Ecwid Can Take Your Payment System Global

How to choose the right payment gateway

When you decide to start your ecommerce business with Ecwid, there’s a lot to think about. Out of all the questions you may have when starting up your online business, one stands out: what online payment options are out there? And how will you get paid?

When opening your ecommerce business, it’s important to think through the best method of accepting online payments to find one that fits your needs. There is a choice between a whole bunch of systems for processing credit cards, called payment gateways. Each one is a type of middleman for ecommerce transactions. An online payment gateway connects your store’s customers to a secure payment processor which transfers money from their credit cards into your bank account. It essentially connects your store to the credit card networks, and is a necessary step in your ecommerce journey….that is…if you want to get paid.

Here we’ll discuss exactly what payment gateways are, which payment options are available to you, and help you choose which one is the right fit for your ecommerce store.

You use payment gateways all the time, probably without even thinking about it. Any time you buy something online, use your PayPal account, or even shop in a physical store (when you swipe your card at the coffee shop, for example), your information is being transmitted through a payment gateway. Even though online payment gateways are a part of our daily lives, selecting one for your ecommerce store can still feel daunting.

With so many providers out there, which one is right for you? When choosing the right provider, there are a few important questions to consider:
– Data security: will your transactions be secure and protected?
– Reliability: will payments and account transfers work seamlessly?
– Compatibility: will it meet you and your customer’s payment needs?
– Affordability: will it sting you with monthly fees?
– Integration: will it work well with your Ecwid store?

Luckily, with Ecwid, you have options: there are a variety of online payment gateways already set up and ready to go. Ecwid never will meddle with your store’s payments in any way and we never actually see the credit card numbers being processed by the gateway. Our platform simply connects you with a supported payment gateway provider or offline method established to transfer money from your customers’ accounts to yours!

What is a payment gateway?

Online payment gateways are simply services for conducting ecommerce payments. They’re similar to swiping your credit card at a physical store, using a card reader or cash register—but in this case, the online payment gateway is the card reader. Payment gateways charge the customers for purchases from an ecommerce site, take their payment using a credit card or other method, process this payment, and then, if accepted, transfer the money into a “merchant” account, which is connected to the seller’s bank account.

For your customers, what will this look like? It depends on the particular gateway—some are native, which means the customer never knows they’ve left your site. Others require a customer to complete their checkout in your Ecwid store, they are redirected to the secure payment gateway website, outside of Ecwid. Customers submit their credit card or PayPal information and confirm the purchase. For anyone who shops online, this is a familiar scenario. When customers input their payment information into the form the transaction will be processed on the payment side. This ensures that sensitive data is not being transferred through your Ecwid store, but your customers will remain in the online store during the payment process.

Once the payment gateway verifies the card and completes (or declines) the transaction charge, they send that information to Ecwid. Both you and your customer will be sent confirmation of a successful purchase with updated order status.

From here you can move on to shipping your product, while the money is added into your merchant account, set up with the payment gateway provider. From there, it usually takes a couple of days to transfer into your bank account.

When all is said and done, you’ve conducted the full transaction with your customer in just a few seconds through your ecommerce site—less time than it takes to get through a regular store’s checkout line.

We’ve all heard about fraud threats and security breaches. Your customers are thinking about the security of payment transactions, so you should be too. Ecwid works only with secure and trusted payment gateways. There is an increasingly high standard of data encryption that payment gateway providers must comply with, called PCI. Many use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption and other security precautions in order to protect all data exchanged in a transaction.

Ecwid takes extra effort to secure your data: customers must input their information directly in the payment gateway website, so all charges are processed only on the payment side.

Which payment gateway is right for me?

Choosing a payment gateway is a big consideration, and there are many companies that may fit your needs. There are several criteria to consider when choosing a provider company, including ease, security and reliability.

The top four qualifications for a payment gateway are:
– Ease to set up and get approved for an account
– The provider accepts payments in your region, using your currency.
– Their services will meet all the needs of your business (high-risk items, time to deposit money)
– Their pricing plans and transaction fees fit comfortably in your budget.

If you are new to ecommerce you may want to use a more common, universal payment gateway, like PayPal. If you have a banking relationship that has a standard merchant account they usually work with Authorize.net SIM. Your business might work best with an international gateway, like 2Checkout, to accept worldwide payments. Or you can select a region-specific gateway, like Bancomer if you operate out of Mexico, Square or Stripe if you’re in the U.S., PayUmoney in India. Ecwid is capable of supporting many region-specific payment gateway providers.

