If you have a product that you want to sell online, then you will have to use a payment processor to accept those payments. Most payment processors accept credit cards. There are several ways you can accomplish this. Most large companies use a own merchant account. There are usually fees involved to set up a merchant account and sometimes these fees can be substantial.
Regardless of which option you choose, you must have a method to accept credit cards. Credit card and debit card payments are very convenient and they are the most common method of paying for purchases and services online. There are some merchant accounts that can be set up for free, but these providers have very high fees for each transaction.
However, there are a number of low cost or free alternatives that are very easy to set up. If you are just starting an online business, you might do well to check out some of these alternatives. One of the best known companies that allow you to accept payments online is PayPal. PayPal is free to join and it is very easy to set up. Payments can be accepted from debit cards, credit cards, echecks, or by transferring money from an existing PayPal account. Your customers do not need to have a PayPal account in order to make a payment.
PayPal’s standard account is sufficient for most people who are just starting an online business. Although it is free to register for a standard account, there is a small transaction fee that applies each time someone makes a purchase.
PayPal’s system is quite easy to use. Just enter the details for your product and copy the resulting code they provide to your clipboard. Then paste that code into the area of your web page where you want the button to appear. It is quite easy, secure, and the best part, it’s free!