Total Apps

While offering in-store card processing can be a huge convenience to your customers, nothing can impact your bottom line as much as ecommerce processing can. ECommerce credit card processing can afford you a completely new sales channel, allowing you to reach new and far away customers you wouldn’t be able to reach otherwise. Additionally, it allows you to better serve your existing customers, making shopping and purchasing infinitely easier and more convenient.

What is eCommerce Credit Card Processing?

Ecommerce credit card processing allows you to sell your products and accept payments from customers online – anytime, day or night.

Here’s how it works:

• Customers visit your website and browse your available products and services.
• When they find an item they’d like to purchase, they simply add it to their online shopping cart.
• Once they’ve selected all desired items, they click “check out.”
• The customer selects their delivery or shipping method, enters their personal details and payment information, and submits it.
• From there, their credit card or debit card details are transmitted to a payment gateway, which facilitates the authorization process for the payment.
• If the card’s issuing bank authorizes the transaction, the payment gateway sends the all-clear back to the website, and allows the customer’s purchase to be processed.
• You receive the customer’s payment and order through your ecommerce system, so it can be prepared for shipping or delivery.

Ecommerce credit card processing is extremely fast, easy, and convenient for customers, allowing them to shop and make purchases all from the comfort of their own homes. It’s also highly secure, as most ecommerce merchant accounts offer a variety of included anti-fraud and safety measures.

How Does eCommerce Credit Card Processing Benefit You?

Ecommerce credit card processing can benefit your business in a number of ways. First, it gives you another forum in which to sell your products. Instead of only offering your products in your brick-and-mortar location, you now have a second venue in which customers can browse and purchase your products.

Second, it expands your selling time. With a brick-and-mortar location, you’re limited to selling when your store is open. With ecommerce credit card processing, there are no limits. Customers can log onto your website and make a purchase any time of day or night – whether it’s a weekend, holiday, or any other time of year. There’s no boundary to when you can make a sale.

You’re also able to improve customer satisfaction. With ecommerce credit card processing, your customers don’t have to wait until you open, drive to your store, physically browse your items, and then wait in a long checkout line in order to make a purchase; they can simply pull out their laptop, log onto your site, and make a purchase whenever it’s most convenient and easy for them. This improves the overall customer experience, making them much more likely to come back for more.

Selecting Ecommerce Merchant Services

Hundreds of companies offer ecommerce merchant services and solutions, so it’s often difficult to ensure you get the best deal. To ensure you choose the right one for your business and customers’ needs, consider these factors:

• Fees and rates – Do they charge per-transaction rates or rates per card? Are there set-up or application fees involved? Is software and shopping cart integration included? What are the expected fees for returns and chargebacks? Fees and rates can vary greatly from provider to provider, so be careful when comparing these numbers.
• Customer support – How is support offered? Is it via chat, phone, email, or all of the above? Is it 24 hours? It’s crucial that you have 24-hour support for your processing needs. If you encounter a problem, a lack of customer support could cost you a sale.
• Security – What measures do they take to protect you and your customers? Do they use address verification and SSL? Are they PCI compliant? Security is a huge concern for customers. You need to make sure your ecommerce merchant services are doing all they can to provide protection.

Every ecommerce credit card processing provider is different. In addition to support, security, and pricing, many things can set a provider apart. Some offer help with integration or even set up your software and shopping cart for you; others simply give you the tools and expect you and your team to do the rest. In order to really get the best service for the best price, you must be diligent when comparing ecommerce solutions.

Need help finding the right ecommerce credit card processing solution for your company? Contact Total Apps today. We can help.

Resources:

• How online credit card processing works
• Ecommerce merchant accounts
• Online card processing comparison