Out of the many things you need to keep in mind for running a successful e-commerce business, having a proper payment gateway in place is crucial. The onset of the e-commerce industry has made it essential for businesses to accommodate multiple options to enable customers to pay digitally. This is when e-commerce payment gateways come into the picture – they are like the backbone of the digital society.
Out of the many things you need to keep in mind for running a successful e-commerce business, having a proper payment gateway in place is crucial. The onset of the e-commerce industry has made it essential for businesses to accommodate multiple options to enable customers to pay digitally. This is when e-commerce payment gateways come into the picture – they are like the backbone of the digital society. In this blog, We have discussed the intricacies of the best payment gateways and the most popular ones abroad. You can also learn how to choose the right one for your e-commerce website.
Table of Contents
What is a Payment Gateway?
In common parlance, a payment gateway is a platform/ passage through which merchants receive payments from their clients. It’s like a mediator between the e-commerce store and the bank to enable a hassle-free shopping (and seamless payment) experience for the client.
Is it different from a Digital Wallet?
Yes! A payment gateway is a service deployed by an online business to accept customer payments. It doesn’t have any direct relationship with the end users. Digital wallets like Mobikwik and FreeCharge, on the other hand, are instruments through which customers can store money in their accounts and further utilise the same to pay on websites that support such wallets. In a nutshell, payment gateways support multiple wallet options through which customers can make payments online.
How does the payment gateway work?
After adding the desired items to the cart, when the customer hits ‘pay’ and chooses his preferred mode of payment, like debit/credit card or net banking, he is asked to input the relevant information.
Read more about – how to add a payment gateway to your e-commerce website
Once done, the e-commerce site transmits the same to the payment gateway, which, in turn, forwards it to the respective bank/ card association/ online wallet player. The latter then verify the credibility of the transaction and authorises the payment. Finally, the payment gateway transfers these funds to the merchant in exchange for some processing fee.
Factors to Consider Before Choosing a Payment Gateway for Your E-commerce Website
With the remarkable growth in the e-commerce industry, many players strive to ensure efficient and seamless payment gateway for websites. However, as an online business, you must select the most suitable payment gateways and integrate the same with your website to let your customers shop and pay without hassles. Let us dive into what to look for to choose the best payment gateway for your website.
1. Security
Needless to say, security is the primary factor that you have to keep in mind before finalising a payment gateway. To begin with, go for PCI-compliant companies to protect the sensitive financial information of your customers so that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Moreover, going for giant market players with a robust security system and a good reputation in the industry is a great idea. This will impact their trust and lead to fewer cart abandonments.
2. Cost
Another critical factor is to determine the cost involved. And when we say cost, we include everything – the set-up fee, maintenance charge, and processing fee on each transaction, domestic or international. An online business must invest in budget-friendly services that give you value for money.
3. Easy integration with your website
Does it go well with my current technology platforms? Ask this question before going for a payment gateway – you want to make sure that you select a gateway whose APIs can be easily integrated with your existing platforms, or you’ll end up making the process more complicated and slow for your users.
4. Supports multiple currencies
If you have an international audience or plan to expand your business beyond geographical barriers, make sure your service provider supports different currencies.
5. Mobile payment support
Nowadays, it’s very common for individuals to shop online. It is thus essential to ensure that your gateway works well on Android/ iOS to let your customers pay without any inconvenience.
6. Flexibility to support different cards
Many gateway service providers need to get along better with different cards like VISA, MasterCard, American Express etc. So, make sure your preferred gateway works well with all these cards to accommodate the diverse needs of your customers.
7. Type of Gateway
In general, there are 3 payment gateways; firstly, businesses process payments through their own servers. Secondly, where the front-end checkout takes place on the website, but payment is processed through the payment gateway’s back end. Finally, where businesses include alternative payment methods to handle the complete transaction. Now, each of these gateways has its own set of pros and cons. While on-site payments benefit businesses with high-volume sales, redirects are useful for small businesses.
8. Payout time
Generally, a gateway takes time (varies from provider to provider) post transactions to settle and pay the merchants. Although this doesn’t directly affect your decision to choose a gateway, knowing the payout time before making a final decision is not a bad idea.
10 Most Popular Payment Gateways Worldwide
We have collated a list of some of the most popularly used payment gateways worldwide. Let us have a quick glance at each one of them.
1. Paypal
The most familiar, reliable and preferred payment gateway worldwide, Paypal’s USP lies in providing high-end security, fraud prevention, encryption of financial information and easy-to-access UI. With over 30 million merchants all across the globe, PayPal has emerged to be the most secure platform to accept payments online.
In fact, according to PayPal, 59% of users abandoned a transaction due to its absence in the list of payment gateways, 37% of consumers have a higher willingness to buy where it is present, and 51% of consumers have more faith in businesses that accept PayPal. Having said that, it may not be ideal for Indian businesses with a local customer base as it only supports cross-border transactions.
Key features:
- No initial set-up or annual maintenance fee
- End-to-end encrypted with the highest security standards
- Ideal for merchants having international clients as it supports multiple currencies
2. Razorpay
Lately, with its 100+ payment modes and low transaction charges compared to its competitors, RazorPay has become one of India’s leading and trustworthy payment service providers. Since it is specially built for developers, it is easy to integrate and offers a seamless checkout experience.
