International expansion is the dream of many an ecommerce merchant, but that dream can quickly turn into an ecommerce nightmare if you’re not careful. Oversights can quickly turn to obstacles when it comes to overseas expansion. Maybe your customers are complaining they aren’t receiving their product, or you’re receiving bewildering notices about unpaid taxes, or even just a high rate of abandoned conversions. A fairytale of international expansion can rapidly turn into a horror show if merchants aren’t carefully prepared to scale overseas. While launching international sites is an admirable goal, it can cost you big if you aren’t prepared.

Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. It’s simply important to be prepared for what’s in store. To that end, here’s a merchant’s guide on what not to do when expanding internationally. To avoid an ecommerce nightmare, read on!

Don’t Neglect to Research Local Payment Preferences

This might seem like a no-brainer. Of course you’ll accept international credit cards, right? But a would-be international merchant should be attuned to unique regional preferences. Different countries have different payment preferences. Some regions prefer e-wallets, debit cards, mobile payments or even cash on delivery over credit cards. If your payment processor doesn’t offer customers their preferred payment method, you’ll be looking at a lot of abandoned e-shopping carts. And it’s worth understanding cross-border fees so you don’t have any nasty fiscal surprises.

Don’t Forget Local Taxes

This is one of those things that might slip through the cracks when a merchant is focused on international expansion, but it’s one of the quickest ways to create an ecommerce nightmare out of your global expansion. For example, Brazil has a staggering seven different (and cumulative) income taxes. Preventing this kind of ecommerce nightmare is as simple as consulting with local experts. Someone who can guide you through the taxes and tariffs involved in the country in question will help facilitate a smooth launch. (A good accountant or lawyer won’t hurt here either.)

Don’t Skimp on Security

International customers will already be wary of buying from a foreign merchant online. Not taking precautions against data breaches is a surefire way to drive away would-be customers — and that’s only half the battle. You have to make it clear to international customers that their data is safe. There are a few ways of doing this. One is as simple as clearly describing the data security measures in place so customers will understand how you are keeping their payment data safe. Another way to foster feelings of security in international customers is to ensure your payment page is fully integrated on your site. A seamless transaction reassures customers and will help build loyalty — a must for successful international expansion.  A good payment provider will be able to help integrate a secure payment gateway on your site.

Do Your Due Diligence

Global expansion is a great dream, but it’s one that take a lot of work to achieve successfully. A good chunk of that work should be research into your proposed market. There are plenty of local quirks that can quickly become huge stumbling blocks. Chinese websites are subject to dizzying amounts of red tape, while Latin American countries might eat up a shocking of the cost of sold merchandise with transportation costs. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and online businesses already shouldn’t take many chances. There’s no shortcut: if you want to prevent an ecommerce nightmare, do your research.

Conclusion

There’s no question that there are plenty of things that can go wrong when merchants decide to turn to international markets. However, having an ecommerce business means that this kind of expansion isn’t impossible. In fact, with diligent research, following proper procedures, and a merchant account provider that understands the challenges of international expansion, going global is more possible than ever before. Expanding abroad doesn’t have to be an ecommerce nightmare. With the right preparation – and a great payment processing partner – your dream of going global can come true

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“Philanthropist” derives from Late Latin and from Greek. A direct translation from philanthrōpos or “loving people,” Merriam-Webster defines it as “goodwill to fellow members of the human race; especially: active effort to promote human welfare.”

Nonprofit organizations are born from that love of other living beings, and the desire to improve their welfare. If your passion for a cause led you to start a nonprofit, maximizing results of online giving ranks as a top priority.

People are accustomed to making payments online for everything today, and they want charitable donations to be quick and easy too. Fortunately, today’s technologies facilitate digital donations via mobile payments and online giving websites., making it fast and easy to accept donations online.

But there’s a price to be paid by charities for this convenience due to transaction processing fees. These charges reduce the amount actually collected by a charity — a trade-off that most people don’t realize.

Let’s take a look at a few helpful tips for accepting donations online while optimizing results for your nonprofit.

Payments Industry Basics for Nonprofits

Processing payments carries a cost for all industry sectors — charities included. The first thing nonprofits should understand is that choices exist to help them accept payments online and to maximize results.

The payments ecosystem may seem complex to those not familiar with the industry. What with terminology like merchant accounts, issuing banks and acquiring banks, payment processors, payment aggregators, and other merchant service providers, how could it seem otherwise?

Don’t let either the cost or complexity of payment card acceptance stand as a barrier to your nonprofit success. Resources and budgets are tight enough.

Instead, choose a payment processing partner that specializes in working with nonprofits.  They’ll help you set up and optimize online transaction processing, and may offer payment processing at cost to qualified charities. Let the experts handle the intricacies of online payment processing for you.

