Accepting credit cards online opens the door to many more purchasing options for customers, crucial in the success of any e-commerce store. There are a few ways it can be done. I’ve made a short list here with my 3 favourite options:
- Stripe. Currently only available to a limited list of countries but by far the easiest and cheapest option. No monthly fees, standard 2.9% +0.30c transaction fee and you are automatically wired your share after 7 days. It handles refunds, saved customers and also the ability to charge cards directly for a phone or in person order.
- Paypal. This is an obvious choice. Your business Paypal account can take credit cards once you are verified. Shifting money from Paypal can be an issue but it allows people to use their Paypal balance or Paypal connected cards without sharing the info directly with you. Good for the wary consumers.
- Amazon Payments. Like Paypal, this connects to the users Amazon account and the payment and shipping options available there. Again, card info is not shared with retailer and therefore makes the purchase safer and easier for customer.
We have successfully employed all the above payment options in development of Green Water Sports, an online retailer for inflatable paddle boarding and SUP equipment. At this point in time, Stripe seems to be the most popular option for checkout.
