Your small business may be a labor of love, but love alone doesn’t pay the bills. If you’re looking to keep your head (and bank account) above water, you’re going to need your paying customers to … actually pay.
But how do you collect the moolah when you’re an online-only business?
“The check is in the mail” is one of the oldest tropes in the book, and once your goods and/or services are delivered, it can cost a significant amount of money to go after the occasional non-payers. For instance, paying a collection agency to go after a ne’er-do-well who owes you less than $1,000 can end up costing you 50% of their owing balance!
Buy now, pay later might work well for rent-to-own companies, but your small business needs an iron-clad way to collect the money you’re owed. The following online payment options can help!
Stripe
When a customer buys from your online site, they expect to stayon your online site until the transaction is complete. By accepting payments without redirecting your customers to a third-party site, you build trust.
Stripe, unlike many other popular online payment options, allows them to do just that.
Stripe’s pay-as-you-go pricing model charges 2.9% of the total transaction, plus a 30-cent fee for each successful transaction.
PayPal
PayPal is among the most trusted online payment platforms for both customers and small businesses. Once you partner with the site and fill out your details, you’ll be able to add the coveted “PayPal checkout” button. For businesses who also have a brick and mortar location, the PayPal Here card reader is an option, which will decrease the processing fees you pay.
Like Stripe, online processing fees are 2.9% plus 30 cents per transaction, although high-volume businesses can qualify for a discount.
Paystand
Depending on the products and services you sell, the ability to be paid internationally or in cryptocurrency could make a big difference. Paystand could take care of the hassles involved.
Offering “business payments for the digital age,” the site works on a flat monthly fee basis, rather than charging per transaction, while accepting ACH and eChecks as well as typical credit and debit cards. Real-time bank verification allows you to instantly know that the funds are good, enabling you to ship your product faster.
Google Wallet
Google is the king of the web, so why shouldn’t they be the king of web-processed payments? With Google Wallet, your customers can check out in no time, since their payment information is already stored in the cloud under super-stringent security protocols.
Did we mention it’s free for both businesses and customers to use?
Amazon Pay
Amazon is a recognized household name, so it makes sense that your small business might want to piggyback on it to increase reputability and put nervous customers at ease. The best news is, you don’t need to be actively selling your product or service on Amazon to utilize its payment platform!
Amazon Pay allows customers to check out via website, mobile or even Alexa — and with voice search set to account for 50% of all searches by 2020, this is one bandwagon you should jump on!
Choose Your Online Payment Platform Wisely
As much as you love what you do, money really does make the world go ‘round. Make it easier for your customers to pay (and for you to collect!) by partnering with a reputable online payment platform.
Running a small business can be difficult. Mischa Communications is here to make it easier. Tell us about your needs, and we’ll help you develop a solid marketing strategy that will leave you plenty of time to focus on what really matters!