Ecommerce

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Shopping Cart

Today buying on the Internet is a normal part of life. A shopping cart is the quickest and easiest way to offer your products & services on the internet.

Convert shoppers to buyers
Accept credit cards,
PayPal & Checks
Several affordable solutions

Free Consultation

Call us for a free consultation & let us help you determine if your business can benefit from ecommerce.

Ecommerce Anytime

A shopping cart can be added to your existing website and doesn't need to be redesigned.

Ecommerce

An online storefront offers many advantages to a business owner. It is open 24 hours, 7 days a week and is accessible around the world to those with an Internet connection, and doesn't have the overhead of a traditional store.

Understanding Payments Online

If you want to accept payments on the internet it is important to understand how these transactions work. To be safe and cost-conscious, be sure you understand all of the terms, restrictions, and charges described below.

	Credit Card Payments
	The most popular way to purchase an item online is with a credit card. This is easy for customers to use and the quickest way to transfer funds to your account. All credit card transactions whether they are online or offline, are processed through a Merchant Account or a Third Party Account like Paypal (see Paypal info. below).

	Merchant Accounts
	To accept major credit cards from customers you have to establish a merchant account through a bank that sets up such accounts. The best place to begin when trying to get merchant status is by approaching the bank that already holds your business accounts. Banks generally charge a monthly fee as well as a per-transaction fee for merchant accounts. You may want to do comparison shopping at different financial institutions to find the best deal. Some banks require payment even if no transactions are made.

	SSL (Secure Sockets Layer)
	SSL Certificates give a website the ability to communicate securely with its web customers. Without a certificate, any information sent to a website can be intercepted and viewed by anyone. If you are planning to accept credit cards, either through a Payment Gateway or using a POS (Point Of Sale) credit card machine, then you must have an SSL Certificate for your site. The cost for an SSL Certificate varies depending on your sales but can be as low as $19.99 per year.

	IP Payment Gateway
	A payment gateway is a service which authorizes credit card purchases, process them and deposit the proceeds into your account. It is actually a system of computer processes that process, verify, and accept or decline credit card transactions on behalf of a merchant through secure Internet connections. The payment gateway is the infrastructure that allows a merchant to accept credit card and other forms of electronic payment. When referring to payment gateways used for Internet transactions, it may also be called an IP payment gateway.

Payment Choices

You will need to select the payment methods your customers will use to pay for your products and services. There are several ways your ecommerce website can be set up each with different advantages and disadvantages. Read the choices below and contact us for more information.

	Third Party Merchant Account - Paypal
	PayPal is an account-based system that allows merchants to receive online credit card or bank account payments. It is a cheap way for merchants to accept credit cards through their on-line storefronts Signing up is free & not difficult. There are no contracts, application fees, setup fees, monthly charges, cancellation fees, or gateway fees. Funds are deposited into your Paypal account & easily transferred into your business bank account at no additional charge.
	No need to purchase an SSL certificate No merchant account required No additional hosting charges Fees only apply when you make a sale Fees are 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction or lower. Rates are competitive when compared to IP Payment Gateway charges. Paypal accepts all credit cards, bank checks, debit cards and every kind of online payments. Record keeping is considerably easier. Sales records are organized and can be sorted in various ways. Funds are deposited into a separate Paypal account which makes reconciling your bank statements much easier. Many Features designed to help merchants like Shipping Center
	Spiderweb Comments: We recommend a Paypal cart for small to medium stores or you want to try out a cart without long term commitment & expense.

	Point of Sale - POS
	If you already have a merchant account to accept credit card payments you may use your card swipe machine or number entry terminal to process payments for orders you receive from your online store. You will still need to purchase an SSL Certificate to protect your customers private and financial information.

	Spiderweb Comment: The POS method is another cost effective way to set up your online store but a bit more expensive than a Paypal cart due to the cost of the SSL certificate & additional hosting fees. Unlike Paypal you can only accept those credit cards your merchant account accepts.

	IP Payment Gateway
	To process credit cards online, you will need an SSL Certificate for your Shopping Cart along with a IP Payment Gateway and a Merchant Account. Your shopping cart will be integrated with the payment gateway. Funds are deposited directly into your business account. The fees below are typical for a standard U.S. account. All fees for International sales are considerably higher.
	Two (2) year contract required Application Fee (~ $60) You will be subject to Monthly Fees (~$20) There are penalties for Early Termination (~$250) Chargeback Fees (~$15) Separate Application Fees for each Credit Card American Express = $25 Discover Card = $25 Standard Transaction Fees ($.30 - $.35) Standard Discount Rates (~2.59%)
	Spiderweb Comment: This is the most expensive method for setting up your online store but it is also the most automated. We recommend this method for stores with very brisk sales.