6 Best E-Commerce Payment Gateways

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The demand for online shopping is growing. Every day, thousands of people use the Internet to purchase products they deem necessary. These millions of people use their credit cards or other online payment solutions to make their purchases. As an e-merchant or dropshipper, you need to know the best payment gateways that will allow you to receive money from your customers.

After having found a winning productyou have to find a way to sell it on your store. It is therefore important to choose a good payment gateway that will facilitate the payment process to the customer. Discover in this article, the 6 best payment gateways in e-commerce.

  • Stripe
  • PayPal
  • Authorize.net
  • 2Checkout
  • Skrill
  • FirstData
  • Amazon Pay

What is a payment gateway?

A gateway is a technological payment solution that enables financial transactions between a buyer and a seller. This online payment solution enables the buyer to pay the seller using his credit or debit card or any other payment method, and vice versa (in the case of refunds). 

Payment gateways can be used in both online stores (international payment possible) and traditional stores. The role of the online payment gateway is to : 

  • verify the authenticity of the information entered by the buyer,
  • transfer all information to the buyer's bank, which in turn will confirm or deny the transaction,
  • transfer the funds to the seller's account once the transaction has been successfully completed. 

Indeed, without an online payment gateway installed on your store, you cannot receive payments from your customers . This is one more reason to choose one of the best payment gateways in E-commerce. 

How e-commerce payment gateways work

Although online transactions take only a few minutes, they are a series of steps that are dependent on each other. 

  • Customer enters credit card details

The very first step begins with the buyer entering their card information after choosing the different items they wish to purchase from the store. 

The latter is invited to enter several pieces of information such as: first and last name, full address, card information (number, security code (CVV) and expiration date of the card). This information allows us to identify the card and the person who made the transaction.

  • Validation of information by the credit card network

After the customer has confirmed the transaction by clicking on the "Buy" button on the merchant site, the payment gateway transfers all information to the credit card network (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc.) using encryption to protect the buyer's information. 

He is responsible for verifying all his information and validating the transaction, making sure that it complies with online payment regulations and that the buyer has enough funds in his account to cover the transaction and related fees .

Once all the information has been validated, the credit card network notifies the buyer's bank, which in turn confirms the transaction.
If the transaction fails, the network sends a message to the buyer accordingly .

  • The seller receives the money in his account 

The money is now deposited into the seller's account who is in turn notified of the receipt of funds. Depending on the payment system used, fees are applied .

What's more, some payment gateways retain the buyer's pennies for some time before transferring them to the seller's bank. This is to protect the buyer in the event of fraud. Only then can the seller transfer the money to a local or traditional bank. 

In the next chapter, we'll look at the main factors to consider when choosing the best online e-commerce payment platform for your store .

How to choose the right payment method for your e-commerce store?

Criteria for choosing a good payment gateway 

Compatibility with your store Supplier warranty Geographical coverage Ease of use Transaction fees Transaction duration

As you'll have understood from the above explanations, the payment gateway is a fundamental element for your store. After all, the primary objective of an e-commerce store is to generate online sales .

So it's important to choose the right payment gateway to maximize the conversion rate on your store. Here are the criteria to consider when choosing the best e-commerce payment processor:

  • Compatibility with your store

The first thing you need to consider when choosing a payment gateway is its compatibility with your store .

In fact, in the world of online sales, there are several platforms for e-commerce sites (Shopify. Wix. WooCommerce. PrestaShop. Squarespace...) with which you can create your store. 

Each platform has its own way of working. So you need to make sure that your online payment solution (gateway) is compatible with the chosen platform. This information can be verified directly on the host's website. You can consult the list of payment methods accepted by Shopify here.

  • The supplier's guarantee

Payment gateways are organizations that handle a lot of sensitive and confidential information. We are talking about banking information...

It is therefore your duty to ensure that the payment method provider offers a guarantee of security and protection of buyers' information. You should also check that the supplier complies with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standard. All this will help you to give your buyers confidence that their data is safe .

  • Geographical coverage

It's important to know that each e-commerce payment method has its own geographical coverage, beyond which it is no longer functional(for example, Stripe doesn't work in Africa) .
In fact, if you want to sell your products internationally, you need to make sure that the supplier covers all the countries in which you want to sell. 

It's also important to check that the payment system accepts payments in several currencies. This will enable your customers to pay in their local currency and avoid additional conversion charges. 

  • Ease of use

User experience is also a major conversion factor in your store. This means that the easier your payment gateway is to use, the higher your conversion rate. So make sure you choose a payment gateway that simplifies the checkout process for your buyers. 

  • Transaction fees

Online payment gateway fees vary from provider to provider. Some offer per-sale debits and others offer monthly subscriptions.

We recommend that you make a comparative study of the different payment methods compatible with your store in order to choose the one that best suits your type of business.