You also need to make sure they’re the right fit for your business. What if you’d like to keep your user in your store, rather than redirecting them to the payment gateway website? Some store owners may prefer an “all-in-one” on-site purchasing experience. You might prefer a native payment gateway for users, you can select one of several, like PayPal’s PayFlow Link and Payments Advanced, or American Express, which do offer on-site purchase and processing.

Finally, you have to consider the cost of a payment gateway that fits the needs of your business. Every gateway has a different fee structure and offers different features. Consider what your top priorities are for your payment gateway. Accepting international payment? Low transaction fees? No monthly charge?

Many payment gateways charge flat transaction fees, while feature-rich payment gateways charge higher initial charges plus monthly rates. Others offer high-volume or micropayment discounts—like Dwolla, which allows free transactions under $10. Or maybe you want to accept Bitcoin and want to use BitPay to connect.

How do online payment options work?

If you’re selling items in a retail store, you receive a payment at the time you complete a transaction. This payment might consist of cash, a credit card or check and is given to you on the spot.

When selling online, there is an online payment method, which represents an immediate transfer of money from a buyer’s account to a seller’s. If you sell items online, the process of accepting online payments involves three parties:
– Your Ecwid store: This is where a buyer will go to find and purchase items.
– Payment gateway: This system is located outside your store but is connected to it on a programming level and allows your company to accept online payments.
– Your merchant account: This account links a payment gateway to your bank account, ensuring you’ll be able to receive online payments.

With Ecwid, you won’t have to do any programming to accept online payments. After a buyer clicks the “Continue” button during the final checkout step, he or she will arrive at a secure payment gateway site. Here, the buyer can choose an online payment method and submit the payment, and Ecwid will transfer the customer and order information (order total, tax amount, shipping cost, and shipping/billing address) to the payment gateway.

The payment gateway connects the buyer’s online payment method to your bank account. That way, money is charged to the buyer, or the transaction is declined (e.g. if a buyer’s online payment method includes incorrect information or there are insufficient funds in a buyer’s bank account.) The payment gateway sends a transaction confirmation back to Ecwid, which will accept the confirmation and update the order status in the control panel. Ecwid then will notify the store owner and customer about the order status via email. Most importantly the merchant account is what sends this money minus any fees to your bank account.

Which payment gateways work on Ecwid?

With all our supported online payment gateways, the technology is automatically integrated into Ecwid, so you won’t have to do any programming. You can quickly set up your payment gateway, get your store launched, and start working. Ecwid supports only known and trusted gateways with a strong security reputation, ensuring the protection of you and your customers’ financial information.

Three popular payment gateways
supported by Ecwid

Stripe
Stripe offers state-of-the-art technology, and their platform is rich in fully integrated features: from an optimized checkout experience to digital and in-person payment solutions, to built-in fraud prevention tools and global coverage. You can also set up Apple Pay and Google Pay with Stripe to offer customers simpler and faster payments with one-tap checkout. And no setup or monthly fee!

You can get in touch with a Stripe service agent directly with their 24/7 worldwide support via phone, chat, and email. Stripe is secure, trusted, and always has something new to offer.

PayPal
PayPal is widely used and available in 190 countries. It offers a variety of plans to meet merchant needs, no matter the size of their business. PayPal is also easy to use. It has name recognition and is considered reliable. For businesses with a high sales volume, PayPal discounts transaction fees.

There are many different plans under PayPal — Standard and Express Checkout are simple to start but lead the customers away from your site. They also have native gateways (Advanced and Payflow) which keep the customer on your site but require monthly fees and take more time to set up.

Authorize.Net
Authorize.Net is the original payment gateway and has been in business for twenty years. As such, it’s a trusted name in POS and works as a gateway to most of the traditional banking systems. It has a lower transaction fee than average at just $0.10 and accepts international transactions, all major credit cards, and other payment methods.
Authorize.Net is only available to businesses in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Australia, and Europe.

In conclusion

When it comes to getting paid, you need to choose a payment gateway with low or reasonable fees, one that works securely, and in a best-case scenario, one that is recognized by the customer so they feel safer giving over their credit card details. In short, one that is right for your business needs. A good payment gateway is an engine that keeps the gears of your ecommerce shop churning efficiently and without end.