Choosing the right payment gateway for your eCommerce business can be confusing. There are many things you need to consider. The most important include: fees, recurring billing, markups, features, and reliable customer support. In this article, we tell you exactly what a payment gateway is and give you the tools to choose the best option for your business.
What is a Payment Gateway?
A payment gateway is a service that processes your credit card transactions. When your customers buy something from your online store, they enter their credit card information during the checkout process. If the charge is approved, the payment gateway will then transfer the money from your customer’s credit card into your merchant account, completing the transaction.
Look Out for Fees
This payment gateway comparison chart features providers that have many different cost structures, and each cost may fluctuate based on your business. In your search for the best payment gateway, you need to be aware of some fees they may charge you that are often hidden. Make sure to ask about these fees before you decide on their service, and see if you can get certain ones waived. Examples of these fees include:
- Monthly fees
- Setup fees
- Termination fees
- IRS fees
- Batch fees
- Annual fees
- Contract Fees
- Customer service fees
- PCI compliance fees
- Statement fees
With all of these hidden fees it can be confusing to figure out what payment gateway is right for you. The best thing you can do is educate yourself about the solutions available. You can visit our dedicated page to learn more about the Stax eCommerce solutions and read on below to get more info on some of the top payment gateway solutions in the market.
Authorize.net
Known as one of the top online payment gateway providers in the United States, Authorize.net lets online merchants accept various methods including debit card payments, credit card payments, eChecks, and digital payments such as Apple Pay, PayPal, and Visa Click to Pay. The solution integrates with all major eCommerce shopping carts, making it simple for merchants to connect their online store with Authorize.net’s payment gateway. For more advanced or customized integrations, you can take advantage of Authorize.net’s full suite of developer tools including APIs, SDKs, and documentation.
Authorize.net’s vast number of integrations and flexible payment processing features make it a good fit for all types of merchants. Whether you’re an eCommerce business owner who’s just starting out or a tech-savvy developer that knows their way around the payments ecosystem, Authorize.net could be a solid solution for you.
NMI
Unlike Authorize.net which caters directly to merchants, NMI is a platform that works with ISV and SaaS companies that want to offer payment services to their customers.
NMI integrates with hundreds of processors and shopping carts, enabling merchants to accept online payments with ease. The platforms also support multiple currencies, so if you serve merchants in different countries, NMI’s payments platform may be a good fit for you. Other notable features include NMI’s Gateway Emulator which allows ISVs and SaaS companies to “Easily migrate from other gateways without having to rework or reprogram software or applications.” The platform also has transaction routing capabilities, which automatically identifies the MIDs to route transactions for maximum payment processing efficiency.
CSG Forte
CSG Forte offers the standard features you can expect from a payment gateway: online payment capabilities, point-to-point encryption, tokenization, and eCommerce integrations.
One of the company’s value propositions is its ability to simplify payments. CSG Forte offers a cloud-based, unified platform called “Dex” that enables users to handle payments management, transaction monitoring, dispute management, and analytics from one unified solution. Simply integrate Dex with your in-house processes and platforms through their API, and CSG Forte can help streamline various payment processes in your organization.
CSG Forte caters to various market segments, including small and medium businesses, enterprises, ISVs, and government entities.
Blackline
Blackline isn’t a payment gateway company per se; it’s an accounting SaaS platform that enables enterprises to streamline various financial tasks, including account reconciliation, cash application, transaction matching, and more.
You’ll need to integrate Blackline with your ERP software to start taking advantage of Blackline’s capabilities. For instance, if you want to automate cash application tasks in your organization, Blackline can help by using its AI capabilities to apply payments to customer invoices in your ERP. Blackline can also make various reconciliation tasks easier. When your ERP is connected to the platform, Blackline can automate bank reconciliations, credit card matching, invoice-to-PO matching and more — all in one central location.
Of course, in order for all of this to operate smoothly, you need to ensure that your payment processor and gateway is tightly connected to your ERP, which then integrates with Blackline.
Stax
Stax offers an all-in-one platform that supports multiple payment types and methods, including online payments. Stax integrates with various payment gateways so you can enhance the functionality and data for your existing shopping cart and eCommerce site.
What’s more, Stax connects with some of the market’s top ERP software, allowing enterprises to streamline their financial processes and unlock higher business efficiency.
ISVs and SaaS companies can also partner with Stax to provide robust payment solutions to their merchants through Stax Connect. Integrate Stax Connect to your platform and enable payments for merchants in as little as 30 days. The company works using a custom revenue-share model, which paves the way for win-win situations for all parties.
All of the above, combined with Stax’s ability to support virtually all types of payments, make it an excellent solution for SMBs, enterprises, ISVs, and SaaS companies.
Selecting the Right Payment Gateway
As you can see, there are plenty of payment gateway solutions in the market and the right decision depends on the specific needs of your organization. Start by looking into a company’s integrations and determining whether or not the platform connects to the business solutions (e.g., ERP, eCommerce, etc.) that you’re using.
It’s also important to look into pricing. Gateways have various costing models, and they don’t always favor the merchant. For best results, choose a provider that offers reasonable pricing packages. Stax, for example, uses a subscription pricing model and we don’t take a cut out of the merchant’s sales. This has proven to be a more cost-effective method for most merchants, making Stax an ideal solution for multiple business types.
If you’d like to learn more about how Stax can help you stay on top of payments, get in touch with us today.
