E-Commerce: Accepting Payments Online: An E-Commerce Overview

Summary : There are a seemingly infinite number of choices and configurations to accepting payments online. E-commerce choices range from almost total "do it yourself" programming to turnkey packages.

There are a seemingly infinite number of choices and configurations to accepting payments online. E-commerce services range from almost total "do it yourself" programming to turnkey packages. You can accept online payments from an E-commerce website in two general ways:

1. Through your own online merchant account and/or
2. Through a third party online payment processor.

Accepting Payments Online Through your Own Internet Merchant Account

Accepting payments online via a merchant account puts you in control and limits your reliance on outside payment acceptance services. This e-commerce approach can also seem like a jigsaw puzzle. Besides an Internet merchant account, you will need shopping cart software, a store or e-commerce web hosting, a processor, and a secure payment gateway.

You may fit these pieces together in several different ways. On one end of the spectrum, you can choose the provider for each piece individually. On the other end, you may choose a turnkey solution, where a single provider has completed the puzzle for you.

There is no single best solution. Your choice will depend on your particular ebusiness needs and experience. Among other considerations, you should factor in your own comfort with the technologies, customer convenience, providers' service levels, available technical support, reliability, costs, and time commitment involved.

Fees

There are a myriad of potential costs and fees for ebusinesses involved in accepting payments online, making it difficult to compare different options. Potentially, you could be charged fees by each provider involved in helping you accept payments online - application fees, set-up fees, yearly memberships, monthly statement charges, monthly minimums, gateway access fees, statement fees, fixed transaction fees, variable transaction discount rates (processing fee for each transaction), and cancellation penalties are all common.

Often, it is easy to misinterpret the fees you will owe. Rarely are all costs revealed in one place. If you are reading about a merchant account, for example, the quoted costs may not include gateway access, hosting, and/or shopping cart. Because you may be comparing "apples to oranges", options that at first appear low-cost can - upon implementation - turn out to be pricey. Similarly, expensive-sounding solutions may actually be reasonably priced. Take time to investigate fees and the services provided for them when considering any e-commerce solution.

Accepting Payments Online through a Third Party Payment Processor

If you are not ready to set up your own online merchant account, and/or you want to offer additional online payment options, you can turn to a variety of third party online payment processors. Third party online payment processors provide a way to accept payments online without the extra cost and obligation of a merchant account. To compensate, transaction fees and/or discount rates are significantly higher than for merchant accounts.

Each program is a little different, and no single third party payment processor is right for all situations. Clickbank, for example, helps you sell digital products online. At last check, CCNow processes payment for tangible items only. Compare services offered by third party payment options to your product and ebusiness goals.

Deciding What's Best for You

Whether you accept payments online through an Internet merchant account, through a third party payment processor, or both, read all agreements carefully before committing. Do not hesitate to ask the providers questions if information is unclear or incomplete. E-commerce solutions are not a one-size-fits-all proposition.

Put together the "puzzle pieces" for accepting payments online tailored to your specific ebusiness, and your e-commerce will flourish!

About the author : Bobette Kyle draws upon 12+ years of Marketing/Executive experience, Marketing MBA, and online marketing research in her writing. Bobette is proprietor of the Web Site Marketing Plan Network.