One of the highlights when running a business is getting paid. You walk a little taller with a little more confidence that the latest business decisions you made were on target.
Getting paid over the internet used to be really difficult. PayPal initially made huge steps in online payments but it takes consumers off to their own website so you're no longer in control of the buying experience. It's like shopping for shoes and then having to go to the bank to direct transfer the money across.
We've used a number of online payment providers over the years, but after frequently seeing the regular onboarding process take 6+ weeks it was time to look elsewhere.
New Payment Provider - Stripe
Stripe's biggest advantage is that you can get an account and start charging credit cards in nearly any currency within 10 minutes.
Gone are the weeks of business audits and account restrictions. If you're in business, they'll process payments for you and deliver them to your business account in 2 days.
Additionally, BookingTimes integrates directly with Stripe so you never have to leave your website to process payments for your cart, bookings or sales transactions.
For more information, go to Stripe.com
Buy Now Pay Later - Zip
For a long time, many "buy now, pay later" services haven't supported service based business. Apparently, it's easier to go and confiscate the clothes that someone has bought if the client hasn't made any payments.
The good news is, that you don't need to worry about that. Zip lets you offer a "buy now, pay later" option when people purchase your services. Zip is a digital wallet (an online credit card) which will let you sell your big ticket items and give your customers the ability to pay it off over time.
We've integrated this with our shopping cart which means you can sell products, packages and gift vouchers.
To apply, go to zip.co
Alternate Payment Providers (Australia Only)
It would be remiss not to cover the other online payment providers our Australian clients ask about.
NAB Transact is NAB's own online payment solution, with a monthly access fee and a per-transaction rate that is usually competitive once you are processing larger volumes. Negotiated pricing is available if you meet their criteria.
SecurePay is owned by Australia Post and runs on the same technology that powers NAB Transact, so the two are closer than they first appear. It has no lock-in contract and is a sensible option if you want a bank-aligned provider.
eWAY is an Australian-owned gateway known for flat-rate pricing with no setup or monthly fees, and local phone support. International cards attract an additional fee.
Rates for all three change from time to time, so check each provider's current pricing page before you decide. Your volume, average transaction size and whether you already bank with the provider will usually matter more than the headline percentage.