Insights

The top checklist for Australian payment gateways

There are five key criteria to check before you sign on the dotted line for your payment gateway.

Deciding on which Australian payment gateway to use for your eCommerce website can be confusing. It really boils down to the type of business you’re operating, the quantity of materials you’ll be responsible for delivering and a handful of other criteria. This handy checklist covers all the essential factors you should consider before signing up for a payment gateway.

Fees

All the major secure payment gateways for use in Australian charge a fee for providing the service of handling online transactions. And, there’s a difference between what companies such as Stripe, Shopify, eWAY, and SecurePay charge.

You’ll also need to consider if you’re going to be handling international orders. Because that’s another service, which could mean another fee. In the case of PayPal – there is a fee of 4% above the current exchange rate for international payments, in addition to their standard international currency fee. Be sure to check that you’re striking the right balance between the fees you’re prepared to pay and the benefits associated with a particular payment gateway.

Support

What is your preferred method of support? Are you happy to send an email and use online chat, or do you want to speak to someone? Does that person need to be in the same time zone and/or country as you? Not all levels of 24/7 support are equal. Logging a helpdesk call and waiting is not the same as being able to contact a payment gateway expert and have them provide help immediately. These are all factors to consider when you look at the support plans offered by the major players.

Contracts

Similar to fee structures, you need to decide which is more important to your business:

  • The flexibility of a month-by-month payment plan
  • The security and possible cost-savings provided by annual, biannual subscription models

Whichever contract terms you decide to go with, make sure you read the fine print before you sign anything. Even a monthly contract plan can have a three-month notice period to cancel. Always read the T&Cs.

Compatibility

You don’t need to be a web expert yourself but you should definitely check with your website developers and  hosting company about which payment gateway could suit your Australian website and can be easily integrated with your existing website software. Your website’s API (application program interface) must be compatible with your preferred payment gateway. If it’s not – you could be looking at additional costs to upgrade your website or unscheduled delays.

Cashflow

This all comes down to how you run your business. Are you drop shipping or can you purchase and store stock? What are the cashflow demands of your business?  The cashflow issue is also related to your bank. Every ecommerce site needs a merchant bank account as well as a payment gateway. They are not the same thing. The payment gateway simply processes the transaction, a merchant account is where the money sits until it is transferred into your account. If you have an existing merchant account for your business, it can help with cashflow, reconciliation and settlement.

An online store isn’t as different to a bricks and mortar store as many operators first think. An ecommerce site requires constant supervision, quality support and close monitoring of the setup and on-going costs if you want to maximise your profits.

iFactory provides a wide range of very different businesses with ecommerce solutions that are the right fit for their needs. To find out more about which payment gateway will be the best solution for your business, contact us now.

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