Key Features:
- No initial set-up or annual maintenance fee
- Compatible with domestic and international credit/debit cards, UPI, and mobile wallets
- Supports over 100 currencies with real-time currency conversion
- Mitigates fraud and ensures customers’ data encryption using advanced tools that detect fraudulent factors in transactions
3. Stripe
From startups to large enterprises, from SaaS to e-commerce businesses, Stripe has something for all. As one of the most versatile and developer-friendly gateways, with Stripe’s software and APIs, you can accept payments from 35+ countries, making online payments a breeze. Moreover, it also supports in-person payments making it ideal for brick-and-mortar stores. Furthermore, it also offers the freedom to customise your checkout process, and you can set up recurring billing too.
Key features:
- 135+ currencies and dozens of payment methods supported
- Integrated per-transaction pricing with no hidden cost
- Certified to the highest compliance standards
- Android and iOS friendly
- Offers a number of pre-built integrations to popular platforms/plugins
4. Square
Quite popular among small and mid-sized businesses due to its affordability and user-friendly interface, Square is gradually becoming a leading payment processing and point of sale (POS) platform worldwide. Because of its flat transaction fee policy and zero monthly charges, it is an ideal platform for startups and businesses with fluctuating turnover. Its flexibility is its USP, as you pay for what and when you earn, whether you are selling online, offline or even on the go.
Key features:
- Easy and transparent per-transaction pricing policy without any hidden cost or lock-in contracts
- No unnecessary visits or background checks – you can go live in minutes.
- No set-up fee, subscription fee, or PCI compliance fees
- Super flexible in terms of accepting payments as it supports most internationally-issued cards such as Visa, MasterCard, and American Express
- Mostly affordable but can be expensive for high-volume transactions; nevertheless, a customised plan can be worked out after contacting the company.
- It may not be ideal for businesses with high risk; it actually has a list of prohibited goods and services in its terms and conditions, which may even lead to the freezing of funds.
- PCI compliant; doesn’t save sensitive payment information of clients – data is kept in encrypted form at all times
5. CCAvenue
One of the oldest and premier online payment gateway players, CCAvenue – a product of Infibeam Avenues Limited, enables merchants to accept a wide range of digital payments in a simple and secure manner. Its multi-channel, multilingual and multi-currency feature built into its DNA is what makes it stand out from the rest.
Key features:
- Offers state-of-the-art fraud prevention and PCI-compliant environment
- Easy to integrate with your website
- Provides an optimal transacting experience as it’s built to adapt to any device
- 200+ payment options, including debit/ credit cards/ net banking/ UPI/ prepaid instruments
- From US Dollar to the Japanese Yen, it supports payments in 27 major foreign currencies
- Enhanced customer engagement along with an increased rate of successful transactions – thanks to its checkout page being offered in 18 major Indian and International languages
- The CCAvenue Payments page can be customised as per your website; for instance, you can upload your logo or modify the colour scheme to sync with your brand
- Has an experienced team of specialists available 24×7 all 365 days a year, literally a call/email away to resolve your queries first-hand. For clients with huge transaction volumes, a relationship manager is also provided with constant support throughout.
6. Amazon Pay
Amazon Pay is a payment gateway that allows customers to use their Amazon accounts to make purchases. It is particularly popular with Amazon customers, as it allows them to complete their purchases quickly and easily without having to enter their payment details again. Amazon Pay is accepted by many online retailers, including large companies such as Airbnb and Uber.
7. Skrill
Skrill is a payment gateway that is particularly popular in Europe. It offers a range of payment options, including credit and debit cards, and it is known for its low fees. Skrill is accepted by many online retailers, including eBay and Skype.
8. Authorize.net
Authorize.net is a payment gateway that is particularly popular in the United States. It offers a range of payment options, including credit and debit cards, and it is known for its security features. Authorize.net is used by many online retailers, including large companies such as Google and Apple.
9. Worldpay
Worldpay is a payment gateway that is particularly popular in the United Kingdom. It offers a range of payment options, including credit and debit cards, and it is known for its simple setup process. Worldpay is used by many online retailers, including large companies such as Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet.
10. Payoneer
Payoneer is a payment gateway that is particularly popular with freelancers and small businesses. It offers a range of payment options, including credit and debit cards, and it is known for its low fees. Payoneer is used by many online retailers, including large companies such as Amazon and Google.
Conclusion
Running a business online is a huge responsibility of ensuring a completely secure and convenient transaction process that meets your customers’ requirements. It goes without saying that payment gateways play an integral role in the online transaction process and are a strong pillar of the e-commerce industry. While there are many out there willing to help you with the same, choosing the one that works well for you is extremely important. Besides, seeking services from B2B businesses like Expand My Business also helps to choose and integrate the best payment gateways for your business with their verified partner agencies, end-to-end delivery management, and milestones-based Escrow Payment Solutions.
FAQs
What is a payment gateway?
A payment gateway is a software application that allows e-commerce businesses to securely process online payments from customers using credit or debit cards, digital wallets, and other payment methods.
What factors should you consider when choosing a payment gateway for your e-commerce website?
When choosing a payment gateway for your e-commerce website, you should consider factors such as transaction fees, setup and integration costs, security features and compliance, payment methods supported, user experience and customer support, and compatibility with your e-commerce platform.
How can you ensure the security of online payments on your e-commerce website?
To ensure the security of online payments on your e-commerce website, you should choose a payment gateway that complies with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS), use SSL encryption to protect customer data, implement fraud prevention measures such as address verification and two-factor authentication, and regularly monitor transactions for suspicious activity.
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