Follow these keys to success:

• Choose a processor that provides the secure payment gateway needed to transfer payment information between your fundraising platform — the issuing and acquiring banks — and the processing networks.
• Ensure your processor’s gateway is PCI-DSS compliant (Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard) — a requirement for processing online payment transactions. Maintaining PCI compliance can be burdensome to nonprofit staff, so choose to work only with a processor who handles all PCI requirements.
• Recognize that donors care about the security of their payment card data. Make website visitors comfortable by displaying information about security standards employed, so they feel comfortable sharing payment details — and become your donors.
• Accept multiple payment types. Increase your potential market to maximize your fundraising efforts. The right payment processor will help set up the ability to accept donations online via major card brands (domestic and international), multi-currency options, and alternative payment types like PayPal and others. Make it easy for potential donors to help your organization, no matter where they live.
• Easy integration with your fundraising platform or website describes the right processing solution for your nonprofit. Choose a processor that enables custom donation forms, or allows you to set up an online donation portal fitting the “look and feel” of your website. So that when you accept donations online, the processing solution facilitates an excellent customer experience and provides secure payment processing.

We hope those tips help you find a payment processing partner that you can trust, and that offers favorable rates — because that’s often the bottom line.

Charities That Accept Donations Online Make Giving Easier

Do your homework, and aspire to work with a processor that offers services at a reduced rate, while helping your nonprofit streamline processes and reduce expenses. There are processors out there who want to help nonprofits thrive in the competitive online world.

Yes, it does cost money to accept online donations. Flexible processing needs (like processing recurring donations and selling merchandise) can cost charities even more. But the good news is that some processors provide charitable payment processing at cost, for qualified 501(c) nonprofits.

As Melissa Johnson (writing for Merchant Maverick) points out, it is possible to qualify for charitable payment processing rates to accept donations online — simply by asking and proving non-profit 501(c) status. “Which has a positive effect on any organization’s bottom line.”

Let PayArc Reduce the Cost Footprint of Your Nonprofit

American banks and credit card companies make huge profits — in the neighborhood of $250 million a year — from processing online charitable donations. They can afford to reduce the cost burden for nonprofits.

PayArc’s program strives to do exactly that: reduce the burden on charitable organizations that accept donations online. We give them access to the lowest rates possible, and offer special processing programs that:

• Maximize non-profit donations with electronic payments made via credit cards, debit cards, and ACH/eChecks through nonprofit-hosted payment forms.
• Retain existing donors and reduce marketing costs with automated recurring donation options.
• Increase payment security through PCI-compliant payment processing solutions.

PayArc provides charitable payment processing at cost, for qualified 501(c) nonprofits. Explore working with us, and we’ll use our payments industry expertise to offer amazing pricing to your qualified charity.

Because we’d love to help.

Running a natural products store online can be highly profitable due to the growing consumer interest in organic food and beverage items, as well as supplements. The U.S. Natural and Organic Product Industry sales surged 6.5% to $207 billion in 2017, while the natural supplement market grew 6.1% to $44 billion in the U.S. over the same span, according to New Hope Network’s Nutrition Business Journal.

The number of individuals and investors opening up natural products stores is on the rise due to the high revenue opportunities that the natural and organic product space offers. Working with a reputable credit card processor can help these merchants optimize payments—and growth.

How to Get a Natural Products Store Merchant Account

Merchants in this space are well-advised to open a merchant account through a specialized payment processor that understands the industry. This requires completing a few simple steps and providing the necessary information.

Most applications for a natural products store merchant account will request that your business share a valid, government-issued ID, a bank letter or pre-printed voided check, three months of the most recent bank statements, three months of the most recent processing statements and a Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN).

Working with a payments services provider that specializes in this niche can speed up the application process. In some cases, merchants can get approved within a matter of days. Specialized payment processors often offer one-stop solutions to help augment your payments operations, including fraud prevention, risk mitigation, and PCI compliance. This is to the merchant’s benefit as they have one resource to help manage and lower chargebacks, protect customers’ sensitive data and receive advice on streamlining payments.

Managing Chargebacks Natural Products Stores

Like most online businesses, natural products stores are not immune to the chargeback problem. In some cases, customers have buyer’s remorse, blaming the merchant for how supplements or other natural products that seemingly didn’t work. These disputes snowball into chargebacks, costing the merchant dearly in fines, fees, and penalties.

Many online shops offer free trials to customers as a way to let people try their natural products, risk-free. This is a handy marketing tool; however, it can also cause an increase in chargebacks. Without excellent communication about the terms of a free trial, customers can become confused about payment conditions—or simply forget about their purchase—and dispute the charges later on. It is imperative for natural product store merchants running free trials to provide email confirmations, email reminders, and other information on the website so that customers have the right information.

Optimize Your Site — and Your Brand Story

In an industry as competitive as the natural products business, you’ll need to develop a brand, website and line of products that are unique. Don’t try to carry every natural supplement or vitamin available simply to follow industry fads; quality always trumps quantity.

