Different Payment Methods For An Online Store

Updated October 6, 2023
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If you are running an online store, would you like a customer exit during the checkout stage? Nothing can be worse than this for an online store. But the fact remains the same that many online stores face such ordeal due to the lack of alternate payment methods in their websites. A majority of online buyers are increasingly using alternate payment options to shop for products and services online. If you are planning to run an online store successfully then you have to think beyond credit cards to increase your revenue and sales. Traditionally a credit card was the most accepted mode of making an online payment but not anymore as there is a wide variety of choice available to the customers looking to shop for a product or service online.

You also need to accept the fact that many online shoppers are distrustful of revealing their credit card details online and prefer to use safer methods of making online transactions. They also fail to offer the flexibility that these platforms offer to the customers. Third-party payment gateways can be linked to multiple bank accounts which will ensure that you don’t have the face embarrassments while shopping with credit cards. PayPal, Moneybookers, Google Checkout, Authorize.net and Click2pay.com have become synonymous to online shopping.  In such a scenario being rigid and sticking only to credit card payments will harm your business.

Advantages of Multiple Payment Gateways

  • Multiple payment gateways provide more convenience to the customer. In today’s world when all services come with multiple choices why should a customer be forced to stick to a single payment option? With multiple options you won’t lose a customer at the checkout stage.
  • Offering multiple payment options will make your online store look professional and set you apart from the crowd. Many users have biasness towards a particular payment method and with multiple options you will cater to the interests of one and all.
  • Security of the financial data is one of prime concerns to customers. Payment gateways add to the security of the transaction. Many of these gateways use encryption technologies which are impossible to breach, providing you with the much needed peace of mind.
  • Your online store will appeal to a global audience and you need to keep their interests in mind too. The financial regulators of many nations impose restrictions on certain payment methods. In such cases having multiple options really help you.
  • Not all your customers have an active credit card and in such times having such easy to create payment option is of great help. Doing so, you will be able to keep a customer loyal to you.
  • Multiple payment options also allow you to deal in all the major currencies in the world including Dollar, Pound, Yen and Euro among others. This further boosts up your global approach to the market.
  • Online payment gateways such as PayPal and Moneybookers have launched mobile applications which allow users to shop for products and services using their smartphones providing a lot of flexibility to customers.

Popular Payment Gateways

  • PayPal – This is perhaps the most popular third-party payment gateway in the world. If you aren’t using PayPal you are missing on the largest online target audience. PayPal users can easily make payment using their username and password. What’s more, it also allows people to make payment using their credit cards where the card options are stored in the PayPal account itself. You can simply receive payment from your customers through an email id that you used to sign up to PayPal. This application can be easily integrated into your website upon which PayPal will review your website and stamp it ‘PayPal Verified’ which is considered as a sign of authenticity in online commerce.

Paypal

  • Moneybookers – One of the all-in-one online payment solutions provider. You just need to get the API code from MB and then you will be able to instantly process all the majord credit cards (Discover, Visa, American Express and MasterCard) direct from your website. It is a highly secure system which allows customers to make completely secure transactions. Moneybookers also offers the customers the option to link their bank account via the SWIFT network. It eliminates the hassle of dealing with complicated bank wire forms and the inconvenience of sending and depositing cheque while making a purchase.

MoneyBookers

  • Google Checkout – Coming from the stable of world’s most popular search engine this is one of the fastest growing networks with a more than a million customers. Although a late entrant compared to PayPal and Moneybookers this has a huge conversion rate thanks to the trust that people have on Google. It also process payment faster than many of its competitors.  Google Checkout doesn’t require people to share their credit card information which makes it popular with certain sections of the customers. It can be easily integrated into your website by copying and pasting some code snippets where an icon makes customers aware that your website is Checkout ready.

Google Checkout

  • Authorize.net – Authorize.net is one of the first payment gateways associated with online business since the years 1996. This accepts payment via credit cards as well as other electronic fund transfer means. It is allows you to easily integrate the payment gateway into your website.  The customer support feature of this payment gateway makes it stand apart from the many other online payment gateways and the company will offer support on live chats to your customers. The transaction charges of Authorize.net is one of the lowest compared to its competitors. There are more than 200000 people around the world who use Authorize.net to shop for products and services online.

Authorize.net

  • Click2Pay.com – This is another online payment gateway that facilitates secure transactions. Many customers prefer it due to the transparency it offers and also allows them to control costs. Click2Pay can be easily integrated into your online store. Customers can easily deposit, transfer and withdraw funds easily. Like Authorize.net it is also an old player in the market and has its share of dedicated users. Ignoring this might mean missing out on a substantial portion of audience especially those who have been using online commerce for many years.

Click2Pay

Having multiple payment options isn’t optional but a must if you would like to taste success with your online store. As a business you need to constantly evolve and keep yourself updated with the latest technological trends and having multiple payment options is one of the latest trends. You will need to compete with hundreds of websites of your genre and thus being in sync with the latest technology is an added advantage.

Hire the services of a good firm which will integrate these payment gateways in your eCommerce site. This job demands a lot of expertise as you will be dealing with sensitive customer information. Take a close look at their portfolio to see the kind of payment gateway integration they have done in the past. Do not hire part-time developers for this job as this might harm your brand image. Spending a little extra money in hiring a professional developer is worth the deal as it will add lot of value to your eCommerce website.

Author Bio:- Pixel Crayons is a creative web design and development company that offers best ecommerce website development & designing services, online shopping cart development, PSD to HTML & opensource content management system solutions at affordable price.

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