Things retailers should know about payment solutions in e-commerce

Payment gateways are like the virtual bouncers in the e-commerce club. They ensure secure and smooth transactions between the online store and the customer. While sensitive data is kept under lock and key, payment gateways act as trustworthy interfaces through which the money flows in one direction.

Choosing the right payment processor is crucial, especially in e-commerce. The choice is vast, the list of potential solutions long, but the number of processors that guarantee truly seamless and trustworthy integration is manageable. The selection of the right payment processor therefore plays a decisive role in providing customers with a convincing experience.

PCI what? PCI compliance may sound like alphabet soup, but it's essential for e-commerce security. Basically, it's like a seal of approval that ensures your payment process is up to scratch in terms of data protection. In other words, it's the safety net that prevents your customers' sensitive data from falling into the wrong hands.

No two customers are the same. That's why a store should offer several payment options that are tailored to the audience. Be it credit card, invoice, SEPA direct debit or even cryptocurrency - once everyone has found the right payment method for them, the transaction can be completed smoothly.

Customers need to feel secure when paying online. Even the slightest doubt can lead customers to choose the competition. Especially when they are just a mouse click away, as is the case in e-commerce. Security measures such as SSL certificates, encryption and fraud detection tools have long since become a basic requirement.

Mobile-first, i.e. developing a website for mobile devices first and then for desktop computers, has been a common term since 2016. So anyone who still thinks that it's enough if their website just looks "okay" in the checkout on smartphones is losing a lot of customers. The smooth checkout process on smartphones must be just as easy, accessible and fast for your customers as it is on desktop computers.

Brand consistency across the entire checkout process is extremely important. Many e-commerce payment solution providers offer ready-to-use white label solutions for businesses. These help to integrate seamless payment and checkout systems into the website without requiring much effort or technical expertise. And all with a uniform look and feel.

Chargebacks, reversals and non-payment are just as much a part of e-commerce as returns. Transparent guidelines and a suitable strategy to avoid being caught off guard here are crucial for processing. If you make it easy for customers to contact the company with their concerns and questions and can solve problems immediately, you will have fewer chargebacks and cancellations. Always keep in mind: Satisfied customers are regular customers.

The correct handling and storage of payment and customer data are not only legal and data protection issues, but also crucial for the customer. Anyone who has been the victim of a data leak and now sees automatic warnings in browsers such as Google Chrome when data on websites has been leaked is unlikely to store in the affected stores again.

Payment solutions and checkout processes in e-commerce are highly complex, fast-moving and often time-consuming and resource-intensive topics. At least when companies want to solve them on their own, without external expertise.