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The volume of sales on the Internet is growing every year. The modern user simply has no time left for traditional offline shopping.
It is important for the owner of a business not only to create the necessary conditions for online sales in time but also to make sure that payment on the site will be comfortable and safe. This is what billing for the site is for.
Billing for the site: what is it for and how it works
If we talk specifically about Internet commerce, site billing is the ability for a business to receive payment from a customer directly on the site.
When we are talking about automatic billing, we are talking about payment without involving the seller’s representative. It is possible to pay in this way not only using a bank card but also with an e-wallet and other methods.
In addition to this, there is also manual billing, in which after placing an order the buyer is sent an SMS message with the data of the card to which the payment should be made.
This option can be used by small companies where the volume of sales is not very large.
You can choose one of two billing options for your online store: direct or with the help of a payment intermediary. What’s the difference:
- Direct billing is a complicated official connection of the site to the API of the payment system. This option is notable for its profitability, as the amount of commission, in this case, is much lower, the lack of the possibility of accepting different currencies. Multicurrency payments will not be available if you connect the service developed by the bank to accept Visa and Mastercard cards.
- Intermediary billing allows you to accept different payment options. You only need 1 tool. All questions about the security of transactions will be solved by your aggregator. Naturally, the commission, in this case, will be much higher. This option is ideal for beginners and commercial sites.
What is the difference between a payment system and a billing system
If billing is the ability to pay on the site, the payment system is the rules, operations, and communication capabilities for financial settlements and money transfers between market participants.
The payment system not only enables smooth operations but is also responsible for the security and protection of transactions from failures.
On the market, you can meet not only legally operating payment systems (they will comply not only with national but also international legislation), but also illegal ones. It is worth being careful when choosing a partner.
What is merchant service
Merchant is a program that makes it possible for businesses to accept payments on the site. After the client has made a choice and decided to make a payment, the program prompts him to choose the appropriate payment method. Each method has its own merchant.
Every business owner who sells online has a merchant account that allows them to do so:
- Accept different currencies for payment;
- Don’t think about ways to deal with scammers;
- Accept payments without interruption and regardless of geographic location;
- Guarantee the security of transactions;
- Make the payment instantly.
How billing for the site works
The payment process itself depends not only on which payment system is used but also on the selected payment method.
However, for understanding, we can consider the most common option – payment by card. The payment process on the site, in this case, is as follows:
- Ordering on the site by the client. Choosing to pay by card as a method of payment.
- After selecting the payment method, the client gets to the page with the interface of the selected payment system. On this page, you will need to enter the card data.
- Encrypted card data is sent to the processing center. This prevents fraudsters from gaining access to the data.
- If the processing center determines that a transaction is possible, the data is sent to the bank that issued the card (the issuer).
- The bank can either approve or reject the transaction. A transaction can be rejected as suspicious because a large amount of money is spent, payment is made from another country, the card data is incorrect, there is not enough money on the card, and for many other reasons.
- If the payment is successful, the processing center will send information on the successful transaction and initiate delivery of the money to the seller.
- The final step is a request for funds from the buyer’s bank to the seller’s bank by the payment system. The funds are credited to the seller’s account, the seller is notified and can begin processing the order.
How do I connect my site to billing
The modern market offers a huge choice of payment systems that allow you to accept payments remotely in any way and in any currency.
Choosing the perfect solution is not as easy as it seems. You shouldn’t be guided only by the cost of connection.
It is important to allow customers to choose the best method of payment, not limiting it only to payment by bank card.
It is from this that the percentage of successfully completed orders (site conversion) largely depends.
The process of connecting a site to billing starts with finding the best partner. Now businesses have a choice of strategies for organizing online payment acceptance:
You can create your own store in a popular marketplace system
By choosing this strategy, you will be able to connect a ready-made service for accepting payments.
However, you will have to pay for convenience with your own freedom, because you will have to play by the rules of the marketplace.
Moreover, you will have to pay a percentage of sales for the opportunity to work on the Marketplace.
In this case, you will be able to offer clients a limited number of payment options, because no marketplace accepts cryptocurrency for payment.
Connect a payment aggregator to the site
With this arrangement of payment acceptance, you’ll be able to give customers maximum freedom of choice and ensure comfortable payment.
Payments will go to a single merchant account, regardless of which payment method the customer chooses.
You’ll be able to control transactions, convenient money withdrawal, and simplified reporting.
At the same time, all functions will be at your fingertips in your personal account.
Or connect each payment system separately
If after studying the target audience you see that potential customers prefer to use 1-2 payment methods, you can connect them separately, without resorting to intermediaries.
However, it is worth understanding that this option is complicated because you will need a package of documents (for each connection is different), and for each account will be separate reporting.
Connecting several payment methods separately without conflicts is also not easy. Avoiding the need to pay commission is not possible in this case either.
In any case, no matter which connection option you choose, you should first prepare the site to connect the new functionality. To do this you will need:
- Qualitatively fill all pages of the site;
- Place all the necessary information about the company and products/services (delivery, payment, offer, contacts, etc.);
- Check prices for relevance (preferably in local currency);
- Make sure the business complies with national law;
- Post the Personal Data Protection Policy on the site;
- Make sure that your second-level domain has paid hosting and a static IP;
- Use the HTTPS protocol.
How to choose a billing for the site
Choosing the right option, you should pay attention to:
- Payment methods offered. The more options you have, the more vaults of choice your customers have. However, you shouldn’t overpay for methods that aren’t in demand with your target audience. That’s why it’s worth researching your potential customers before you connect.
- Areas of work. Some services work only with individuals, some are limited to servicing only residents, but there are also universal solutions.
- The work of technical support. Quick and responsive support service is an advantage that allows you to quickly resolve any issues that may arise.
- Ability to customize the interface. It’s important that the payment form doesn’t differ too much from the design of the site. This way users have fewer questions when paying, and the trust rating is much higher.
- Security. It is important that the service guarantees data encryption and additional protection against fraud. This is already the standard for modern billing systems.
- Availability of additional features. Your business may have individual needs that can’t be covered by standard features.
What documents will be required
Billing is connected by signing a contract with a company that provides payment instruments. In order to conclude an agreement, you need to prepare a set of documents:
- for legal entities: registration and statutory documents;
- For entrepreneurs: passport details and tax code;
- general requirements: contact information.
In some cases, additional documents may be required when entering into an agreement on individual terms.
How long does it take to connect the billing and the cost of the solution
The cost and timing of the connection depends directly on which intermediary you have chosen.
But it is worth considering that it is impossible to connect quickly directly to the payment system because this is a long process that requires long checks and the provision of a large package of documents.
If we talk about integration with an aggregator, this process is quite fast (in some cases you will be able to accept payments on the day of application).
You can be offered both a flat rate, where a portion of the funds will be charged for each transaction, and charging depending on the volume of sales.
Conclusion
You should not neglect the possibility of automating sales with billing for your online store.
You will learn more than just the ability to accept payments online.
Billing for the site – this is convenient control, the ability to accept multi-currency payments, and available withdrawal of funds.