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PayPal Alternatives For E-commerce

If you own an online store, or are thinking about opening one, then you’ve probably already contemplated the idea of accepting PayPal as a payment option.

But, you’ve probably realized (after reading this, this, and this, for example) that this can be problematic, and that it can result in big losses of money.

What are your other options?

There are many payment processing options out there that will do everything for you. This is great for starting businesses, as this allows you to automate all the process without having to store your customer’s sensitive information.

So, here at BadPal you’ll find a list of payment processors that you can start accepting right away!

  • Authorize.net (http://www.authorize.net)

Authorize.net is pretty much the “standard” outsourced payment processor. You open an account, set it up with your bank account details, etc., add it to your website, and presto! You are already accepting credit card payments.

Of course, it isn’t as easy as that, but it is close enough. The good thing about Authorize.net is that because it is so widely accepted, you can proudly display the “Authorize.net” security seal on your website, and it will help you increase conversions.

One think to keep in mind is that, well, it’s going to cost you a pretty penny ;)

  • Google Checkout (http://checkout.google.com)

Google checkout works just like Authorize.net, but with a few differences.

Checkout is pretty new in the e-commerce market. It was launched just a couple of years ago, and even though not that many websites use Google Checkout, it is a pretty strong payment processor: after all, it is backed by the largest website.

Google Checkout is a little simpler to use than Authorize.net. And because Google is so widely known (I’m guessing that 99% of online shoppers know what Google is) it should help boost your customer’s confidence (unlike he/she think Google is an evil empire).

Oh, and did you know you can use Checkout for free if you use Adwords for your website as well?

From their website

When you use Google Checkout to process your sales, you’ll only be charged a low 2% + $0.20 per transaction. If you advertise with Google AdWords, you will also be eligible for free credit card processing for some or all of your Google Checkout sales. And there are no monthly, setup or gateway fees.

I’ll stop right there. Obviously, there are many more payment processors out there. Why aren’t they listed here?

There is a reason for that. I’m not going to go and endorse services I haven’t tried personally, so, I’m going to list the other top merchant accounts, credit card and payment processors based on online reviews and customer testimonials.

Ok, now that you’ve read this, make sure you read the “PayPal… Without PayPal!” section of the BadPal Guide. There you’ll learn about a great alternative: accepting PayPal, without having to deal with scams, frauds, or any other issues!