Many different businesses choose to use Paypal as their payment processor. This is often because Paypal is easy to use and straightforward. While these are important, there are limits to what Paypal can offer your business. There are many different options for you to choose from for your business. Factors such as customer service, high-risk merchants, and integrated payment gateways are all critical reasons companies choose different processors aside from Paypal.
Popularity of Paypal
Paypal is a very popular payment method for many customers, and many businesses utilize Paypal as their payment processor. Paypal can easily process international transactions making it appealing to many companies. Setting up with Paypal is very easy, and there are no termination fees if you decide to leave Paypal.
Companies enjoy the fact that Paypal can accept a wide variety of payment methods. This allows customers to choose the way that works best for them. However, while Paypal offers many advantages, it is not the best fit for many businesses for various reasons.
Shortcomings of Paypal
One issue with Paypal is that their online payment processing requires the customer to leave your site and go to Paypal’s site to pay. This lack of seamless transition could make the transaction less secure. Many customers are uncomfortable being redirected to a third-party site.
Paypal does not have 24/7 customer support. If you have an issue with your payment processing, you may have to wait sometime for Paypal to resolve the issue. Their call-in customer service is very unreliable, and you are better off avoiding calling in for assistance if you can.
Paypal does not offer much support to merchants when it comes to chargebacks. These are an unavoidable component of selling online, and you may want a processor that is committed to helping you with chargebacks.
With Paypal, there is an increased risk of account instability as Paypal does not provide your business with one individual merchant account. This is different from other payment processors that offer your business its own merchant account.
If your business operates in a high-risk industry, then Paypal will not do payment processing for you. You will need to find a flexible processor to work with high-risk merchants. There are many industries that Paypal is more reluctant to work with even if you are not a high-risk merchant. You may need prior approval from Paypal.
Paypal has a reasonably complicated fee structure. Many different processing fees depend on a variety of factors. You will need to analyze all the different fees that apply to you.
Different Options for Your Business
Skrill
Skrill provides payment solutions to customers in both the US and Europe. Just like Paypal, it is straightforward to set up and use. In addition, Skrill provides chargeback protection in order to keep your business safe from fraud. Skrill’s fees typically range from 2.5% to 4% per transaction. One key difference between Skrill and Paypal is that Paypal has wider merchant acceptance. As a result, Skrill may not be a viable option for your business.
Stripe
Stripe is another popular choice by businesses for online transactions. However, it can be a little confusing to use at first, as it is designed with developers in mind. Another benefit is the fact that Stripe allows you to put a payment gateway right onto your website, which is very different from Paypal. Stripe’s integrated payment solution will cost 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. Stripe is also very integration friendly allowing your business to add useful functions such as payroll software to your business.
Square
Square is another easy-to-use alternative to Paypal. It is easy to use, like other options such as Paypal and Stripe. What makes Square different from Paypal is the ability to make a customized payment platform for your business. Their standard processing fee is 2.6% + $0.10 per transaction. Square offers in-person POS solutions so that your business can process in-person transactions. You can also easily conduct recurring billing with Square.
Shopify
Another option to consider is using Shopify, which provides your business with a well-rounded eCommerce experience. Like some of the earlier options, Shopify enables you to use many valuable integrations. However, it is different from Paypal as you will have to pay a monthly fee of $29 in order to allow your business to process online transactions. This is on top of the transaction fees that Shopify charges. It costs 2.4%-2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, similar to other options.
Authorize.net
With Authorize.net, you can easily have a straightforward payment gateway for your business. In addition, you are able to add many integrations into your system. In addition, their system is easy to use. You will be charged a monthly fee in order to use Authorize.net, which will cost 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. If you want any in-person payment options, you will likely need a different processor as their solutions are more limited.
Payline
With Payline, you get all the benefits of all these Paypal alternatives. Along with some extra ones. Payline will work to provide your business with a fully integrated payment gateway on your website. This way, your customers will be kept from a third-party site, as is often the case with Paypal.
Another thing that differentiates us from Paypal is our commitment to customer service. We want Payline to work as smoothly as possible for your business. Therefore, we provide top-of-the-line customer service 24/7. Call us anytime with any issues you may have, and we will sort them out as quickly as possible.
Payline is different from other processors such as Stripe, Paypal, and Square as we offer more competitive pricing. For example, we only charge 0.75% + $0.20 per transaction for online transactions. Another benefit to Payline is that we are happy to work with high-risk merchants, unlike other processors such as Stripe and Paypal.
While Paypal leaves your business less protected from chargebacks, Payline is committed to protecting your business from the inevitable fraud. We work with our partners at CardConnect’s Chargeback Team and ChargeSentry. With our partners, we work to make the chargeback experience as easy as possible and to win them for your business.
