It wasn’t long ago that choosing online payment options for small businesses meant deciding which credit cards to accept. And while many people still whip out their credit card to make a purchase, digital payments are becoming more and more popular.
Adding digital payment options to your checkout can be fairly easy; deciding which ones to accept may be a little harder. So how do you choose the right payment options for your business?
Before you dive face-first into the digital payment comparison abyss - take a deep breath and think about your customers. Which payment methods are going to be the most convenient for them? While digital wallets like Apple Pay® or Samsung Pay® may be preferred by some, they only work for customers with a compatible device. Your goal should be to provide checkout options that are convenient for all your customers - no matter what kind of technology they use.
You should also keep in mind that security is the primary concern for most customers, so it’s important to offer payment options that your customers trust. This can be especially true for new businesses where customers may be looking for added assurance that checkout is secure. Letting shoppers check out using a familiar payment method can give them added confidence when buying from your site.
Among PayPal mobile buyers, 63% say they are likely to use PayPal because they don’t want to share personal or financial information and 80% agree they feel more secure using PayPal than sharing their credit or debit card information on a mobile device.1
While putting your customers first can be the key to better conversions, don’t forget about the needs of your business. A payment option with complicated pricing can make record keeping difficult – even worse, it could potentially hurt your bottom line. You should also consider what kind of technical support will be needed. If a payment method requires ongoing updates and you don’t have regular access to a website developer, that payment method may not be right for your business.
At the end of the day, you want to offer online payment options that meet the needs of your customers and your business. That’s where PayPal Checkout comes in.
PayPal Checkout is a one-and-done payment solution that lets your business accept a range of payment types. With a single integration, your checkout will automatically show customers the most relevant payment options– whether it’s PayPal, PayPal Credit2, major credit and debit cards, or (coming soon) a local payment method. And no matter how someone chooses to pay using PayPal Checkout, they’ll be able to complete their payment without leaving your site.
With PayPal Credit3, your customers have a chance to buy now and pay over time – all while you get paid upfront. This flexibility can help boost sales and increase average order sizes.
It can also help your customers – especially when wallets are feeling tight. PayPal Credit gives your customers 0% interest for 4 months on purchases over £994. It lets them get what they want, when they want it – and spread out the payments over time. This can be helpful to your customers during the holidays. They simply select the PayPal Credit option at checkout, enter a few pieces of information, accept the terms and get a decision in seconds. Customers who get approved have instant access to a line of credit that they can use to complete their check out on your site, again and again.
About 53% of PayPal Credit users say they would not have made all their purchases if PayPal Credit was not available. 21% of PayPal Credit users say they spent more online because PayPal Credit was available4, with their transactions being up to 68% larger than non-credit purchases.5
Of course, not everyone has ditched their actual wallet and gone digital, so you should still accept credit and debit cards at checkout. You may even have payment processing already in place for these transactions, but if you don’t, PayPal Checkout has you covered. Shoppers who would rather pay with a debit or credit card can use PayPal to check out as a guest – without ever leaving your site.
Letting your customers pay the way they want can help improve your conversion rates and help reduce cart abandonment. On average, PayPal customers complete their purchases 88.7% of the time. Compared to other digital wallets like Apple Pay® or Samsung Pay®, PayPal Checkout conversions average about 60% better.6
You work hard to meet the evolving needs of your customers. Make sure you choose a payment option that works to meet the evolving needs of your business.
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