Accepting credit card payments on your website is a great way to increase your sales. That’s why so many online retailers accept credit cards. But it can be difficult to figure out how to do it, especially if you don’t have prior experience with e-commerce. The main concerns for accepting credit card payments on your website are security and processing fees. Find out more about the benefits of accepting credit card payments on your website.
Benefits of Accepting Credit Card Payments
As a business owner, you have to be prepared for any situations that come your way. Accepting credit card payments is one of the most important things you can do for your business. Not only will it give you access to more customers, but it will also give you more opportunities for sales. When someone has the option to pay with a credit card, they are much more likely to be open to buying your product.
How to Accept Credit Card Payments
To accept credit card payments on your website, you need to have an account with a company that specializes in credit card transactions, such as Authorize.net. One of the best ways to make credit card payments is by using an online payment gateway like Stripe. However, there are many pitfalls you can avoid by doing your research first and knowing exactly what it is you need to do. Writing code on your own to accept credit cards is not something you want to attempt without consulting a professional. If you’re looking for an easy option that allows you to get a site up and running without having to worry about security then the PayPal Website Payments Standard is a good choice.
Risks Associated with Accepting Credit Card
Credit cards are a convenient and widely accepted payment method for online transactions. However, taking credit cards on your website means that you are responsible for protecting your customers’ sensitive details. If your site is hacked and credit card details are stolen, it can seriously damage your business, and you may be held legally responsible. There are some other risk a business owner may take when accepting credit cards. Namely, a business is susceptible to lower sales because of chargebacks and refunds.
Cost to Accept Credit Card Payments
The most common way of accepting credit card payments online is to use a payment gateway, which is a web service that links to a payment processor. The most widely used is Stripe, which can be easily integrated into any website using a few lines of code. Stripe is completely PCI compliant and has a fraud protection system that can further reduce your liability. You’ll pay processing fees on any card payment you accept, regardless of which processor you use. You’ll pay a portion of the sale (usually 3% to 5% ) as well as a per-transaction fee on most payment processing systems (usually 10-30 cents). Account service fees, such as a monthly fee, gateway fee, and an annual PCI compliance fee, would occur if you choose your own merchant account.
