An essential function in the operation of any ecommerce business involves accepting customers’ payments online. However, there’s more to consider than simply processing transactions.
Understand that the payment methods you select will impact customers’ convenience and their online security. These methods will also affect your business through transaction fees, conversion rates, and the establishment of trust with consumers.
With the growing number of payment methods available and with changing ecommerce payment trends, you may be unsure of where to start. By learning about the top payment methods for online stores today, you can better manage this important aspect of your business.
The importance of offering multiple payment methods
Finding and accepting multiple payment methods may initially seem like a waste of your time. After all, Visa and Mastercard continue to be among the most popular credit cards.
You could assume that accepting these payment methods would cover your bases sufficiently. However, this isn’t the case.
The best payment options are those that your customers prefer to use. When you limit the number of ways that people can pay, you may inconvenience or even alienate your customers. Your online store’s conversion rate may be dismally low as a result.
In addition to the practical matter of which account the customer needs or wants to pay with, the issue of convenience must be considered. For instance, many of the more popular digital wallets only require the user to log into a pre-established account.
There’s no need for the consumer to physically input the credit card or debit card details into the checkout form. Some of the shopper’s other personal data may also be populated into your website’s checkout form fields.
At the same time, the best payment options are those that transfer your funds to you promptly. These platforms commonly, but not universally, charge a merchant processing fee.
While you need to find payment methods that your customers prefer, you must also find methods with an overall fast turnaround time and nominal charges.
Top payment methods for ecommerce
The payment methods that your online store accepts will directly impact customer satisfaction, your website conversion rate, and your sales numbers.
With so much at stake, it’s logical to ensure that your ecommerce payment gateway allows you to use the methods that make sense for your customers and for your business.
Here are some of the leading payment methods that today’s ecommerce businesses use!
PayPal
PayPal is a type of digital wallet that enables users to connect their debit cards, credit cards, and other accounts to an established digital account. When they log in to PayPal to make an online payment, they can then click on the established payment method that they want to use.
The convenience and known security of PayPal have made it an extremely popular payment option. In fact, Statista states that in Q1 2021, the number of active PayPal accounts was 392 million!
From a business perspective, accepting PayPal payments can increase your conversion rate and customer satisfaction. In fact, websites that take PayPal payments have an overall conversion rate that is more than 80% higher than sites that don’t allow these payments.
Accepting PayPal payments isn’t free, however.
For example, in the US, all online commerce dealings for domestic purchases will cost the vendor 2.9% of the transaction amount plus another $0.30 per transaction. Keep in mind that PayPal charges a higher transaction fee for international transactions.
Stripe
While PayPal is known as a digital wallet, Stripe is referred to as an ecommerce toolkit. It’s a relative newcomer compared to PayPal, but its versatility and unique features have boosted its popularity quickly.
Through Stripe, your business can take online and in-person payments. This payment gateway lets consumers pay with most major credit cards along with Masterpass, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Visa Checkout, and others.
Stripe has two unique attributes that may make it a better option for some business models. It enables you to accept recurring payments, such as for subscriptions. In addition, internet businesses can easily customize the user interface through Stripe’s many features.
Stripe’s domestic transaction fees are comparable to PayPal’s. It charges an additional percentage point on international transactions. However, Stripe offers businesses a discount for large transactions and for high monthly sales volume.
Amazon Pay
Amazon is among the most well known and trusted names in online shopping today. Many consumers have an established account with Amazon, and they may already have their preferred payment methods saved through that account.
When a website accepts Amazon Pay, the consumer can input their Amazon login data to pay with those payment methods.
Customers won’t have to create a new account or input financial and personal data into the checkout form fields. This method is convenient, fast, and trusted by consumers. It even supports voice payments through Alexa.
However, merchants may be responsible for a processing or transaction fee. In addition, Amazon Pay is only suitable for online transactions.
Google Pay
With mobile commerce trends indicating consumers’ growing interest in using mobile wallets to pay for their purchases, it’s no surprise that Google Pay makes our list!
