Getting Paid

on-line payments

The most important bit!

Magento has in-built support for a number of different payment methods and it is possible to specify a minimum or maximum order value for each method, outside which that payment option won't be shown to the customer at the checkout.

Your initial installation will be configured with any of the offline payment methods that you require and also with PayPal (you will need a PayPal business account) and if you sign-up for an Authorize.net  or SagePay account we will also configure that interface for you so that you can take secure on-line Visa or Mastercard payments through your site.

There are also numerous add-on payment modules available, so if you have a particular payment processing requirement then it is very unlikely that it can't be supported for a small additional fee.

Please contact us if you would like to discuss your particular requirement.

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The following payment methods do not necessitate a security certificate to be installed on your server and will be configured for you in your initial installation, as required:

  • Cheque
  • Bank Transfer
  • Cash on Delivery
  • Purchase Order

In all cases you specify the information to be displayed to the customer, such as the address to send the cheque to, or your bank details.

Orders placed using offline payment methods are captured but remain with a Pending status until you have received the payment and manually identify that the order has been paid.

The advantages of offline payment methods are that:

  • the customer can feel more secure because they are in control of payment, particularly for more expensive purchases.
  • there are usually minimal fees involved.

The disadvantages are that:

  • customers have to act to complete their purchase, which can lead to order abandonment.
  • there is more administration required on your part to track and confirm payments.
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Paypal Express Checkout image

PayPal payments are seamlessly integrated into Magento.

A PayPal business account, which is free to set-up, enables the integration to be activated in your shop and gives customers the ability to pay, either from the security of their personal PayPal account, or via a credit or debit card payment, if you choose to allow that.

During checkout the customer is redirected to the secure PayPal site where they have to login to their PayPal account and authorise payment, or enter their card details.

If you choose The PayPal Express solution the familiar PayPal button can be positioned either on the product pages, on the basket page, or both.  

The pages that your customers see on the PayPal servers can be customise by adding your logo and changing page colours to provide a degree of integration with your shop

The advantages of this solution are that:

  • PayPal is widely recognised and trusted,
  • PayPal payments do not require the customer to input card details.  

The disadvantages are that:

  • customers have to leave your shop to make payment which can lead to high check-out abandonment,
  • customers without a PayPal account can be put off by this option, despite the fact that you can configure your PayPal account to offer them the ability to pay by credit or debit card,
  • Paypal's fees can be quite high,
  • customer disputes can result in PayPal witholding funds for a considerable time, until the dispute is resolved according to PayPal's strict guidelines.

NB.  PayPal also provides an all-in-one payment solution to established on-line businesses, Paypal Payments Pro, which, with a security certificate installed, will  provide the ability for you to take card payments directly in your shop. This solution is also integrated into Magento and available for configuration, if required.

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Payment Gateway

Connecting an online shop directly to the card payment processing networks to accept card payments is difficult, expensive and beyond the resources of most small or medium sized businesses. However, you can easily connect your shop to a Payment Gateway, which provides the complex infrastructure and security necessary to ensure secure, fast and reliable transactions. There is a Magento module available for almost all Payment Gateways. 

Payment Gateways work in conjunction with a Merchant Account, which is just a particular type of bank account set up to accept the card payments. If you already accept credit cards you will already have a Merchant Account but you will need to set-up a separate Merchant Account to accept on-line card payments, which you should be able to do easily via your existing bank. Alternatively, many of the Payment Gateways, including those built-in to Magento (Authorize.net and PayPal Payments Pro) offer a Merchant Account bundled with their offering.

Your shop is supplied with a security certificate and ready to  accept online card payments.

The advantages of integrating secure card payments are that:

  • card payments can be made quickly and securely within your checkout process, resulting in a much lower rate of checkout abandonment,
  • card processing fees are usually relatively low compared to PayPal fees.
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I already have a PDQ machine. Why can't I take credit card information from my website and process it offline?

  • The credit card industry has very strict guidelines regarding the processing of credit cards with regard to both PDQ and online transactions which state that online transactions must comply with PCI card security guidelines and be processed online.
  • Also, separate merchant accounts are required to receive transactions from your PDQ machine and online transactions.

Why can't I just accept PayPal and not bother with separate card payment processing?

