Providing an option for customers to complete and pay for an order on your website is becoming the norm. Most businesses selling products have an online store, and most consumers use a credit or debit card to process online transactions. If you don't have the ability to take credit cards online, you will likely lose valuable business to competitors who do.
Two Good Options
There are several venues available to take credit card orders over the Internet. The two companies mentioned within this article are well-known payment processors, but there are alternate companies that can also process your online credit card orders.
PayPal
PayPal offers two options for accepting credit card payments directly on your website. PayPal's Website Payments Standard program allows customers to purchase items using a credit card or PayPal account, but is recommended for small volume processing. If you anticipate high sales processing, consider PayPal's Website Payments Pro, which includes a credit card terminal and gateway in one. Both options work with existing shopping cart functions. Sign up to take credit cards through PayPal on the PayPal website.
Features of Website Payments Standard
- No credit application
- No monthly fees
- Compatible with most third-party shopping carts
- Suitable for customers who purchase single or multiple items
- Works for donation websites
- Calculates sales tax and shipping costs and automatically adds these items to the customer's total
- Ability to process foreign currencies
- Provides monthly invoicing, reports and activity logs
Features of Website Payments Pro
- $30.00 monthly fee (does not include volume or transaction fees)
- No gateway fees
- No monthly minimums
- No early termination penalty
- No downgrade fees (for downgrading to Website Payments Standard)
- No statement fees
- Automatic sales tax and shipping cost calculations
- Accepts foreign currencies
- Monthly reporting tools including statements, reports and activity logs.
Fees for PayPal Website Payments Standard and Pro
Based on monthly sales volume:
- $0-$3,000 - 2.9 percent of sales total, plus 30 cents per transaction
- $3,000 - $10,000 - 2.5 percent of sales total, plus 30 cents per transaction
- More than $10,000 - 2.2 percent of sales total, plus 30 cents per transaction
- Foreign currency conversion - 2.5 percent of foreign transaction sale, plus exchange rate
Intuit Merchant Service for Web Stores
Intuit, the maker of Quickbooks, offers credit card processing for merchant websites, even if you do not use Quickbooks. However, you must use an e-commerce website program that is approved by Intuit. This option is best for those who are starting from scratch and do not already have a website. Sign up for WebStore merchant service on Intuit's website. A merchant application and credit check are required.
Features of Intuit WebStore Merchant Service
- Automatically syncs with Quickbooks if you are a Quickbooks user. This provides instant revenue and inventory updates for your financial statements.
- Accepts all major credit cards
- Free GoPayment equipment; you can process card-present transactions on your smartphone with GoPayment.
- Free GoPayment service (regularly $9.95 per month)
- No setup or cancelation fees
Fees for Intuit WebStore Merchant Service
- $19.95 monthly fee (subject to sales volume requirements). Fee is waived for first two months.
- Processing fee of 2.47 percent of sales, regardless of monthly volume
- Transaction fee of 27 cents per transaction
Other Merchant Services
There are many alternative merchant service companies that you can use to take credit card orders over the Internet. If you use another service, research the fees and policies of the company and make sure your merchant needs are sufficiently met through the provider. Alternative merchant service companies may be a viable option if you have difficulty securing a successful application or credit check with one of the merchant companies listed in this article.
