Irma Kraft
Marketing Strategist at Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays
E-commerce would be nothing without payment, so no matter your business plan, it matters who you trust as a payment system. They are not only in charge of getting you your sales money, but they can help manage your finances and keep your customer’s details safe.
Thankfully, there are a huge number of payment systems available to you, each with their particular strengths. Some are prized for their ease of use, while others operate all around the world. Here are a few options, and how much they charge, to help you decide which payment system is best for your e-commerce store.
PayPal
Let’s start with the biggest players. PayPal is such a widely used payment system I’d be shocked if you haven’t heard of it. Their service operates on the users bank or credit card, and allows payments to be setnt by email for easy transfer. Other than a transaction fee of 2.9% plus $0.30, their service is free to use.
Google Checkout
E-commerce would be nothing without payments. Source: shutterstock.com
Google wasn’t satisfied with PayPal dominating the online payment systems world, so decided to make a version for themselves. Google Checkout, like all the companies other services, works through your Google profile, meaning anyone with a Gmail account can breeze through the checkout process with ease. Their fees are the same as PayPal’s — 2.9% plus $0.30 — though that percentage decreases if your sales are over $3,000 a month.
Amazon Payments
Another heavy hitter in the payment game, Amazon Payments also uses ACH payments — meaning they operate on the user’s bank or credit card. It’s easy to use and connects safely operated by the e-commerce giant, making it popular with large companies like Kickstarter. They charge the same 2.9% plus $0.30 fee, but that rate is 5% plus $0.05 for transactions under $10.
Authorize.net
This payment system might have a less recognizable name but is nonetheless one of — if not the most— widely used payment system around. Many e-commerce stores operate on Authorize.net’s system, and it’s incorporated into e-commerce platforms like X-Cart and Volusion. It does come with higher fees in some respects: $99 set-up cost and $20 per month after that, with a $0.10 transaction fee. That being said, if you’re planning on selling a large volume or high price-tag units, it may end up cheaper to take a monthly subscription model rather than a percentage transaction fee.
Dwolla
Fran Muman, a business blogger at Last Minute Writing and Writinity, sings the praises of this next payment system. “If you’re tired of PayPal, Dwolla is the company to look for. They operate very similarly but charge a flat-rate transaction fee of $0.25 rather than the percentage fee from PayPal. Plus, they charge no fee for transactions under $10. Dwolla is a powerful competitor in the payment systems game that only suffers from a lack of attention.”
Braintree
Find out which payment system is best for your e-commerce store. Source: shutterstock.com
If you’re looking for a payment system dedicated solely to e-commerce merchants, you can’t go far wrong with Braintree. Their system is used by AirBnB, amongst other major startups, and charge no monthly fees, just the standard 2.9% plus $0.30.
Samurai
Created as a competitor to Braintree, Samurai provides payment gateway solutions in a number of packages. Braintree was created by the company behind FeeFighters, a price comparison tool for merchant services, and offers slightly lower rates of 2.3% fee on total sales volume plus $0.30, and charges $25 a month for their dedicated merchant gateway packages.
2Checkout
“If you’re looking to incorporate multiple payment solutions into one gateway, 2Checkout is for you,” says Babs Mcgee, a tech writer at Draft Beyond and Researchpapersuk. “They are optimized for international sales and allow payment through credit card and PayPal. They have a range of packages with rates from 3.5% + $0.25 depending on what services your store is offering.”
And More!
The e-commerce market is exploding, so there are plenty more options out there if none of these quite suit your needs. Try out different options to find the best fit for your online retail requirements.
Irma Kraft is a marketing strategist at Lucky Assignments and Gum Essays. She works with clients to fine tune their mission statement and develop a clear brand vision. Irma’s current work centers on helping e-commerce companies deliver more value to their customers.
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