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These are only some of the Payment Gateway providers which integrate very
easily into Interchange.
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Protx |
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Protx are based in the UK, have been in business since 1995, and operate as a
payment gateway for Visa, Master/Eurocard, Switch, Solo, Delta credit and debit
cards. Their transaction fee is an amazingly low 5p per transaction. No percentage,
no monthly fees, no annual fees, no setup fees. Just the 5p for an authorisation or
refund. (GBP 5p is approximately USD 8c). They can operate either with a direct
background call for authorisation, meaning that your customer stays on your site,
or optionally by redirecting your customer to their secure server and completing
the transaction there.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Lowest rates known - 5p per transaction
- Take most credit and debit cards
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- Need a separate merchant account
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SecureTrading: |
| SecureTrading
(based in the UK) require you to have a merchant account from your
bank, but give you two methods of accepting payments: using your own server with SSL,
or if you don't have a secure server then you may use theirs. Using their server is
very straightforward: the payment form on your server sends them all information except
for the credit card, the customer moves to the ST server and enters the credit card
information, and pressing the 'Pay' button then sends a 'callback' to your server with
all information (bar credit card) available for further processing and optionally
displays a receipt page from your server on the ST server. Using your own server entails
running a Java app called XPay which encrypts all information with 1024 bit security
before sending it to the ST server. Communication with the XPay app is by XML strings
from Interchange. The annual charge, at £195 Stg, is rather high but they do not have
a monthly charge.
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| Pros: | Cons |
- Free setup, reasonable transaction fees
- Able to use your own SSL server
- Able to use their server, and fully customise the pages.
- A full 'virtual terminal' for managing transactions
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- Need to have your own Merchant Account
- Recurring billing system is a little clunky
- Nobody has yet written an Interchange payment module for their new interface
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| AuthorizeNet / PlanetPayment
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| AuthorizeNet
and their international arm PlanetPayment
(based in the US) works in one of two ways: It either captures the necessary
customer information (name, credit card number, etc.) from a merchant's
own secure transaction page, or it displays a customizable transaction
page hosted on an Authorize.Net secure server, for the customer to fill out.
Merchants can check the status of transactions or run reports on past
activity by going to the Authorize.Net Web site and logging on to their own
password-protected Authorize.Net site. And online businesses can use the
Authorize.Net Virtual Terminal to enter payment information manually if
customers prefer to call in their credit card information.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Can use own server
- Full multi-currency
- Virtual terminal
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Echo |
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Echo is an all in one solution, as they not only own their own bank but also provide
merchant accounts and their own payment gateway. Their rates are extremely reasonable,
and the only major negative is that they do not accept businesses from outside the
US (which fact is stated clearly on their pages). Customer reports are generally very
positive, and negative reports are pretty-well unknown.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Merchant account is included
- Extremely good rates
- A very tidy all-round solution
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- Only for US applicants
- Do not accept European debit cards: Solo, Switch, Delta, Electron
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PayQuake / US Merchant Systems |
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PayQuake is a wholly owned subsidiary of
US Merchant Systems, which has been in business for 10 years. PayQuake has three
different plans (between which you may change at any time), starting from zero monthly
with 3.75% and 50c, US$9.95 monthly with 2.75% and 40c, up to US$19.95 monthly with
2.35% and 30c per transaction. All plans have a US$49 annual fee, and setup fees are
zero, US$99 and US$99 respectively. Options of cheque payment and debit card
acceptance. They claim to take non-US merchants, but investigation shows that they
are simply re-selling WorldPay, and the application form which they email back to you
features the WorldPay logos quite prominently. This form offers the standard WorldPay
package, and tells you to look at
this page, which gives a very different perspective but unfortunately does not
appear to be linked from their main website. Some people find this rather
confusing.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Very good rates
- Use the well-established Authorize.net gateway
- Accept: Visa/MC, Amex, Diners, Discover
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- Do not accept European debit cards: Solo, Switch, Delta, Electron
- Do not offer merchant accounts to those outside the US
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Charge.com |
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Charge.com appear to be a good choice for those merchants based in the US. If you
are based outside of the US, do not bother to apply. Even though the application form
gives all relevant fields for international data, and by telephone they will agree that
they accept international applicants for their merchant accounts, in fact this is quite
deceptive. Once an international merchant submits his application, Charge.com will fail
to courier the documents for signing as they promise, and if pressed will tell you to
look at this page
instead. This turns out to be 2checkout.com, which is a "third party" processor, cannot
give merchant accounts to anyone, and has no more than an affiliate relationship
with Charge.com. Otherwise, for applicants within the US, this could be a good choice.
Be aware though, that even though they claim to have no setup or application fee, you
are required to pay US$195 for their "Virtual Terminal" - all other processors known
to us give you this terminal for free.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Very good rates
- Use the well-established Authorize.net gateway
- Accept: Visa/MC
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- Do not accept European debit cards: Solo, Switch, Delta, Electron
- Easy to be misled by their website if you are from outside the US
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| WorldPay: |
| WorldPay
(based in the UK) offer two systems: one for those with their own Merchant
Account, and a "WorldDirect" package for those without. The "WorldDirect" package
appears to be a bureau (3rd party) account in which you share the merchant account
with the processor, but in fact you will get a standard merchant account from WorldPay's
parent company, NatWest (in turn owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland). This merchant
account is tied to the WorldPay gateway, so you are not able to use it with any other
gateway/processor. Despite the rather confusing verbiage on WorldPay's website, you
should have just as much chance of success with an application for a merchant account
directly to NatWest as you would by applying through the medium of WorldPay.
