Best E-Commerce Payment Options

For several years, ecommerce has been growing at unprecedented rates worldwide. Mobile devices have changed the retail game completely, since people can shop easily and securely from the comfort of their couch. Ecommerce growth is only expected to continue at astonishing rates – approximately 200% growth between 2014 and 2020. Just two years ago, more than half of Americans preferred shopping online to the in-store alternative, and that number has certainly increased.

This growth is resulting in the introduction of more new ecommerce businesses every day. Anyone can easily sell their goods online, from handmade gifts and unique items to popular goods that people can re-sell to earn extra funds on the side. The trick is finding the right payment processor to fit their needs.

From small startups to Fortune 500 enterprises, here’s our list of the best ecommerce payment options…

Increase conversions by allowing customers to make purchases using their Amazon credentials by using Amazon Pay as an ecommerce payment option. It’s fast, easy, secure and offers a connected experience across channels so that customers can shop however they like and check out without having to create a new account or enter their credit card or banking info with every transaction.

Fees

  • Domestic Processing Fee: 2.9%
  • International (Cross-Border) Processing Fee: 3.9%
  • Authorization Fee: $0.30
  • Disputed Chargeback Fee: $20.00

Security

In addition to being protected by their Amazon account password, customers make transactions on your ecommerce site using a secure server connection, plus Transport Security Layer (TLS)/Secure Socket Layer (SSL) – the industry standard in secure server protection.

User-Friendliness

Amazon Pay offers an easy way to improve every customer’s experience by offering a quick, convenient way to check out to complete their purchase. It’s near the top as far as user-friendliness is concerned.

Ecommerce businesses can affordably accept payments worldwide with Authorize.net. It’s flexible and easily integrated with a wide range of web content platforms and plugins, while maintaining exceptional security. All plans include:

  • Fraud Prevention
  • Customer Information Manager
  • Recurring Payments
  • E-Check Payments
  • Invoicing
  • Account Updater
  • Simple Checkout

Fees

There are three different options when using Authorize.net for your payment gateway…

  • All-in-One Option is best for those ecommerce sites that do not have an existing Merchant Account.
    • No setup fee
    • Monthly gateway: $25
    • Per transaction 2.9% + 30¬¢
  • Payment Gateway Only is for businesses with an existing Merchant Account to the Authorize.Net platform…
    • No setup fee
    • Monthly gateway $25
    • Per transaction 10¬¢, daily batch fee 10¬¢
  • Enterprise Solutions are available if you process more than $500K per year…
    • Tailored pricing
    • Data migration assistance
    • Interchange plus options

Security

Authorize.net is connected to your ecommerce website using a secure API key that disables processing if it is changed. This helps protect your customers as well as your business from risk. All plans also have advanced fraud detection and secure customer data storage included, further protecting consumer data and privacy.

User-Friendliness

Although being quite user-friendly as a professional platform, the Authorize.net dashboard can be somewhat tricky to navigate. It may take some troubleshooting to set your security and processing settings appropriately, but all in all, the tool is excellent for ecommerce businesses large and small.

[ Related: 10 Best E-Commerce Platforms for Businesses ]

A Paypal service, Braintree brings something to the market of ecommerce transaction processing that supports the modern way consumers are paying for their purchases. It is the only platform that enables payments via PayPal, Venmo (in the US) and popular digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google, in addition to credit and debit cards. In addition, the platform has the following features:

  • Fraud Prevention
  • Reporting
  • In-Store Payments
  • Data Security
  • Global Scale
  • Seller/Freelancer Payouts
  • Easy Third-Party Integrations
  • Recurring Billing
  • Account Updater

Fees

  • Domestic Standard Merchant & Venmo/Digital Wallet Processing Fee: 2.9%
    • No additional fee for PayPal and PayPal Credit
    • 3.25% for American Express
  • International (Cross-Border) Processing Fee: 3.9%
  • 501(c)(3) Payments/Donations: 2.2%
  • Authorization Fee: $0.30
  • Disputed Chargeback Fee: $15.00

Security

Braintree has some notable security features that both ecommerce stores and their customers can appreciate, including Level-1 PCI compliance, industry recognition for security compliance, no storage of sensitive data, next-level data encryption, required authentication, and activity monitoring and testing.

User-Friendliness

Braintree has been highly rated by its customers for its user-friendliness. Developers using the application for software development have also found Braintree to be highly functional and applicable to their needs. Be careful in setup, however, since some customers reported issues caused by missing procedures in the sign up process.

Fusebill solves a lot of problems for ecommerce businesses by streamlining transactions and bringing automation into the picture. It’s a software platform that incorporates automation into financial workflows and processes in addition to replacing many manual steps in accounting. Not only is it a payment gateway; it manages subscription and recurring billing, while integrating seamlessly with other supported payment gateways, security and technology to deliver a simplified merchant experience. From Start-up to Enterprise, Fusebill includes Quickbooks & Salesforce integration, unlimited users and their full set of features with every package.

Fees

The biggest difference between each package is pricing, which is structured based on your business’ annual revenue. The level of onboarding support also varies from the most basic at the Start-up level, to custom-designed onboarding packages for Fusebill’s Enterprise clients.

