ECommerce shops exist to give you everything you need without leaving your home. In this article, we take a look at how we can help eCommerce stores succeed by eliminating unnecessary card processing fees in a number of situations. For more information, you can book a free consultation with a payments expert.
ECommerce shops exist to give you everything you need without leaving your home. In this article, we take a look at how we can help eCommerce stores succeed by eliminating unnecessary card processing fees in a number of situations. For more information, you can book a free consultation with a payments expert.
ECommerce shops are dedicated to providing you with the same services, if not more, as a brick-and-mortar store. In 2020, eCommerce has been an invaluable asset, serving as the only form of shopping for most Americans. According to a recent study, the total value of global retail eCommerce sales will reach 4.13 trillion this year, and it will only increase in 2021 (projected to be 4.88 trillion).
With SwipeSum, eCommerce stores can eliminate unnecessary payment processing fees and save money that would otherwise go to banks and credit card companies.
To make the first steps in improving your payment options, you’ll need to know what software you use to run your business and whether the payments are attached. Let’s break this down into three categories:
Not only is this the most affordable option, but it’s also a potentially lucrative way to process payments. In this position, software companies have two options: The first option is a direct integration with a provider or gateway. As opposed to a direct integration with one provider, a gateway would allow you to work with multiple providers and is the virtual equivalent to a physical point-of-sale terminal located in most retail stores. An example of a gateway is when you check out in an eCommerce store and see options for ApplePay, PayPal, and manually entering your credit/debit card information. For more information on payment gateways, check out our article here.
The second option is the most popular solution, and the one we tend to suggest–payment facilitation. Payment facilitation gives your software a more square-like experience to streamline payment processing. It essentially turns your software into a home base for all payments. For example, when you want some food delivered to you, you use the Postmates application to find a nearby restaurant, then order and pay through the app. Because Postmates facilitates the payment in this scenario, it is considered a payment facilitator.
If this sounds like you, you’ll need to contact your vendor and see what payment integrations are available to you. Ideally, you’d get a quote from every possible integrated payments provider, and they’d compete on contractual terms and rates.
This means your business needs either a virtual terminal or physical terminal. You can contact almost any provider to receive these terminals. If you’re starting from scratch, we recommend that you find a consultant who specifically sources software and payments for eCommerce shops.
In this day and age, internet safety and the vulnerability of personal information is one of the most important factors when shopping online. Entering your credit card information and sending it off into the cloud can feel strange, especially if you’re not familiar with the website’s interface or trusting of their payment processing options. If you own an eCommerce shop, part of your responsibility when building a website and choosing a payment processor is ensuring the safety of your customers’ information in the case of hacking.
In recent years, AfterPay has grown in popularity as a payment option that allows you to pay off your order in four installments with 0% interest. There are over 10 million people globally (3.6 million in the U.S.) who use AfterPay. It appeals mostly to Zoomers and Millenials who are less likely to own credit cards.
Ben Pressley, Executive VP of Sales at AfterPay, recently stated that on average, AfterPay accounts for about 15% of retailers’ checkout sales. It’s important to note that the way AfterPay remains interest-free is by transferring the burden of interest onto the retailer, however customers using AfterPay are likely to buy more items if they can break up payments.
Merchants are charged 30 cents plus commission for every transaction they make via AfterPay. The commission ranges from 4 to 6 percent. Although AfterPay is a lay-buy service, merchants receive immediate payment minus the commission and flat fee of 30 cents.
Finding the best payment rate solution ties into selecting the best provider for your eCommerce shop. In the U.S. alone, there are over 5,000 credit card processing providers. It's usually smartest to process payments separately from your eCommerce store using a third party processor and a gateway. Most eCommerce stores (like Shopify) charge a flat rate on all transactions. If you use a third party processor, you can get lower rates. Although you'd have to pay an additional gateway fee, the new processor rates and the gateway fee usually work out to be cheaper than the flat rate that eCommerce stores offer.
Let’s break this process down from the perspective of an eCommerce store. With everything that goes into filling an online order, you might not notice the small fees that come with payment processing, which can add up to thousands of dollars. Here at SwipeSum, we hand you your best options for saving money and allow you to focus on providing your customers with your services. For more information on how to go about switching your payment processor, check out our recent article here.
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Izzy Gillman
Izzy is a rising senior at Washington University in St. Louis studying Creative Writing and Psychology. She has been working as a Content Marketing Intern at Swipesum since June of 2020. In her free time, she enjoys journaling, running, and reading memoirs.
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