As we explore the world of e-commerce there’s a number of things to be informed about before making a decision about your current or prospective business. Whenever you’re making a decision about your business always remember to consider the pros and cons and evaluate every step. With e-commerce it’s important to evaluate platforms, payment gateways and how you plan to generate leads to your online store. In our series ‘Demystifying E-commerce’ we will help you to evaluate e-commerce platforms, payment gateways, lead generation and other questions about e-commerce.
In our previous article we explored the components of e-commerce sales cycles and things to consider when designing an e-commerce sales process. In this article we will explore payment gateways available to local and international businesses.
Payment Gateway
A payment gateway is a technology used by merchants to accept debit or credit card purchases from customers. The term includes machines found at physical stores and payment portals found in online stores.
As discussed in part 3 of our E-commerce 101 Series there are several types of payment gateways. Hosted payment gateways are portals that redirect customers to a service provider like paypal to complete a payment and then return to the online store. Another payment gateway is self-hosted payment gateways, where business owners collect the customer’s information on their website and complete all transactions in one place. Local bank integration is another payment gateway used by some businesses who prefer a simple payment structure. With this gateway customers are redirected to their local bank’s website and are required to enter payment and contact information after which they are redirected to the online store/website. The final payment gateway as explored in our series of articles are Application Programming Interface or API hosted payment gateway which allows customers to enter their payment information on your e-commerce website and the payment is processed using an API.
2 Jamaican payment gateway options
- Get PAID
GetPAID is a local payment gateway option powered by Mobile Edge Solutions that allows businesses to collect payments online and easily access funds. This payment gateway integrates with local payment processors and sends funds to your local bank account.
- WiPay
WiPay ia a local payment gateway option available to businesses that allows for the collection of payments made with credit cards, bank accounts and cash online.In existing territories, WiPay allows businesses to make and receive payments online by simply downloading the Wipay plugin for free and integrating it on to their website.
2 popular international payment gateway options
- Shopify
Shopify is an all-in-one e-commerce platform that allows business owners to set up a store and sell their products,whether digital or tangible and their services.
- Paypal
Paypal is a global online payment system that is used by many businesses and online shoppers. This payment gateway option hides the customers information from merchants. It also protects customers from online theft and fraud.
Conclusion
E-commerce businesses use online payment gateways to collect payments and there are a range of options available to business owners internationally and locally, here in Jamaica.
Local businesses can use options such as GetPAID and WiPay. Business owners must explore these options and choose a payment gateway that is most suitable for your business and products offerings.
Be sure to contact us for more insight at sales@getmobileedge.com to learn more about payment gateways for your e-commerce business.