Ways to Accept Payments
Cross-Border Payments
Payment Optimization
Payment Types & Currencies
Fraud Prevention
Chargeback Management
Compliance
Payment Analytics & Reporting
Accounts Receivable Automation
Subscriptions & Recurring Billing
Invoice Payments
Virtual Terminal
Sandbox
Production
Partnering with a payment gateway should be an exciting process, not a complicated one. There are so many options out there it may seem like all hope is lost. But fear not! Here are a few questions you should ask before deciding on your payment partner so you don’t go crazy during this process.
How long will this take?
Your eCommerce store is like your baby – you want it to be well brought up and grow to be healthy and happy. Sure, there are many gateways that can get you up and running in a couple hours, but a few months down the line when you realize you want to accept subscriptions you may have to find a completely different partner and start the whole process of development over again. Think long term – if it takes a couple more days now, you will likely be much more successful in the future.
What payment types can I accept?
Strategically thinking about the payment types you want to be able to accept is extremely important. Want to go global but your gateway only accepts credit cards? Better luck next time. You should have the option to integrate other payment methods as you go along and expand your business – make sure your gateway has a full variety of payment types so you can reach shoppers from China to Mauritius (and yes, that is a real country).
How can I integrate this?
Whether you are developer-savvy or not, the best payment gateway’s should have multiple options for you to integrate with. API, hosted checkout pages, shopping carts, you name it – your gateway should have it all and be optimized for mobile. Smaller merchants may not have the staff to code to an API so the hosted solution is best while larger merchants may want 100% control over the UI and choose an API. Make sure your gateway has what you need without the possible frustration of not knowing what to do with code.
How will I be protected?
Fraud is a very real problem for online merchants – is your gateway helping protect you and your customers? If you are left alone to fight this battle, who knows what kind of open holes you may have on your site. Some gateways offer fraud protection as part of their integration. Make life easy for your IT department and partner with someone who has your back and keeps development at a minimum.
What type of customer support do I get?
Hello? Hello? Hello? Is anyone there? There is nothing worse than not being able to speak to human being when you have a problem, especially when it comes to payments. Select a gateway that has 24/7 customer service to keep your customers happy and your sales booming.
For those of you who want more help getting your eCommerce site up and running with payments, check out our Payments in Your Pocket, a quick and simple guide to processing payments online. Highlights include definitions of industry terms and the anatomy of a gateway. Learn these terms to help you boost your online business to success: