{"id":8369,"date":"2023-10-03T03:52:00","date_gmt":"2023-10-03T03:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ownrblog-preprod.go-vip.net\/?p=8369"},"modified":"2026-04-13T13:32:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T13:32:29","slug":"credit-card-payment-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ownr.co\/blog\/credit-card-payment-online\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Accept Credit Card Payments Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

Online shopping is skyrocketing, with a record number of Canadians now turning to the web to purchase items. With COVID-19 restrictions, <\/span>almost half of Canadians reported buying more items online since the start of the pandemic. It\u2019s not just novelty shopping anymore. Consumers are buying groceries, getting their prescriptions filled, and having household essentials shipped right to their door. In a recent study, <\/span>over 90 per cent of Canadians said they plan to either do more online shopping or the same amount as before. And the trend is going to keep going strong.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What does this mean as a small business owner and entrepreneur? Well, if customers can\u2019t purchase from you online, you’re losing out on a huge target market and potential sales. To take your shop online, you need to have the capacity to accept many payment methods, from PayPal to online debit, Visa to Mastercard.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As a small business owner, figuring out how to accept credit card transactions online, securely, inexpensively, and easily, can feel like a job in itself. But it doesn\u2019t have to be that way. We\u2019ve created this guide to help you start accepting credit card payments online right away.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to simplify credit card payment processing\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

Gone are the days of complicated online payments. Accepting credit card payments on your online store is now more simple than ever, and more secure.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There are plenty of online credit card payment platforms available for all sorts of business owners, small and large. With the growing popularity of online shopping, companies like PayPal, Moneris, and Stripe, as well as online store platforms like Squarespace and WordPress all have integrated credit card payment options.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are a just three of the most popular credit card payment platform options:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. PayPal<\/span><\/h3>\n

PayPal<\/span><\/a> is one of those multi-functional platforms that works as a payment gateway, a bank account, can handle international currency, and now has a credit card payment integration option.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In order to use PayPal as a payment gateway for credit card processing, you need to have a business account and link your bank account with it. There are <\/span>merchant fees<\/span><\/a>, which can vary, so it\u2019s best to do the math and make sure this is the right option for you.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Moneris<\/span><\/h3>\n

Moneris<\/span><\/a> is a merchant platform dedicated to bringing payment solutions to business owners, including online credit and debit cards. Moneris provides payment solutions for everything from <\/span>point of sale (POS) <\/span><\/a>terminals to secure online credit card processing. It\u2019s fully integratable and Moneris offers a <\/span>simplified pricing plan,<\/span><\/a> which makes it easier for business owners to take control of expenses relating to POS systems.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Square<\/span><\/h3>\n

Like Moneris, <\/span>Square<\/span><\/a> is another POS system that offers eCommerce solutions. Square also has a per-transaction pricing system with no start-up costs. This is great for low-volume online stores simply because their per-transaction rate is flat, meaning that no matter how much you sell, you pay the same for each transaction.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to easily accept credit card payments on your WordPress site<\/span><\/h2>\n

Another way a lot of online businesses accept credit card payments is through their website. <\/span>Web building platforms<\/span><\/a>, like WordPress, offer a variety of online credit card payment options.<\/span><\/p>\n

By default, a website hosting platform like <\/span>WordPress<\/span><\/a> doesn\u2019t actually accept credit card payment options, but it can add this feature through a \u201cplugin.\u201d You can use this option even if you don\u2019t have an official online store.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The easiest way to accept online credit card payments with WordPress is to install and activate a forms plugin like <\/span>WPForms<\/span><\/a> or <\/span>WP Simple Pay<\/span><\/a>. A lot of plugins will have an extra subscription fee on top of the web host fees.<\/span><\/p>\n

Once you\u2019ve downloaded and <\/span>installed your plugin<\/span><\/a>, follow the steps to set up your credit card payment form and start accepting credit card payments with WordPress.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you\u2019re looking for something a bit more robust, there are a few plugins that offer more, such as automatic subscription renewal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What to consider when choosing a payment gateway<\/span><\/h2>\n

Deciding which payment gateway is best for you entirely depends on your individual business needs. Some business owners want to provide the option for their customers to create an account or renew subscriptions, while others might simply need a guest checkout service. Whatever they are, there is most likely a credit card payment gateway that will fit your needs.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here are five things to consider when choosing a credit card payment gateway for your eCommerce business:<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Does it display the cost of shipping to customers?<\/span><\/h3>\n

It only makes sense that a credit card payment gateway would offer a cost of <\/span>shipping<\/span><\/a> feature. But not all options do, or if they do, it\u2019s an extra fee or a higher-priced package.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A payment gateway system that offers shipping should have up-to-date shipping costs based on the customer\u2019s region, an option for a discounted shipping rate (or free shipping based on point of sale dollar value), and a shipping tracking system or integrated tracking with the shipping company (such as FedEx or UPS).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Does it have an inventory management system?<\/span><\/h3>\n

If you are a business owner who carries inventory, or maybe you do <\/span>dropshipping<\/span><\/a> and need to keep track of your inventory, your payment gateway system should have the ability to track in real-time. After all, there\u2019s nothing worse than selling products you don\u2019t have (and won\u2019t be able to get) or your potential customers thinking that there isn\u2019t any inventory when there is.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A payment gateway system that accepts credit cards should also be able to track what\u2019s being sold and what you have left in stock, with you having to manually input information.<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Does it have subscription renewal capabilities?<\/span><\/h3>\n

A lot of small businesses are now offering subscriptions and auto-renewal features, for things like subscription boxes, membership perks, and exclusive access to content or merchandise. The last thing you want is to have to manually process payments every month.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many credit card payment gateways offer an auto-renewal and the ability for your clients and customers to create an account.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. How user-friendly is the payment gateway system?<\/span><\/h3>\n

This applies to both you on the business end and your customers who are making credit card purchases. If your payment gateway system is too complex, it will hinder both you and your customers, and that spells trouble for your business.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some payment systems are simple with an easy-to-use dashboard, while others might require some coding experience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Price<\/span><\/h3>\n

It bears mentioning that price should always be a consideration. With the plethora of payment gateway options available, prices can vary, but so can features. Do your research. Sometimes a package plan that is less expensive might not offer all the features you need or charge an additional, per-transaction cost.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When doing your research, take a small inventory of your needs, then have a look at pricing options from there.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Using third-party apps on your existing or new site<\/span><\/h2>\n

There are a whole host of third-party credit card processing apps that can integrate with your current or new ecommerce website. Most web hosting platforms, such as <\/span>Squarespace<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>WordPress, offer a full range of third-party app integration capabilities. But some third-party apps might be available only with some web hosting platforms and not others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Third-party apps are applications (or plugins) that you can use integrated with your website in order to accept credit card payments directly on your eCommerce store. Most third-party apps can:<\/span><\/p>\n