that customers do not have to leave the site when completing online transactions, such as Stripe and Authorize.net. This offers a smoother and seamless on site integration.
However, for smaller businesses that cannot sustain an IT team, an alternative method may be better. Other gateways that link to an offsite account portal such as Square and PayPal Standard, offer security and simplicity as you are transferred to the payment provider’s site. Their secure servers will deal with the technical aspect of payment processing such as PCI compliance and fraud protection. However, this reduces conversions slightly.
Some payment gateways offer the ability to not only accept payments directly from your website but also create shareable payment links. You can send these links to customers via email, text, or embedded in an electronic invoice, giving you more ways to get paid.
User Experience
The last thing to consider is whether your business services and payment system integration provide a seamless and hassle-free user experience.
To ensure high conversion and retention rates, paying customers want a payment solution that requires just a few clicks.
The most important things are security, quick transaction time and multiple payment options.
Ensure your checkout page is fast and easy to navigate. Offer multiple payment options, including credit/debit cards, digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and BNPL services (Buy Now, Pay Later) to cater to different preferences.
Keep form fields minimal and enable auto-fill to prevent frustration. A transparent pricing breakdown and a secure, trustworthy design, such as recognisable payment logos. This can boost customer confidence.
Set Up a Merchant Account
After finding the right payment gateway and payment processor, you can set up a merchant account.
A merchant account differs from a business account. A business bank account is for daily operations whereas a merchant account is a specific type of bank account that allows you to accept debit and credit card payments and ensures that funds are securely transferred to your business bank account after each transaction.
Traditionally, a merchant account is opened with the payment processor. More modernised payment service providers combine both, therefore, a separate merchant account does not need to be opened.
Enable Credit & Debit Card Payments
Once you have picked the best payment gateway and set up a merchant account you can enable credit and debit card payments as the most common form of online payment method.
When you accept card payments online ensure a smooth process, and make sure your online store checkout is secure, PCI-compliant and easy for the user.
Offer Alternative Payment Methods
Besides using credit or debit cards there are other popular online payment methods to integrate into your site to improve convenience for customers and increase conversion rates when accepting payments online.
By offering alternative payment methods a business can appeal to a wider audience.
Your business could consider integrating digital wallets like Apple Pay, Google Pay and Paypal, which offer faster and more secure checkouts. Additionally, Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services such as Klarna and Afterpay are brilliant for customers looking for flexible payment methods.
Implement Secure Payment Processing
A secure payment process not only protects customer data but boosts confidence in your business.
It is essential to choose a PCI-compliant gateway. PCL stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and entails several criteria that must be met for secure online payments. The criteria include encryption, secure storage of customer data, regular security testing and multi-factor authentication.
Enable SSL encryption, fraud detection tools such as CVV verification, 3D Secure authentication and AI-driven fraud monitoring to help keep your payment processing safe. Many reputable online payment systems will integrate this for ease.
Regularly update your security settings and comply with data protection regulations like GDPR to prevent breaches.
Integrate Payments with Your Website
There are three key recommendations we suggest following to successfully accept payments online.
Test the System to Make Sure it all Works
Before going live, it's best to test your payment system to ensure the process is smooth and efficient. Testing will also identify faults and improvements.
Most payment gateways, like Stripe and PayPal, offer sandbox environments or a testing mode where you can simulate transactions without processing real payments. You can test out various scenarios, such as successful payments, failed transactions, refunds, and chargebacks.
It is useful to conduct regular testing because it helps identify issues early, preventing lost sales and customer frustration.
Automate Recurring Payments
If your business offers a subscription-based service, automating recurring payments can save time and improve cash flow.
Certain payment systems offer built-in tools for setting up automatic billing cycles. Customers can securely save their payment details and the system will charge them at scheduled intervals, without manual intervention.
Features like invoice automation and subscription management tools help reduce churn and ensure a smooth payment experience.
Monitor and Optimise Your Payment System
It is vital to maintain and improve online payment methods to ensure they are up to date with changing trends for a seamless payment experience.
Analytical tools can be used to identify patterns in customer behaviour, fraud attempts, or processing delays and take proactive measures to improve efficiency.
Complying with security updates can help boost conversions and customer satisfaction.
FAQs
Below are some of the most popular questions we receive regarding online payment options.
What Types of Businesses Typically Need to Accept Online Payments?
Many business types now typically need to accept online payments to keep up with the increasingly digital world.
Business types include:
- eCommerce retailers
- Subscription services
- Businesses offering digital products or services
- Non-profit organisations accepting online donations
- Travel and hospitality sites
- Food delivery and online grocery services
- Event organisers for concerts, theatre performances and sports events
How Can I Accept Google Pay or Apple Pay?
Accepting Google Pay and Apple Pay can streamline the checkout process, improving customer experience.
To enable these payment methods, choose a payment gateway that supports them. In your gateway settings, activate digital wallets as payment options.
A PCI-compliant website with SSL encryption for security is necessary, and integration with your eCommerce platform, such as Shopify or WooCommerce, often supplies built-in support.
Payments Made Easy with Cardflo
Cardflo makes payments simple. We take all the complexities of the payment process so you can focus on nurturing your business.
With no long contracts or excessive fees, we offer new ways of accepting online payments with fast integration, low rates, high security and intelligent reporting.