In either case, the mechanics of their gateway mean that you need to transfer
your customer to the WP server to enter credit card details, though you can send all
other information to their server to pre-populate the form. This page on the WorldPay
server allows only very
basic customisation, though the receipt page can be one from your own server which is
displayed on the WP server, and their is a 'callback' which sends all information (bar credit card)
back to your server for further processing. Their standard
charges are very high - 4.5% of the transaction, plus GBP 150 pa. Whilst
all other merchant account providers will pay you your funds within 2 to 3 days,
Worldpay make you wait four weeks. Overall, we recommend that you look at other alternatives.
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| Pros: | Cons |
- A full 'callback' facility, though not easy to setup
- Very good recurring billing
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- Must use their secure server rather than your own, only some customisation allowed
- Standard fraud detection is extremely basic
- High charges - 4.5% plus GBP150 pa.
- 30 - 45 days wait for your pay-out.
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Some "M-Commerce" email and Mobile Phone systems
These systems have been developed especially to avoid the traditional credit card
systems, and allow payment by your mobile phone or by email.
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PayBox |
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PayBox lets you make payments through your standard GSM mobile phone, and
works like a debit card. Each payment is debited from your bank account only after
you have authorised the transaction by entering your paybox PIN on your mobile
phone.
Example: you go to an internet shop, and choose to pay by PayBox. Instead of giving
your card details on the checkout page, uou give your mobile number. PayBox then calls
you, states the amount to be paid, and you authorise this by entering your PayBox
PIN into your phone. The funds are then debited from your account by PayBox and
credited to the merchant's account. Security is high, as the GSM network is recognised
as inherently secure, and the banking side is handled by Deutsche Bank.
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| Pros: | Cons |
- Excellent mobile system - all the customer needs is his phone
- Instant payment transfers
- Can handle refunds etc
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- America has only a limited GSM network (though it is standard in virtually
the entire rest of the world)
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MoneyBookers |
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MoneyBookers.com is based in the UK, and so has the advantage of understanding
and processing a variety of currencies. This is a system which allows you to send
or receive payments by email, and it is very simple and cheap to operate. Accounts
are activated immediately that people register, and you can send or receive money
immediately without waiting for statement confirmations á là Paypal. As a merchant, you may receive
money either through a normal email at extremely low rates, or setup a payment page
which the customer will use in the normal way. Can be used for auctions very easily.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Extremely good rates
- Very simple to use
- Sender does not need a Credit Card
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- Server option must use their server
- Support staff not always on the ball
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| PayPal
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While PayPal cannot be recommended as a primary solution,
there are some merchants who find that it's viable as an emergency backup solution.
There are some quite major drawbacks to using PayPal, the first of which is quite
serious and in our opinion disbars it from being your normal gateway:
* any potential customer to your shop must not only register but also confirm with Paypal - to
confirm means to take the Paypal PIN from his credit card statement and go back to the Paypal
site with it to finish the registration process. Therefore, if a customer to your shop
is not already a Paypal member, he may have to wait a month before being allowed by Paypal
to buy something from you. We all know what customers do if they can't buy it now .. they
go to your competitors.
* you can accept only US$
* you may not customise their server pages at all (bar a very small logo)
* and the 'PayPal'
name is all that appears on your customer's credit card statement, not your own name.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Free setup and low fees
- Very good recurring billing system
- Good 'virtual terminal' system
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- Customers may have to wait a month before allowed to purchase
- Must use their secure server, minimal customisation allowed
- Only single currency - US$
- Only accept a few cards
- Merchant must be their list of "approved" countries
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Some "Bureau" or "Third Party" Gateways
The following are what is known as a "bureau" or "3rd party" providers, meaning
that you do not need your own merchant account as they have the special type of merchant
account themselves which can be shared with other merchants,eg, you.
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Paysystems.com |
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Paysystems.com is generaly quite highly regarded as being proficient and good
value. They have two packages: the first has no monthly fees and reasonable transaction
rates, though you will not have your company name on the card-holder's statement. The
second has quite high monthly fees, low transaction rates, and your company name will
appear on the card-holder's statement. Their accounting week runs from midnight Sunday
to midnight Sunday, and they will pay you on the following Thursday.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Weekly pay-out
- Generally good rates
- Good "Merchant Control Centre"
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- Small rolling reserve kept by them
- Rates higher than some others
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2Checkout.com
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2Checkout.com is similar to Paysystems' cheaper package. Setup fee is reasonable
at US$49, annual and monthly fees are zero, and transaction charges are 5.5% plus 45c.
Your customer will need to transfer from your site to the 2Checkout site to enter
details and make payment, and their Terms specifically prohibit you from entering your
customer's card details yourself. If your fraud-prevention policy is to always take
your customer's details yourself so as to run your own fraud checks (eg, phone up the
telephone number given) and then put the card through manually, then you will not be
able to use 2Checkout.com. Their accounting period runs from the 1st to the 15th of each
month, and the 16th to the end of the month. Payouts are one or two days after the end
of each accounting period. Most user reports prefer PaySystems over 2Checkout, for
reasons of customer support and general proficiency.
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| Pros: | Cons: |
- Reasonable rates and fees
- Reasonably quick payout
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- Must send customer to their pages
- Their pages allow only minimal customisation
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Back to eCommerce Solutions
For consultancy enquiries, contact info@zolotek.net
or telephone us at +44-20-8205 8788
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