Payment Gateways | Plug and Play

Payment Gateways

This might seem like an obvious one, but taking payment is one of the first things you need to think about. There are two ways you can take payment online: with a Merchant Account, and without a Merchant Account.

If you’re looking at taking several hundred pounds a month in multiple transactions then you’re probably best off going to your high street bank and applying for a merchant account as this can save you a bundle in transaction fees by having a fixed tariff, typically in the region of £20pcm for 350 – 500 transactions depending on the provider (and we can impartially help you select the most cost effective one for your needs).

Merchant Accounts are an addition to your standard business bank account, and you will be issued with a Merchant Number, this will additionally allow you to take payments in the real world too.

None-merchant account payment gateways are also common place, but much more expensive if you’re looking to sell a lot online. If you’re more likely to sell the odd few items a month with reasonably low value then this might be the best option for you.

None-merchant account gateways are such like PayPal and Google Checkout. These can however work out more expensive in the long run as you will pay a percentage per transaction (typically this can be in the 2% region). Whatever you do, the best thing we can advise is that you come in and talk to us so we can give you an insight into the various pro’s and con’s of different payment gateway types.