Be straightforward in your advertising. Maintain high standards and carry products that you know will help customers. Use a marketing approach with long-term goals in mind. Build your business as a farmer rather than a hunter, with a focus on harvesting a long-term relationships with customers rather than shooting for quick sales with customers who won’t return.

Avoid misinformation and clearly articulate the benefits of the products you offer. Where possible, reference industry experts that can back claims and provide additional guidance. Educating your customer base can add to your appeal and it also helps customers feel secure in what they are purchasing from your brand.

Another way to bolster trust is to ensure that your brand experience remains consistent from the home page through product pages and all the way to the end of the payments process. Checkout pages or portals that veer from the regular branding can cause confusion and distrust among consumers.

Follow up online sales with a branded confirmation email that includes a receipt for each customer’s purchase. This goes a long way in improving the customer experience, and also provides a way for customers to get in touch if they have a question or an issues. The more you communicate with your customers, the less likely it is that disputes will arise and snowball into costly chargebacks.

Conclusion

PayArc offers comprehensive payment processing services, which include a PCI compliant payment gateway, mobile payment processing solutions easy integration of your online systems with our full API and SDK.

Consumers are becoming more familiar with alternative payment methods and more confident in their security. As these payment options continue to gain in popularity, businesses need to adapt to consumer preferences — and having a clear understanding of the latest payment processing trends can help them make the right decisions for their future.

For business owners looking to stay relevant with a diverse group of consumers, more flexible payment solutions are necessary. But first, it’s important to have a firm grasp on what’s happening in this growing market. Below are seven payment processing trends to watch for in 2019:

In-store mobile payments to overtake credit cards

Chief among the leading payment processing trends for next year is the steady emergence of in-store mobile payments as the primary payment method in the U.S. By 2020, in-store mobile payments are expected to overtake credit cards, at $503 billion. The added speed and convenience of in-store mobile payments is particularly attractive to a younger generation of consumers. Demographic info of note: At 73 million, millennials are expected to overtake Boomers in population in 2019. Meanwhile, generation X is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028.

Increased prominence of mobile wallets

The convenience of mobile wallets is appealing for the consumer: Mobile wallet transactions tend to be quicker than paying by cash or credit card. When the consumer is ready to make their purchase, all they need to do is open the app, touch their phone to the compatible reader located next to the register, and the transaction is complete. Added security is also a plus. Unlike cash and credit cards, the card information a customer puts into a mobile wallet is encrypted, requiring them to unlock their device and use a passcode or fingerprint.

Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay are the top mobile wallets currently used at small and medium businesses.. Apple Pay and Google Wallet are expected to continue battling it out for the top spot into 2019 and beyond, but Android Pay and Samsung Pay still have their share of supporters.

Payment methods of online shoppers

The most popular payment methods for online shoppers include credit cards, electronic payment, and debit cards, respectively. While it’s unnecessary to offer every single payment method, merchants will want to have an understanding of which methods their consumers prefer and select a merchant service provider who can support their specific needs. The exact combination will depend on your customer base. Not only learning the latest payment processing trends, but understanding how they apply to your unique situation, is essential to giving yourself a powerful advantage in today’s market.

mPOS devices rise in popularity

According to TYSY, roughly 27.7 million mPOS devices will be in circulation in the U.S. within the next three years, almost 10 times the amount in 2014. An mPOS device can be cost-effective for small and medium business owners, who have limited staff and resources for electronic registers and software support. The average credit card processing cost for a retail business is around 2 percent for cards that are physically swiped in-person, compared with 2.3 percent to 3.1 percent for card-not-present transactions.

Blockchain technology offers benefits

Beyond giving consumers more payment options, blockchain technology gives small businesses the opportunity to reduce costs by allowing them to work directly with other businesses. Over the next five years, blockchain technology is expected to reduce the cost of accounting reconciliation by 70 percent and compliance costs by up to 50 percent. Along with reduced financial burden, the blockchain boasts improved transparency and security for both businesses and consumers. Information housed in the blockchain is entirely decentralized, rather than stored in one location.

Biometric authentication enhances consumer security

Biometric authentication — examples include fingerprint ID and financial recognition — will be used in more than 18 billion transactions by 2021. Apple Pay and Samsung Pay both use fingerprint identification, but not all platforms offer these levels of security. But the technology as a whole is more reliable and cost-effective, reducing password administrations costs and decreasing the likelihood of loss prevention. With the steady increase in fraudulent transactions and security breaches, adoption of this technology is essential to making customers feel more at ease with making their purchase.

The improved customer experience

Perhaps the most important of all payment processing trends is the renewed emphasis on the customer experience. Today’s alternative payment options are not replacements, but rather improvements on previous methods. Younger generations agree: More than 60 percent of millennial and Generation Z customers willing to share their bank account credentials with third-party vendors. That total will only increase as customers become more familiar with alternative payment options.