Google Pay is increasingly popular because of its ease of use for merchants and consumers alike. There’s no cost for merchants to set up payments through this mobile wallet and online payment service.
Merchants can accept payments online, through mobile apps, and even in person. In-person transactions are contactless because the payment data is transmitted securely from the customer’s phone to the payment portal.
The consumer can set up his or her account with all of their preferred payment methods ahead of time. This includes credit cards, debit cards, PayPal, and others. They can even add loyalty program accounts to their account as a convenience.
The Google Pay fees for merchants are similar to those charged by PayPal and Stripe. However, the rate decreases as monthly sales increase.
Apple Pay
For online consumers who use Apple devices, Apple Pay is a popular digital wallet. It’s mostly commonly used via its mobile app on iOS devices.
As is the case with PayPal, Stripe, and others, the consumer adds preferred payment methods to their account in advance. Payments may be made by the consumer online or in person through any of the payment methods linked to the user’s Apple Pay account.
For the consumer, this is a secure payment method that may be finalized through a fingerprint scan or facial recognition. All of the consumers’ personal details are auto-populated into the checkout form to save them time and energy.
This payment method enables web merchants to accept a variety of supported payment options that may be linked to a consumer’s Apple Pay account.
In addition, this option doesn’t charge merchant fees. However, charges for credit cards and other individual payment types may still apply.
Cryptocurrency
While the popularity of cryptocurrencies, or virtual currencies, is still increasing, these payments are known to be secure and convenient. Bitcoin continues to be the most favored cryptocurrency in use in general, but Ethereum, Lite Coin, and others are also popular.
Consumers may generally convert their preferred cryptocurrency into Bitcoin as needed as part of a purchase transaction. Because of this, Bitcoin is also the most common cryptocurrency used in ecommerce dealings.
When you take cryptocurrency payments, you’re allowing your customers to pay directly and instantly from anywhere in the world and without international transaction fees.
Consumers and merchants simply need to establish a Bitcoin wallet, such as through Coinbase, to use this method of payment. Coinbase accepts funds from credit cards, checking accounts, PayPal, and other common payment methods.
It converts these funds into cryptocurrency that can be used for payments. When your business receives these payments, you can then quickly convert them to cash.
The fees for cryptocurrency payments vary. However, in most cases, you’ll find that they’re considerably lower than those for other methods.
Credit cards
You also need to provide your customers with the opportunity to pay with a credit card directly. Using a digital wallet or other comparable platform is a true convenience that many online shoppers love.
Nevertheless, others appreciate the simplicity of manually inputting their credit card details into the checkout form.
Specific credit card processing fees vary based on several factors. For most major credit cards in North America, Europe, and Asia, you can expect to pay between 1.5% and 3.5% of the transaction amount.
Bank transfer
Bank transfers are also popular payment methods. While you could accept payments directly from banks, another option is to use a platform like Ideal or Entercash.
These and other similar platforms link your bank account to the consumer’s bank account to establish a secure, direct payment.
On the consumer’s end, the entire transaction can be done securely by logging into their checking account as usual. A few extra clicks will then complete the sale.
PayGreen
PayGreen is a newer digital wallet platform that’s based in France, one of the top countries buying online today. The platform is comparable to PayPal in many ways. For example, consumers can link a Visa or Mastercard to their PayGreen account as forms of payments.
What makes this platform stand out is that it actively promotes the health of the planet. Shoppers accrue “Greens” with each transaction they complete through Paygreen.
These funds can then be redeemed on merchandise at top French retailers as well as through reputable green retailers. Some of these include Noctea, Natura Box, Etam, Natiloo, and others.
In addition, the platform offers eco-responsible commerce options to help merchants improve the impact they have on the environment.
PayGreen has a number of subscription options available, with pricing that accommodates a wide range of budgets!
Final thoughts
Now that you know what the most common ecommerce payment methods are, it’s time to decide which ones you wish to accept through your site.
Keep in mind that payment methods should be selected as a matter of convenience to not only your business but also to your current and prospective customers. Because of this, understanding who your customers are can help you to make the right selections!
