Understanding Shopping Cart Payment Processing
Written By: Shane Clark on January 17, 2020
Certainly, in over 80% of cases, I am setting up a shopping cart that has all of the payment processing aspects worked out in advance. Likewise, some of these “payment solutions” come packaged together. Many vendors are providing a merchant account as well as the payment gateway as part of a complete solution. The most popular payment gateways are Authorize.net and PayPal. Both of these vendors also offer packaged solutions that do not require a separate merchant account.
Understanding the Complete Solution Option (All-in-One)
The “complete solution” packages the payment gateway and merchant account. This option does not require the client to get a separate merchant account. This is the better option for a startup shopping cart or one with a lower volume of sales. This will be the best option for the majority of clients. The “All-in-One Option” for Authorize.Net will cost $25 for the monthly gateway fee. This in addition to the Per transaction cost of 2.9% + 30¢.
Why Use a Separate Merchant Account
The main advantage of using a separate merchant account is the lower fees per transaction. Many merchant account providers charge a higher monthly fee, but a lower per transaction fee. In some cases there is no percent per transaction charge; this is covered within the monthly subscription. In the case of an existing business, they may already have an established merchant account.
Providing Guidance to Your Clients
For an agency to provide the best guidance to their clients, they will need to fully understand their client’s full business model. Business type, credit history, length in business, and total sales will all factor in. The answers to many of these questions can alter the available options. I have outlined what information will be needed below.
Understanding Shopping Cart Volumes
In order to make a determination of what payment processing solution works best, you will need to be able to estimate the quantity of sales. It is important to consider the average monthly amount of transactions as well as the total amount of sales. A Shipping cart with less than $5000 a month in gross sales would be more suited to an All-in-One Option.
What Products / Services Are Being Sold
Products and services that are being offered should be determined in advance. A “business type” determined to be of a “high risk” nature will alter the available options. Many of the traditional merchant account providers do not support higher risk business transactions. I have outlined some of the high risk business considerations below.
Understanding High Risk Businesses
If the business nature of the client falls into a higher risk category, it will take more effort to get your client’s merchant account approved. Here is a sample list of businesses that fall into the “high risk” category: All adult oriented transactions, Tobacco / pipes / eCigarettes, Gambling / Online Casinos, Financial services, Legal services, Travel / airline tickets, Software / computer hardware; Merchant Maverick has a more comprehensive list of high risk businesses. Any client flagged as a higher risk business will need a merchant account provider that specializes in merchant services to higher risk businesses / individuals. A good one to start with is EMB (eMerchantBroker).
Client’s Personal / Business Credit Score
Another consideration for determining the best solution will be to understand your client’s financial history. If your client has a poor credit history, that can change the available options for merchant account approval. A poor credit score will normally require seeking out a merchant provider that specializes in higher risk clients / businesses. The rates and transaction fees will be higher when forced to use these types of vendors.
Business History
The potential merchant account provider will want a full report on the history of the business. This will include length of time in business, bankruptcies, previous merchant accounts, and any liens or judgements. Business history will be a determining factor for eligibility. In many cases, it is to the business owner’s advantage to start at the bank where they have their business account.
Summary
Shopping cart payment processing can be the most difficult part of a shopping cart setup. I have outlined many of the considerations, but it is important to gather these requirements before the project starts. I provide an eCommerce survey to any potential shopping cart clients at the beginning of the project. Feel free to contact me with any questions, comments, and / or concerns.
