The online retail sector is growing at an astounding rate year after year, making it imperative that ecommerce merchants be knowledgeable and informed when selecting merchant services.
Merchant services are at the core of ecommerce payments, enabling businesses to accept and process payments securely and efficiently. As the range and scope of merchant services available to companies expand, so do the considerations merchants need to evaluate when finding the exemplary service to meet their needs. This guide will help online merchants navigate the necessary references to select the best eCommerce merchant services.
Essential Features to Look For from Ecommerce Merchant Services Providers
When selecting a merchant service for your business, there are certain features to look for to ensure a secure, reliable, and user-friendly experience for your customers. To begin, merchants should consider payment gateway services, fraud and chargeback protection, PCI compliance assistance, and next-day funding.
Payment Gateway Services
A payment gateway, also referred to as a third-party processor, enables merchants to accept and process payments securely. This is a crucial element to the success of any ecommerce business and requires careful consideration when selecting a provider. Merchants should ensure that their payment gateway is consistent and reliable, with several integrated payment solutions to accommodate customers’ preferences. In addition, merchants should evaluate the payment gateway service’s automated functionality and reporting capabilities to ensure a streamlined and secure payment system.
Advanced Fraud and Chargeback Protection
Online fraud continues to be a real issue that causes direct losses to merchants. Finding a merchant services provider with advanced copy and chargeback protection solutions is essential. This assists in detecting fraudulent activity when payments or conflicts arise, protecting merchants from financial losses. Furthermore, Address Verification API and 3D security cover customers’ costs and data during checkout.
PCI Assistance
Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliance is essential for any merchant who takes credit card payments from customers. Compliant merchants must demonstrate that their payment system is secure and up-to-date with industry security standards. Merchants should ensure that their merchant service provider offers PCI-compliant solutions to reduce the potential for data breaches and other security risks.
Next-Day Funding
Next-day funding options are a great way to quickly access incoming payments for businesses aiming to increase cash flow and better manage their finances. Next-day funding enables businesses to receive confirmation of amounts nearly in real time, meaning each payment can be accessed within 24 hours or less. This is especially helpful for companies needing short-term financing or other financial solutions.
Competitive Fees
A common misconception when selecting a merchant service provider is that it comes at no extra cost to the business. On the contrary, merchants should always expect to be charged additional processing fees for their merchant services. However, merchants can still accept excessively high processing fees. When selecting a merchant services provider, merchants should evaluate the costs associated with the services to ensure they are reasonable. Furthermore, merchants should find a provider that offers discounted or waived transaction fees for businesses that meet specific criteria, such as one particular monthly transaction volume.
Conclusion
Navigating the merchant services world can be complicated, with a range of considerations to consider when selecting the right provider. The criteria outlined in this guide should help merchants ensure they are choosing the best ecommerce merchant service to meet the needs of their business and customers. To be successful in this arena, merchants must carefully evaluate payment gateways, fraud protection and PCI compliance services, next-day funding, and competitive fees amongst providers to optimize the payment experience for their customers.