As a business owner, keeping an eye on the future and staying informed about the latest payment processing trends is an invaluable part of increasing sales and improving customer satisfaction. In this ever-changing environment, there’s much to look forward to as we approach 2019.

It’s gearing up to be a busy holiday shopping season and many retailers are trying to make the most out of increased traffic to their ecommerce stores. One of the best ways to increase conversions and sales is to make the payment process as simple and seamless as possible.

From the shopping cart to the checkout page to payment confirmation, making a few small tweaks can mean the difference between tens of thousands of dollars. As the popularity of online shopping surpasses that of brick-and-mortar shopping, online retailers need to optimize their checkout process to make things smooth for paying customers.

While many merchants opt for the easy route of PayPal for payment processing, merchants with more complex payment systems can take advantage of the full control they have over the entire checkout process.

The next 7 steps can help you optimize the process for increased conversions and sales.

Diversify payment methods

Users expect to have a choice when it comes to how they pay on your ecommerce site. Best practices is to include all major payment card brands (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, etc.) as well as PayPal. That said, if you truly cater to an international audience and analytics show that you get a decent amount of business from specific geographies, you may want to consider the payment preferences of those countries as well.

No registration? No problem.

Never make people register in order to complete the checkout process. This can be one of the top conversion killers for an ecommerce site because it’s intrusive and unnecessary. It’s another step to what many users already view as a long process to get what they want. “Checkout as guest” is the best route to take, enabling users to get through the checkout process without handing over any more information than they’re already providing.

While you don’t have to require registration, you can always offer it as an option. Just be sure that it does not impede the checkout flow or become too aggressive.

Consistency matters

The design and experience of your brand should be consistent across all channels and along every page of your website – including checkout pages. While some online payment providers and gateways may offer out-of-the-box functionality, you’re relinquishing control of the experience, look, and feel of your brand. Take caution here.

Be sure to use consistent fonts, colors, logos, and other design elements from start to finish of the user experience. Not only does it look more professional, but it builds trust between you and your customers. Given the rash of fraud, phishing, and other online scams, keeping a consistent design element during checkout can help put customers at ease and reinforce that you are a legitimate seller.

User flow matters, too

In the same vein as point #3 above, keeping users on your site is imperative. Redirecting to an outside gateway (like PayPal) erodes trust and also leads people away from your brand. Keeping users on your site from start to finish also makes it more likely that they’ll continue to browse around after their purchase.

Also avoid pop-ups or any other advertisements that may distract users as they are attempting to checkout. Anything that takes someone away from the checkout process is bad form. Keep customers moving seamlessly through your site without distractions.

Make payment forms intuitive

Most online shoppers are already leery when offering up payment card information online. Making payment forms intuitive can relieve some of their anxiety while helping them to complete the process quickly and easily. Displaying a progress bar at the top of each checkout page is a great way to keep users on task and in-the-know about how many steps they have left to complete.

Intelligent forms are also helpful. Some may be able to use geolocation technology to pre-fill fields like the country or state to which users are purchasing from. It may also be able to pre-fill some data from return customers, making a repeat purchase seamless.

One final consideration is how to address errors as users are checking out. Be sure to present clear and relevant error messages if a form or field is filled out incorrectly or incompletely. Avoid displaying error messages at the top of the page, which forces users to scroll all the way up to see what they missed. Error messages should be displayed near the field where they occurred and should be clearly worded so the user understands what they need to do.

Use clear calls to action

Nothing is worse than a confused user who just wants to make a purchase from your ecommerce site. Offer clear calls to action and directions on each step of the checkout and payment processes. Be sure to use bold buttons and clear, concise wording directing the user what to do next.

It can also be helpful to offer information buttons that allow users to click and receive more information about what is being asked. These additional instructions can mean the difference between a low conversion rate and a high conversion rate.

Email a receipt

This is perhaps one of the most overlooked steps in providing a cohesive, reliable, and easy checkout and payment experience for customers. It’s also a lost opportunity to upsell and cross-sell or to simply add to user’s pleasant shopping experience.

Not only does it provide a record of the purchase for both you and the customer, but it can be a great way to market to customers that are at their highest level of trust with your brand (they just completed a purchase!).

Use the opportunity to ask customers to rate their experience, provide a review, share with friends, or to offer a coupon for the next time they visit your ecommerce store.

Conclusion

Employing the tips above can boost your conversion rates, lower cart abandonment, and increase the trust and credibility of your brand. A/B testing is a great way to test out some of  these methods and to see what works for your particular customer base. Checkout and payment is an important – and often overlooked – piece of the overall user experience. Keeping on par with best practices is a great way to keep customers happy from start to finish.