A payment platform is a web software application that connects your website or e-commerce store with a bank or payment provider so that customers can pay for your website from the comfort of their home, apartment, PC, or mobile phone. Payment gateways are used by any website that receives online payments. They work behind the scenes to accept payment on your behalf and ensure that the money gets to you without issues.
If you own an e-commerce or a website, integrating a safe, secured payment gateway for the e-commerce store is one of the most important things. Business loans can help you raise the funds needed to incorporate the secure gateway in your e-commerce store. Read on to find out more about some payment gateways.
Features of a good payment gateway
A good payment gateway should have the following features:
- It must be compatible with users from your target market or geographical location.
- It must be safe.
- It must be secure.
- It must be easy to use and should not frustrate customers.
- It should work without hitches and integrate perfectly with your website.
- It must be fast.
- It must allow you to withdraw your business revenue easily with minimal issues.
- It should fetch you more sales due to how efficient it works.
- It should have additional features like integration with accounting software, data analysis tools, etc.
- Its commission should be reasonable and competitive.
- There should be minimal processing, refunding, and chargeback fees.
- There should be no hidden fees.
Payment gateways available
The payment gateways available worldwide include PayPal, Stripe, Mastercard, Visa, Google Checkout, Flutterwave, Paystack, and more. Each gateway has its pros, cons, and commission it takes per transaction.
Some payment gateways are available worldwide, while some are only available in a specific country or geographical location. The choice of gateway to use depends on your target market, its features, and the features of your website.
How to integrate a safe, compatible payment gateway for your website or e-commerce store
Now, these are the steps you can take to do this:
Select between integrated or hosted payment gateway
You can choose between an integrated or hosted payment gateway. Integrated gateways provide an API that is integrated into your website. Customers make payments on your platform with this API without redirecting them to another platform. If you use an integrated payment gateway, your website must be secure to protect customers’ data. You might need a professional web programmer to handle this if you are not too tech-savvy.
Hosted payment gateways are hosted on the payment provider’s website, so customers get redirected away from your website whenever they want to pay for your products and services. The advantage of this is that you don’t need to integrate any API. But some customers get wary when they are redirected to another platform to make payment.
Implement the payment gateway using the steps provided by the provider
Visit the website of the payment gateway. Register and wait for approval or go ahead. Follow the instructions provided by the gateway provider to implement the gateway on your website. Many of the gateway providers have steps that require some web development skills.
Test the implemented payment gateway
Test the payment gateway with various transactions and check that everything works smoothly and hitch-free. You can also ask your family and friends to help you test it out.
Hire an expert if possible
Not everything can be done by yourself. If you don’t have the ICT or technical skills required, you can hire web development experts to help you integrate the payment methods for your e-commerce stores. Small business loans can help you raise the funds needed to pay a good web developer to implement the right payment gateway for your website.
Conclusion
These are the ways by which you can implement a payment gateway in your e-commerce store. Consider all these carefully before adding a payment gateway to your website. Remember that small business loans could help you make the whole process easier and affordable.