WooCommerce is an excellent platform for building your e-commerce site and is popular among businesses and online stores because of features such as inventory management, customer engagement, and order tracking. However, an e-commerce site is only as good as your payment methods.
There are several different options out there when it comes to WooCommerce payment methods and platforms. In this article, you will discover what each one does, when you should use them, and why. You will also get some examples of how different types of sites might want to use specific services depending on their needs.
How to choose a payment gateway?
As you build the checkout process for your online store, you must consider the payment methods your customers will use. What kind of experience do you want them to have?
How many steps will they go through, and what payment options are available? Do you have a customer support team that can help with any issues that arise during the transaction process?
While plenty of plugins and extensions are available for WooCommerce and other e-commerce platforms, choosing one that works with your business model is crucial. Some businesses may prefer fewer steps in their checkout process, while others may choose longer steps to offer more products or services. The choice is yours!
Different types of payment methods
Credit Cards
Most people prefer using Credit cards as their payment method because of their wide acceptance. The reason is that they are easy to use, offer a high level of security, and have high transaction fees and interchange fees.
Online payment platforms
Various online payment platforms allow you to set up multiple payment gateways and accept customer payments using PayPal, Stripe, Braintree, and Authorize.net. You can also accept payments via Worldpay or Paymill with these systems.
These platforms take care of the technical bits, leaving you with the single task of the set-up process and adding a widget or button on your website where customers can pay with their preferred method.
Cash on Delivery
Cash on delivery is a good option for customers who want to see and feel the product before paying. It might be inconvenient, however, if you lack the necessary facilities to receive and process payments at your business location.
You can use the cash-on-delivery payment method with Woocommerce if you use the WooCommerce Cash on Delivery Shipping plugin. Once installed, an option will appear in your checkout flow that allows customers to choose this payment method as an option during checkout (or via a direct link).
Built-in gateway vs. third-party gateways
Payment gateways are of two main types: built-in and third-party.
Built-in
Built-in gateways are easy to set up, but they don’t allow you to customize them. For example, the default Woocommerce gateway is PayPal Standard which you cannot customize with your business logo or colors.
You can only use the default design that was designed by Woocommerce developers. For this reason, experts recommend setting up a custom theme for your site because it’ll make it look more professional than using one of their stock themes.
Third-party
Third-party gateways are usually easier to customize but require a merchant account with another company to work correctly on your website (you can’t just use any credit card processor).
These are some various WooCommerce payment methods available for e-commerce sites. However, before choosing a payment method for your website, it is vital that you take into account some factors, such as transaction fees, security, and customer support services offered by the payment gateway.
