Credit Cards
Credit card payments are becoming more popular online. Find out which advantages and disadvantages this method has and what you should take into consideration.
There are two approaches to online payment, on-site or off-site payment processing. On-site implies that the entire payment process takes place on the merchant’s secured website, which is reinforced by using SSL encryption and up-to-date software. Off-site processes redirect the customer to the website of the processor. The responsibility of the security lies on the proprietor of the checkout page.
Payment solution plug-in
In computing, a plug-in (also referred to as plugin, add-in, addin, add-on, addon, or extension) is a software component designed to add a specific feature to an existing program. Supporting plug-ins enables customization.
In order to accept payments, a shopping cart software must be connected to the processor through a plug-in. When choosing a provider, a special attention must be given to the payment methods portfolio. Payment gateways and payment services providers usually have solutions available for various shop platforms. Here are some of the most popular e-commerce platforms:
Magento
The open-source e-commerce software Magento, first released in 2008, is one of the most widely used shopping cart software and content management system. Online merchants fully control the design, content and functionality of their store. Additionally, Magento offers marketing, search engine optimization and catalog-management tools. How much setting up a Magento store will cost you? A basic shop cost between a couple thousand to tens of thousands of US dollars while a more complete version can exceed the hundreds of thousands of US dollars.
Prestashop
Prestashop is an open source e-commerce platform that was founded in 2008. It has been installed over 250,000 times. This shop system is used in more than 163 countries and in cooperation with renowned brands. Prestashop offers a large number of innovative tools for building and managing a successful online store.
WooCommerce
WooCommerce is an open-source e-commerce shop addon for WordPress websites. It was designed with small to large-sized online businesses in mind. First release in 2011, this highly customizable plugin, featuring a simple installation process and a free base product, became quickly popular. WooCommerce supports integration plug-ins from over 100 payment gateways. It has been adopted by more than 380 000 online merchants.
Wordpress
Nearly a third of all websites are powered by Wordpress, afree and open-source content management. Merchants then need to choose a shop plugin to integrate in their Wordpress website. The popularity of Wordpress insures that a variety of e-commerce plugins are developed.
PayPal plug-ins
Merchants wishing to integrate PayPal as a payment method to their website can install one of the many modules developed to this end. They can be found either in the plug-in library of your e-commerce platform or on PayPal’s website. Plug-ins have been developed by the e-wallet for all major platforms.
