by WooCommerce is considered one of the world’s most popular eCommerce platforms. You can easily manage it as a beginner since it is incredibly cost-effective, flexible, and user-friendly.
Choosing the right payment gateway is crucial if you want to sell your products and services online. WooCommerce payment methods play a vital role in your eCommerce business, but selecting one can be challenging with so many options available. Here is a guide to finding a suitable payment gateway for your business.
Payment gateways are used to process online payments. It works when customers complete their online purchases; they add their preferred payment methods information on the store website, which is then automatically sent to their bank to complete the payment and approve the final purchase.
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How to choose a payment method?
Transaction fee
Almost every online payment gateway charges a fee for your transactions. It varies depending on your business location, card type of the customer, etc. So before choosing a payment gateway, know what translation fee it is charging and compare it with the others to find the one that suits your requirements.
Other charges
Some payment gateways charge different fees, such as account maintenance, setup fees, etc. These fee types are usually unnecessary, so you must find a gateway that doesn’t give you a hard time with your budget, especially if you are a startup.
Automatic payments
Don’t you like when everything is processed automatically, and you don’t need to worry about managing it manually? Well, that’s how a payment gateway should work too. Many businesses often sell subscription products, such as membership plans and online courses. If the customers like their services, they want to keep the subscription going until they cancel it themselves, for example, on Netflix. While choosing a payment gateway, look for the feature of recurring payments or automatic renewals so that you and your customers don’t have a hard time using your services.
Available in the region you desire
When choosing a payment method, ensure it’s available in the region where you intend to reach your customers. You can check it on every gateway’s website under “supported countries.” Ask the gateway’s customer service directly through email or call if you cannot find it.
User-friendly
Running an online business is difficult, and you don’t want to make it more difficult by picking a payment gateway that confuses you and your customers. Providing financial services is complex enough without adding an extra layer of complexity. Most customers avoid businesses that have complicated payment methods as they feel it could be a bogus company. Opt for an online payment gateway that is easy to use.
Payment methods
Customers always appreciate the convenience of having as many payment options as possible. You might have observed that some gateways only accept credit cards but others offer PayPal, debit cards, Bitcoin, and bank transfers. Now conclude which one will you choose? Obviously, the second one, right? So, the more options your payment gateway has, the better.
Currency support
If your target audience belongs to various countries, it is better to have a gateway that supports their currencies. Since customers prefer to pay in their own currency, your sales rate will never drop if you give them such an option. Additionally, it makes your store look internationally focused, which improves your brand image
Certain WooCommerce payment methods support different currencies but charge very high fees for conversions, so try to find one that does it at an affordable price.
Security
Money transactions require a high level of security. If your payment gateway isn’t secure, you will have a hard time gaining your customers’ trust. If you opt for a trustworthy payment gateway, it will indeed possess safety features that will pose no harm to your customers or their data. A security breach can lead to financial, technological, and legal issues. So choosing a platform with good security features is important for any business.
How does a payment gateway work?
A WooCommerce store’s payment gateway handles several critical operations when customers pay via your site. Payments are initially submitted to the store’s server, then transferred to the issuing bank, and finally confirmed by the bank.
According to the bank’s response, payment authorization requests will either be approved or denied. The merchant server sends the response back to the payment gateway, enabling the customer to complete the payment. Usually, the transaction is completed within seconds.
Conclusion
Hopefully, this guide helped you understand what features you should look for in WooCommerce payment methods. Give extra focus on these factors to avoid any problems in the future.