  • Start-Up (<$1 million annual revenue): $99/month + 1.5% of revenue
  • Rapid-Growth ($1M – $10M annual revenue): Flat pricing from $995/month
  • Enterprise (>$10M annual revenue): Custom pricing

Security

Fusebill’s practices and processes regarding security are world-class. The company has PCI Level 1 status, state-of-the-art firewalls, network intrusion protection, domain authorization, IP address restriction, and more.

User-Friendliness

The bi-directional integration capabilities offered with Fusebill help to make the merchant user experience exceptional. These direct integrations enable seamless connectivity with vendors, fully automated communication via email and webhooks, and the capability for your sales team to work in your CRM instead of the billing platform.

[ Related Article: “Top 30 Best Subscription E-tailers” ]

Paypal is probably the most well-known ecommerce payment option, and was one of the first to be commonly accepted by most small sellers on eBay – it still accounts for the vast majority of transactions on the website. Today, Paypal supports payments between businesses and individuals, and offers Point-of-Sale (POS) solutions, a virtual terminal, online invoicing, and even credit products. You can even work with Paypal’s solution partners such as Squarespace and Magento to set up a new ecommerce store.

Fees

Your Paypal business account supports Venmo and all major credit and debit cards (as well as Paypal payments, of course) without any startup costs, monthly fees or termination fees. The standard transaction fees depend on whether the sale occurs in a physical store location or through an online transaction and where the funds are coming from (U.S. domestic or international):

  • In-Store: 2.7% of the transaction amount for domestic accounts, 4.2% for International accounts
  • Online: Fixed fee based on the currency, plus 2.9% for domestic accounts or 4.4% for international accounts

Paypal also offers bank transfers, online invoicing, micropayments, virtual terminal, add-ons and other merchant processing services for additional fees.

Security

Not only does Paypal ensure a high level of security for buyers, but it also protects merchants using its platform with intent to minimize chargebacks and claims and help prevent merchant fraud. Transactions are monitored 24/7, financial information is protected with encryption, and everything happens on heavily secured technology.

User-Friendliness

Since it’s been the most popular method of sending and receiving money for many years now, Paypal has had plenty of time to finetune the platform for optimal user experience. However, while their UX/UI is generally clean and simple to use, there are occasionally issues and bugs that arise and cause frustration.

One of the world’s largest (and growing) digital wallet providers, Skrill supports over 20 local payment methods and more than 80 banks with competitive rates for processing and extensive anti-fraud practices. Like with Paypal, Skrill customers can pay you with just their email address and password, enabling you to accept their card, bank or local payment method easily and effectively.

Fees

Skrill fees vary based on the country and currency, but in the U.S., fees are as follows:

  • Upload Funds: 1% for local payment methods, 2.9% for Visa and Mastercard, 6% for ACH, and 7.5% for Paysafe
  • Withdraw Funds: Flat fee of $5.50 per transaction
  • Currency Conversion: 3.99%
  • Receiving money is always free

Security

Skrill is fully PCI-compliant and promises the highest standards with regard to their management of risk and fraud. Customer data is encrypted to the highest standards and ensures that data is unreadable even if intercept is attempted. Skrill also offers tips for two-factor authentication and anti-phishing to help consumers protect their data even better.

User-Friendliness

You only need a single integration to activate all or just some of Skrill’s card, bank, wallet and local payment options. It’s an excellent merchant processing platform for merchants who often require multi-currency payment processing. Some merchants have had payments frozen due to chargebacks and other reasons, and Skrill also generally charges higher fees in the U.S. than other platforms, so you should weigh your options with that in mind.

[ Related Article: “How Contract Packaging Supports Effective Retail Fulfillment” ]

Combining innovative software, API integrations and a powerful payment processing system, Square is an easy and comprehensive system for ecommerce businesses. Square is designed for both businesses with revenue under and over $250,000 per year, in a variety of types from retail to services. What’s more, the fees are the same no matter which card the customer uses. Square also designs and manufactures hardware and Point-of-Sale (POS) systems for processing payment on-site.

Fees

Square charges clear fees for its service, and accepts all major credit cards. Funds are deposited to your bank account within one to two business days, or you can pay 1% for instant deposit. Chargeback protection is also included. Pricing depends on the point-of-sale:

  • 2.75% of the transaction made using the Square Reader or Square Stand
  • 2.6% + 10¬¢ for Restaurant transactions made using the Square Reader or Square Stand Hardware
  • 2.5% + 10¬¢ for Retail transactions made using the Square Reader or Square Stand Hardware
  • Fees for keyed-in card payments are 3.5% + 15¬¢

Hardware pricing ranges for $35 for the Square Reader for chip cards, to the Square Terminal for $399 or $999 for the Square Register (financing options are available). Square also has software tools for invoicing, gift cards, payroll, ecommerce, loyalty programs, and more.

Security

Like the other ecommerce payment options, Square is fully PCI compliant and meets all SAQ requirements. The company invests heavily in their security technology to ensure world-class protection of payment data, hardware and process management. Square’s hardware comes with a full compliance suite to protect against breaches and fraud.