  • You can, but the PayPal Standard or Express payment processes will open up in a different window and effectively 'take customers away' from your shop's checkout page. This can appear cumbersome to the customer and is proven to lead to higher rates of checkout abandonment.
  • A payment gateway and merchant account, such as the integrated Authorize.net solution, provides a streamlined checkout process which appears to the customer to be contained within your own website.
  • Our Authorize.net payment solution provides a streamlined, online payment process that gives your shop a more professional, established and credible appearance and this will boost your conversion rate.
  • Further, you will almost definitely find that Authorize.net offer lower card processing fees than PayPal.

Do my customers have to make all card payments online?

  • If you do not have a PDQ machine or a payment gateway terminal facility then payments will have to be made online.
  • If you have either a PDQ machine or a payment gateway terminal facility then payments can be made via telephone through the 'Customer Not Present' facility.

If I use Authorize.net, can I accept American Express (Amex) card payments?

  • Authorize.net does not accept Amex payments.
  • If you want to accept Amex payments from your customers, then you will have to obtain a merchant account and payment gateway from another provider and configure it accordingly. There are several options available if you want to do this (eg SagePay accept Amex payments at an addiotional cost) .

If I use Authorize.net, can I accept debit cards?

  • Yes, you will be able to accept debit cards, in addition to standard bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards

If I have an online merchant account already, how do I accept card payments online with Build Me A Shop?

  • The easiest way is to use Build Me A Shop's preferred payment gateway, Authorize.net to deposit card payments into your existing merchant account.
  • To do this, you complete the Payment Gateway Application Form identifying your existing Merchant ID and Company Number and submit it to Authorize.net.
  • Within 2 to 3 days of application you will receive a Gateway ID which you will then need to use to activate your online Authorize.net gateway account.
  • You will then receive an API login ID and Transaction Key from Authorize.net with which to configure your Build Me A Shop's payment profile.  We can do the configuration for you if you wish, it's very easy!

If I don't have an online merchant account already, how do I accept card payments online with Build Me A Shop?

  • The easiest way is to use Build Me A Shop's preferred payment gateway and merchant account provider, Authorize.net, to take and deposit card payments into a new merchant account.
  • Approximately 7 to 10 days after submission of your application, you will receive your Company Number, Merchant Number and Gateway ID, from Authorize.net, which you will then need to use to activate your online Authorize.net gateway account.
  • You will then receive an API login ID and Transaction Key directly from Authorize.net, with which to configure in your shop's payment profile. We can do the configuration for you if you wish, it's very easy!

What are the Build Me A Shop's agreed payment gateway rates from Authorize.net?

If you want to use your existing on-line merchant account our agreed rates are:

  • £0 setup charge
  • £20 per month
  • First 350 transactions per month free of charge
  • £0.10 per transaction over 350 per month
  • No contract, no minimum term, no notice to quit

In order to guarantee these rates you must apply using the Build Me A Shop application form which you can download here.

What are the agreed combined payment gateway & merchant account rates from Authorize.net ?

If you use Authorize.net's combined payment gateway and merchant account our agreed rates are:

  • £50 setup charge
  • £17.95 per month
  • £0.15 per transaction
  • £0.40 per debit card settlement into your merchant account
  • 2.25% of each consumer credit card settlement into your merchant account
  • 2.75% of each corporate credit card settlement into your merchant account
  • No contract, no minimum term, no notice to quit

In order to guarantee these rates you must apply using this link.

How will I know that the Authorize.net approval process and setup is complete?

  • You will receive an email from Authorize.net with all the information needed to setup your Build Me a Shop payment profile.
  • You will also be able to then setup your online payment gateway account to access a wide range of tools and features in your Authorize.net Merchant Interface, including on on-line statements and reports and a Virtual Terminal for taking card payments via the telephone.

Can I accept foreign currency payments online with the Authorize.net merchant account?

  • Yes. you can accept payment in Sterling, Euros and USD to transfer into your Authorize.net merchant account.
  • Additional fees will apply for foreign currency processing.

How long will it take to receive funds into my company's bank account?

  • It usually takes 2 - 3 days for the credit card companies to settle the transactions into your merchant account and for the funds to be transferred to your bank account
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