Many of our small-business clients have little experience with websites, let alone e-commerce applications. So it comes as no surprise that choosing a payment processor is furthest from their minds – in fact, many times we have to roll up our sleeves and provide a basic tutorial on the many interlocking pieces needed to make money on the internet.
During the early stages of launching your online store, you’ll need to make a number of critical decisions. Perhaps the most important of these is the way in which you’ll process your customer payments. You can choose to process the orders yourself using a true merchant account, or use a third-party processor. The method that you decide on could affect the implementation of your entire web site.
But how do you choose? Is price the single most important factor? What other factors are involved? In this Sitepoint article, you can uncover the answers to these questions by comparing a true merchant account to third-party processors. Expose the differences between the two methods by comparing them side-by-side in real world examples, using a custom-built PHP calculator to aid you in your quest.
- When to Consider a Third-Party Processor
- When to Consider a True Merchant Account