Do not hesitate to also contact the customer service of each provider to learn more about the benefits of each feature offered by the provider . This will help you avoid paying fees for features that are not useful for your business. 

  •  The duration of the transactions

Most payment gateways have a certain guarantee period to protect the buyer in the event of fraud. Only after this period can you take possession of your money. The shorter the guarantee period, the faster you'll receive your money.

Discover now our list of the best e-commerce payment gateways.

Best e-commerce payment gateways

Stripe

Stripe is by far the best-known and most widely used payment gateway for dropshippers. It's a payment method that's available in over 20 countries and accepts virtually all credit cards.
Getting to grips with the platform is very easy, and you can quickly install it on your online store. Here's an article on how to integrate Stripe into your online store or dropshipping business.

Stripe's biggest advantage over other online payment platforms is that the gateway can be customized to suit your preferences. For example, you can customize the shopping cart page.
Stripe also integrates easily with almost all dropshipping and e-commerce hosting providers. Fees are 2.9% and $0.30 per successful transaction.

Available in more than 20 countries Payment possible in several currencies Accepts all credit cards 24/7 customer support Not available in Africa Integration with several hosting providers 2.9% + $0.30 fee per transaction

PayPal

PayPal is the leading online payment gateway. PayPal has been on the market for several years now, and has earned the trust of e-commerce platforms and customers alike.
What's more, it's an online bank that anyone can have on their phone. This means faster payments. Several statistics confirm that stores using PayPal as a payment method have a higher conversion rate. 

However, PayPal is not available in all countries. You need to check that it is available in the country in which you wish to sell your products. Click here to check which countries are eligible. Transaction fees are slightly higher than on Stripe: 3.49% + $0.49 per transaction .
In addition, the provider is known for regularly blocking dropshippers' accounts in case of doubt or bad feedback from your customers. Several dropshippers have already had their accounts blocked to the tune of several thousand euros. 

So make sure you have all the paperwork to support the legality of your business before opting for PayPal. We've written an article on how to integrate PayPal into a dropshipping store, which you can read here.
Easy integration Widely used by Internet shoppers Compatible with multiple credit cards 24/7 customer support 3.49% + $0.49 fee per transaction. Available in few countries Risk of account blocking

Authorize.net

Authorize.net is an online payment solution available in over 33 countries. It's one of the oldest, best-known and most secure payment gateways in the online sales business . So it's the ideal e-commerce payment method if you want to sell in several countries.  

For each transaction, Authorize.net charges 2.9% + $0.30. By opting for the gateway option without integration on your store, you will pay $0.10 instead of $0.30. Authorize.net also charges a fixed monthly fee of $25 .
Available in over 33 countries Secure payment platform Very active customer support 2.9% + $0.30 fee per transaction. 25 monthly subscription 

2Checkout

2Checkout is also a popular online payment system for e-tailers. This payment gateway is available in over 170 countries. It is compatible with the vast majority of credit cards and accepts payment in many different currencies. Depending on the type of service you offer on your store, you can pay between 3.5% and 6.0% per transaction. 

Available in over 170 countries Accepts almost all credit cards Very active customer service available in several languages Transaction fees based on your store's activities

Skrill

Skrill is a payment gateway for e-commerce stores. It is available in over 40 countries.

It integrates easily with several online store hosters, including WooCommerce, thanks to its extension. Transfer fees are 1. 9% per transaction. This payment platform is also known for its fast transactions.
Available in over 40 countries Accepts all major credit cards Fast, secure service 1.9% fee per transaction

FirstData

FirstData is one of the leading payment gateways for credit card processing. It supports all major credit cards. We recommend FirstData if you have a store with high daily sales.

Transaction fees vary depending on your business and the type of business you do, but many e-merchants attest to the high cost of FirstData compared to other online payment gateways. 

Accepts all credit cards Recommended for stores with high sales volumes High transaction fees. 

Conclusion

For the proper functioning of your online store, you need a secure payment method to receive payments from your customers. 

In this article, we have discussed the best e-commerce payment gateways. Now it's up to you to choose the one that best suits your business and your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to choose the right payment solution for your store?

The choice of a payment gateway for an e-commerce store depends on several factors. These are:

  • Compatibility of the gateway with your store
  • The supplier's guarantee 
  • Transaction fees
  • Geographical coverage
  • The ease of use
  • The duration of the transactions

What is the best dropshipping payment gateway?

It's hard to directly name a payment gateway as the best payment gateway for dropshipping. Stripe and PayPal are the most widely used payment methods in dropshipping. 

But it's important to always check the availability of the payment platform in the country where you want to sell your products. If you want to offer your customers payment in several instalments, you can opt for platforms that have the e-commerce payment in instalments option.

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