Accepting Credit Cards Online, Part 3

Please be sure to read Part 1 and Part 2 before reading Part 3.

Accepting credit cards online in real time allows the visitor to enter the payment information, and make the purchase instantly. Accepting form orders and processing the payments by phone is a good option for businesses who: already accept credit cards, provide services that cannot be calculated with an ecommerce shopping cart, want to submit groups of charges at one time (when batch fees apply), want to submit payments themselves to be sure they are paid correctly before completing a service. Some people do not like to enter credit card information on their computers or have difficulty doing so due to visual impairment. You must decide which is best for your business and your customers.

I have chosen NOVA who works with my local bank to process credit card purchases by phone. My bank does not charge batch fees, so I can process each order as it comes. I am only paying $225 for the Verifone box to enter the information. There are many companies that provide this service. Check with your local bank first. This will ensure quick deposit and cooperation.

The client with problems with PayPal chose to close the account and not accept PayPal for his business. When my box comes, will be able to pay me. He refuses to use PayPal and you may find others who feel the same way. Since it takes time to become a PayPal member, have them test your accounts for verification and whatever until the customer can make a purchase, PayPal is a good option for EXISTING members to make purchases. For those who are not members, there must be other options or you may lose sales.

I have several clients who wish to pay with PayPal, so I will probably continue to use it. I don't want to lose sales from those who do not use PayPal. I am looking forward to finally accepting credit cards through NOVA. Of course, cash is nice. What is cash? That green paper that you used to find in birthday cards years ago. They were replaced by gift certificates. Ha, ha. Money orders are good, too. Remember to give options for those who do not use credit cards at all. Don't laugh. There are some people who don't or can't use them. Ask your payment processor about electronic checks, too. That way your customer can pay by check online. Have VeriSign or another company verify and process these requests securely.

Yvette Kuhns, Power Pages Web Design, October 10, 2002

Printer Friendy Version. If this article helped you, please donate any amount via PayPal. Thank you!

If you have any questions or helpful hints to share, please email me.

Please view our list of past articles for more useful information.