User-Friendliness

Square has achieved 5-star status for its ease of use, in addition to simple and transparent pricing and lightening-quick setup procedures. However, Square is best for small to mid-sized businesses and ecommerce companies needing more stability and flexibility with a standard merchant account may want to look at alternative payment processing tools and software.

Stripe presents itself as more than just a payment processor; it’s an ecommerce infrastructure management platform for businesses large and small, helping them to process transactions and manage their businesses online. It’s a combination of applications that manage and track revenue data with a powerful payments engine. Stripe can even handle less common models such as crowdfunding, marketplaces, on-demand apps and more.

Fees

Stripe’s fully integrated system has pay-as-you-go pricing to keep things simple. A fee of 2.9% + 30¬¢ is charged for every transaction, and covered everything you need to manage payments without charging extra for setup, monthly access, or other necessary features. You can also contact Stripe for a customized package if you have a large payment volume, to take advantage of extra discounts, interchange pricing, and more. An additional 1% fee may apply for currency conversion.

Security

In addition to level 1 status as a PCI service provider, Stripe incorporates best-in-class security tools as well as a high standard of security practices and procedures to ensure optimal data and identity protection. All card data is encrypted, and keys are stored on separate machines with secure infrastructure to safeguard all sensitive credentials.

User-Friendliness

Reliability and checkout flows that are simple and smart are two areas where Stripe excels with user friendliness. The navigation is mobile-friendly, and both their marketplace and subscription tools have been reviewed as -òexcellent’. Stripe’s developer tools are also flexible and easy to use, which is important considering that Stripe is known to have a developer-first focus – this in turn results in a better experience for ecommerce business users and their customers.

[ Hollingsworth’s ecommerce fulfillment services are fully integrated with all of the top ecommerce payment options! Click here to learn more about our full suite of integrations.]

With the simple mission to simplify payments for small businesses everywhere, Veem is a great payment solution for small ecommerce businesses, although the larger merchants may want to look to a more robust platform. Veem connects and integrates seamlessly with the top accounting platforms including Quickbooks, Xero and Netsuite. Instead of acting as a portal, Veem is more of a two-way payment network where business partners will connect to the Veem network to receive your wire payments far more quickly and less expensively. Veem uses blockchain technology to cut out the fees, time and insecurity with middle men and supports it with robust API capability.

Fees

All Veem merchant accounts include features such as 2-factor authentication, integration with accounting software such as Quickbooks and Xero, checkout pages and/or a PayMe button, payment tracking, no limits on transfer volumes, custom API integration and more. International payments are free, and converting USD into local currency is just a flat $20 fee. All U.S. payments are $1. Volume pricing discounts and exchange rate discounts are available as well. Pricing is flexible and customized to the business.

Security

Two areas that are really important to Veem are transparency and real-time status updates on payments, and they are dedicated to delivering this clarity to their business customers. Additionally, Veem meets the top standards in security with features such as 2-factor authentication, multi-level approval capability, browse encryption, and more.

User-Friendliness

Veem reviewers love the fee-free nature of the platform, but their second rave is about user-friendliness. Users love how intuitive Veem is to use, although there have been complaints here and there about delays receiving funds, particularly larger payments. Veem is best for businesses that work with multiple customers or vendors internationally, since you can avoid most of the inefficiencies and unnecessary fees.

From easy and quick integrated payment solutions, to customizable options for the merchant experience, WePay is designed to deliver a customized ecommerce payment option that helps increase conversions. The checkout flow is customizable, multiple payment methods are supported (including credit, debit, ACH and even Chase Pay), and all sorts of branding and visual tailoring is available. Functionality is also in play, with the option for payouts timed as needed and controlled by the merchant, automatic account updates, instant and secure onboarding, and mobile card readers.

Fees

Pricing is simple with WePay, however it should be noted that it’s a payment aggregation platform instead of a dedicated merchant account, so if your business processes more than $5,000 per month, you may want to look for something more dedicated. All major credit and debit cards are accepted with WePay, and there are no monthly fees or minimums. All online transactions are charged 2.9% + 30¬¢, and ACH is 1% + 30¬¢. The chargeback fee is $15. It’s the same thing you’d pay with Square, Stripe or PayPal. Contracts are month-to-month, and there are no cancellation or PCI compliance fees.

Security

WePay is PCI Compliant and certified at level-1 status, uses cryptographic algorithms and other secure technologies, and further protects its clients and their customers with ongoing training, education, reporting and disclosures.

User-Friendliness

Since the merchant interface is completely customizable, it’s a bit tricky to rate WePay’s general user experience; merchants can make their experience as simple or complex as they will. However, most reviews note how WePay is quite user friendly from a payment processing perspective, and it’s great for quick and easy processing for small ecommerce businesses.

In addition to integrating with these and other ecommerce payment solutions, Hollingsworth’s best-in-class fulfillment and third party logistics services can support businesses large and small. Contact us to learn more about our complete offering of logistics services for ecommerce businesses.