What is the best way to choose a payment Gateway How to Choose a Payment Gateway

Jul 29, 2023

It's not so simple as flicking a switch and watching the cash flow the system, but it doesn't need to be complicated, also. It's just a matter of finding the best payment processor for your business.

We'll look at ways to discover the perfect solution, so that you can focus on what really matters: opening your new store.

How payment gateways work

There is a good chance that you are aware of the need for an access point, but you may not be able to comprehend why or what they do.

Let's break it down. The first thing to understand is that an online payment gateway an application that allows a store to securely solicit payments from its customers. When a customer clicks "order," it handles each of the subsequent steps.

Your portal:

  • Verifies each customer's billing information.
  • Authenticates funds for each buyer's payment method.
  • Approves the request, which allows the shop to give you a confirmation number.
  • The most important thing is that you get payed!

With more of an understanding of the "why," let's look at how to find the best payment processor for your business.

The first option you have to make is modern or traditional

Each gateway required the store owner to sign up for a merchant account -- a particular bank account that allowed the direct acceptance of credit card transactions. In the absence of a merchant account that was not available, it was difficult for the payment processor to transfer money through your financial institution.

There's a wide range of payment processors that do not need a merchant account at all. They draw cash directly from customer's bank or credit cards to validate the cards, then deposit them into your account.

In order to make it clearer to make things clear, we'll call the payment gateways which require the merchant account "classic" gateways, and the ones that do not require a merchant account "modern" gateways.

Modern payment gateways are easy to set-up, but with higher costs

checkout page with credit cards and Paypal
Photo (c) https://www.aprilsoderstrom.com/

One of the biggest benefits of these gateways is that generally speaking, you won't need to change bank accounts or make any other changes in order to begin. Furthermore, connecting these gateways to your online shop is typically a simple procedure.

There are however two drawbacks to this:

  1. Payment gateways that are modern typically have larger per-transaction fees than classic gateways. For smaller stores, these fees are often not significant However, if you scale up and you process more transactions these fees could add in.
  2. Some modern gateways send customers off-site to make a payment and this can reduce conversion.

Classic payment gateways can be More hassle, but more suitable for larger stores.

Compared to modern options Alternative payment methods can be quite an issue. Not only do they are more difficult to establish and require technical expertise, but they also require an account with a merchant.

If you decide to go with an old-fashioned payment processor it is necessary to find an institution that has merchant accounts, and then apply for one. Since they're not offered by all banks, and the processing time for approval varies from one organization to the next This can add the equivalent of four to six weeks for the set-up procedure.

However, as mentioned above that per-transaction charges for old gateways tend to be lower than modern ones. It's therefore worth assessing how much you'll pay for the future and whether a small hassle is worth more than the fees for gateways.

Think about the advantages of hosting as opposed to. integrated gateways

Hosted payment gateways

Hosted gateways connect your customers to the processor's site to enter their data for payment. One of the biggest benefits of this setup is the fact that the offsite processor is in charge of all the PCI-related compliance and security of data. That's an additional thing to worry about, and large hosted processors are likely to have data on their compliance as well as security procedures if you require it.

There could be some negatives However, there are some potential downsides. In certain countries, offline payment processors are not regarded as trustworthy and in other countries the opposite is true. They're often highly regarded. Therefore, you'll have to find out what your customers think of a hosted gateway before choosing one.

The final word: hosted gateways are straightforward to set up and are great for store openings However, they could affect conversion rates when customers aren't comfortable with the system or give up following a redirection to another site.

Payment gateways that integrate payment

A gateway for integrated payments integrates with your website through the gateway's API. The main benefit of this is that customers never have to go to your site to enter payment details or complete orders and orders. It's an effortless user experience that is seamless.

Integration also makes you responsible to follow your nation's laws and regulations as well as compliance with the PCI Security Standards. Insecure security can put your customers at risk, or subject your store to an audit.

The main point: Gateways integrated via API allow for a seamless order process but they are much more complicated and lengthy to set up, and will add more burden on your shoulders.

You can narrow your choices Begin by evaluating the cost

In this stage, you should have a good feel for what kind of gateway you'd like regardless of whether it's contemporary or traditional, either hosted or integrated. The next step is to narrow down your choices, beginning by determining the cost.

Most payment processors charge fees, usually per-transaction fees or monthly usage charges. Some gateways have one or both of these fees, or may even scale the fees based on how much you use them.

A three percent per-transaction fee may not seem like much however it can add up in the case of selling high-end products or in large quantities.

Accept recurring payments? Find automatic bill help

There is a list of payment processors that can support subscription payment to help you find the right one.

They are also indicated to let you know whether they permit changes to payments dates or amounts, without canceling and restarting the account. This can assist stores in planning to have multiple levels.

Check out the process of purchasing with complete detail

As you continue to narrow your options, make sure to consider what each of the gateways will look like on your store and what kind of experience it will give your customers.

Consider the amount of steps shoppers will need to go through to get from their cart to the confirmation screen. If you're asking too many of them, they might abandon their purchase.

Scan2Cad website using one page checkout
Photo (c) https://www.scan2cad.com/

A majority of the payment gateway providers provide a demo of their websites or willing to demonstrate an example if you request. It's a great way to get an idea of how the process will be implemented on a shop like yours, what are the screens that customers will be seeing and the types of information that are required.

Do not be scared to get started

WooPayments dashboard

Since it's an integrated gateway customers will pay directly to your site, and will experience a seamless and secure checkout procedure. You can even offer one-click checkout with Apple Pay, to speed the process by using a platform customers are familiar with.

and unlike a lot of payment gateways which typically require many days to transfer money into your bank account, you will be able to access your money within just a few minutes.

The best part? Manage everything from the same dashboard that you're familiar with. Track cash flow, issue refunds and much more through your website.

Paying for your purchases is an important process

Adding a payment gateway to your store is a crucial component of preparing for launch. Once you're ready to accept payment, you're able to go in full-speed ahead, knowing you've chosen the best payment gateway that meets your requirements.