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"I had tried to set up my own e-commerce site and was at a complete standstill.
I contacted Jill quickly pulled my ecommerce shopping cart together. She also fixed my problems with PayPal.
Anytime I need tweaks here and there, she is ready to help!"
- A. Steuer, Seattle
"I am always looking for ways to grow my business.
My first move was to have Jill put my class registrations online using Paypal as the online payment system. The next phase was to implement a complete eCommerce solution. I can now sell products along with the class registrations.
It's completely integrated eCommerce, and my customers don't leave my website for the transaction. I feel like my website has changed from a teenager to a real grown-up!! "
- G. Stewart, Seattle
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The Basics To Selecting A Payment Provider
Online payment processing is a complex topic. To help simplify it, I'll focus on two payment processors my clients have have good success with: PayPal® and Authorize.net®.
What You Need: To accept payments online, you need two things: a "payment gateway" and a "merchant account". When a customer makes a purchase, the "payment gateway" handles the authorization - meaning it contacts the credit card issuer and makes sure the card is valid. If it's good, the "payment gateway" will then charge the card, and deposit funds into the online store owner's "merchant account". Sometimes, the "payment gateway" and "merchant account" are two different companies; sometimes they are one in the same. The online store I work with (ECT) allows you to configure more than one payment processor, to give your customers a choice.
What It Will Cost: There are typically several fees involved in utilizing an online payment processor. Compare fees for different payment processors to see which is most beneficial for your small business. Here are a few examples of fees:
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Fee Name and Description
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| One Time Set Up Fee |
| Monthly Fees |
| Per Transaction Fee - for each online transaction processed |
| Discount Rate % - percentage of each transaction |
Using PayPal® as Your Online Payment Processor
PayPal® bundles it's services and offers comprehensive online payment processing. They are a payment gateway and merchant account rolled into one. To accept payments online, you simply need to sign up for a PayPal® business account. If you only need PayPal® "Buy Now" buttons on your website, sign up for Website Payment Standard. If you have an online store, sign up for Website Payments Pro.
Use the referrer link below to sign up for a PayPal® Business account:
Using Authorize.net® as Your Online Payment Processor
Authorize.net® is primarily a payment gateway, but since they were acquired by CyberSource, they also can provide merchant accounts. Aldebaran Web Design is an Authorize.net Affiliate Reseller, and this means you may use the pdf form below to apply for an Authorize.net payment gateway and merchant account:
Aldebaran Web Design is an:
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Click To Download
Authorize.net Application
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Comparing PayPal® and Authorize.net®
Below is a brief comparision of PayPal® and Authorize.net® payment processing costs. Note the Authorize.net® costs are shown for payment gateway and merchant accounts, for a fair comparision to PayPal®'s Website Payments Pro. (This information is only for reference and you should check each company for the latest info.)
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Description
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PayPal®
Website Payments Pro
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Authorize.net®
Payment Gateway and Merchant Account
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| Set Up Fee |
$0 |
$99 |
| Monthly Fee |
$30 |
$42.95 - $57.95 |
| Per Transaction Fee |
$0.30 |
$0.35 |
| Discount Rate % |
2.2% - 2.9% |
2.19% |
| VISA/MC |
Included |
Included |
| American Express |
Included |
Separate Application |
| Discover Card |
Included |
Separate Application |
| eChecks |
Included |
Separate Application |
| Automatic Deposit |
Complex |
Simple |
| ECT Online Store |
Fully Compatible |
Fully Compatible |
| Ability To Collect Complete Customer Data |
No, because PayPal Express Checkout is required. |
Yes |
| Customer remains on your website for entire transaction. |
Not always. If they want to use their PayPal account, they will leave your website and may not come back. |
Yes |
PayPal® is a registered trademark of PayPal, Inc.
AUTHORIZE.NET and the Authorize.Net logo are trademarks of Lightbridge, Inc.
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As a novice eCommerce customer, I was both a demanding and uninformed client. I "knew what I wanted" but did not have a clue as to how to get there.
Jill has the brains of an uber nerd and patience of a saint. Each step of the process from designing to going live to problem solving was smooth.
From finding the best products, the most user friendly design, and the best support software, Jill made me feel confident and competent.
- J. Tucker, Seattle
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