To operate a fully functional e-commerce website, you need to be able to accept payments from your customers. After all, your entire business revolves around getting paid. There are tons of different options for accepting payments online. Whether you have an existing e-commerce platform or if you’re starting an e-commerce site from scratch, your payment gateway needs to be a priority.
For those of you who are ready to take your e-commerce platform to the next level, this article narrows down the best options for a fast and secure checkout process in 2021.
1. PaymentCloud
Not only can PaymentCloud provide you with an easy way for customers to purchase your products and services, but it also offers top-notch security features, including fraud and chargeback protection.
What really sets them apart, though, is their clientele. While most merchant solutions restrict who they work with to “low risk” businesses, PaymentCloud is one of the rare ones who have systems in place to work with higher risk businesses.
These are the businesses that typically deal in matters with sticky compliance issues—or might get more chargebacks than your average e-commerce sites, such as alcohol, tobacco and vape products, adult products, credit repair and the like.
They’re also an all-in-one e-commerce merchant. Instead of needing to Frankenstein together different shopping cart solutions and find a separate way to take mail and phone orders, you can take care of them in one fell swoop.
PaymentCloud allows you to accept debit and credit cards, as well as e-checks. The payment gateway lets you accept payments anytime, set up invoices and subscriptions, and ensures safe transactions at both ends. All payment information goes through five layers of security.
If you’re shopping for a replacement for your current ecommerce payment platform, PaymentCloud will provide cost comparisons for free.
2. PayCafe
PayCafe offers some of the best fraud and chargeback protections we’ve seen out there. That’s because they offer an automated, machine-learning algorithm that scans each transaction for fraud. Once it detects it, you’ll be notified and the troublesome transaction will be blocked. Of course, if there’s a mistake you’ll be able to undo it and put the transaction through.
They also have tools in place to handle credit card disputes. From their early warning dispute alert system to their highly-detailed records of each transaction, they’ll arm you with the tools you need to tackle pesky chargebacks and win.
On top of all that they even give you 24/7 customer support every single day of the year. That’s a must have when it comes to e-commerce payment processing. You never want to be in a position where something breaks and you can’t immediately address it.
3. Square
Square is a great choice for those of you who have physical retail locations and plan to start selling online.
Why? It’s simple: they’re known for their stellar POS system that seamlessly integrates with their payment method solutions. That makes them a great option if you’re planning to open retail locations in addition to your ecommerce shop.
Don’t have a shop yet? Square offers a fantastic e-commerce website builder too. They don’t skimp on the builder either, offering you tons of great looking drag-and-drop themes that allow you to create the e-commerce store of your dreams—no coding knowledge needed.
4. Stripe
Stripe is one of the top payment methods on the market today because it’s so versatile. This is also the portal that comes packaged with all Deliver by Linkeo sites.
It’s a great choice for e-commerce shops, subscription services, or on-demand marketplaces. So for those of you who operate a business with multiple processes and services, this is definitely something that you should take into consideration.
Where they really shine though is how developer-friendly they are. They offer great tools that let any team that really wants to customize their payment method to do so.
From their easy-to-use API, their library for coding languages, and their comprehensive integrations, they’ll have everything a developer needs to get the most out of Stripe.
Another top feature of Stripe is the ability for you to set up recurring payments from your customers.
It supports payments online, as well as in-person. So if you currently have a brick and mortar store, you can add a Stripe POS system in addition to the gateway on your ecommerce site. This way you can remain consistent across both marketplaces.
Studies show that brands using Stripe have increased revenue by 6.7% after implementing the payment gateway. With Stripe, you’ll have 81% fewer outages and 24% less operating costs compared to competing payment methods.
Additionally, Stripe offers customized pricing options for those of you who have a unique business model or have large volume payments. You’ll get discounts for volume and multi-product rates, as well as some country-specific rates if you’re targeting an international market.
Stripe has exceptional tech support and customer service. You can reach representatives 24/7 via phone, live chat, or email. Overall, it’s definitely one of the top payment methods for you to use on your e-commerce site.
Final Word
Your e-commerce site is useless if you can’t get paid. It’s time for you to realize that all of your customers don’t have the same preferences.
You need to give them as many options as possible to increase your conversion rates.
Digital wallets are growing in popularity. It’s easier for customers to use these alternative payment methods as opposed to manually typing out their payment information. By reducing friction in your checkout process, you’ll be able to drive more sales and reduce shopping cart abandonment rates.
That’s why you should consider adding these payment methods to your ecommerce site. The more options you have, the better it will be for you in the long run.
