This is a guest post by Jawad Khan
eCommerce is at all-time high with transactions of millions of dollars happening every day through various online shopping platforms. PayPal, being one of the oldest online payment provider, holds a major share in the online payment industry, and is the preferred payment mode for millions of people all around the world.
With time, PayPal has expanded its services and made online transactions fast and hassle free. However, there are certain problems with PayPal due to which many are looking for viable payment alternatives. For example, there are a number of developing countries where PayPal does not work. This becomes a problem for companies who regularly outsource work to freelancers in those countries. PayPal transaction charges are also on the higher side and can significantly build up over time. But perhaps the biggest reason why people are searching for PayPal alternatives is its uncertain behavior.
Many PayPal accounts have been blocked or suspended on small issues, which has caused major losses for a number of PayPal users. With this background, here are 5 payment services that you can use as PayPal alternatives on your WordPress site.
1. Selz
Selz is an extremely user friendly online service that is ideal for bloggers, freelancer and anyone else looking to sell digital products or services on the internet.
Selz does not require any prior contracts or merchant accounts and can be set up very easily in just a few minutes. For WordPress websites, you can integrate Selz using the Selz Ecommerce plugin. Alternatively, you can copy and paste a simple script to start using Selz on any site. It can also be used with Twitter, Pinterest, and as an online shop on Facebook using its online store app.
Selz has a number of advantages over using the PayPal buy now button. Selz handles both the credit card payments and provides a number of powerful features that make selling digital downloads very quick and easy. Features like audio and video buyer previews, PDF stamping and automated file delivery on completion of a purchase, make Selz a multipurpose payment service. You can also easily build a customer list by linking it to MailChimp or Aweber.
Another major advantage with Selz is the simple checkout process. Your buyer doesn’t need to leave your website, and the whole buying process takes place on the same webpage. Selz can accept buyer payments with MasterCard and Visa in more than 190 currencies. Selz doesn’t cost you anything upfront and charges 5% of your transaction amount plus 25 cents whenever a purchase is made through it.
2. Google Wallet
Google Wallet is a digital payment service of Google that can be used to make online purchases with your smartphone. Primarily used by US bank account holders, Google Wallet can be used to make purchases in over 160 countries.
It does not charge any fee on account set up, bank transfers and receiving money. Google Wallet also doesn’t charge any processing costs for merchant accounts, however, you may be charged by the payment gateway used. You can also use Google Wallet for peer to peer transfers within the US.
3. Payoneer
Payoneer is a global payment service that can be used in place of PayPal for sending and receiving payments internationally.
With Payoneer, you can receive payments via PayPal, credit/debit card and bank accounts from all across the globe.
A major advantage of Payoneer is its US payment service that comes particularly handy for sending and receiving payments in countries where PayPal and some other major US payment services are not available.
As a Payoneer user, you can get your own virtual US bank account that can receive payments on your behalf from international clients. You can withdraw these payments with your Payoneer debit card from any MasterCard ATM in the world.
However, Payoneer service charges are a bit on the higher side, with an annual fee of $29.95 and a $3.15 charge every time you withdraw money from an ATM using the Payoneer debit card.
4. Stripe
Stripe is another service that can accept Payments from all across the globe. It currently supports businesses from US, Canada, UK, and Ireland.
You can integrate Stripe APIs in your website to receive payments. It can process major international debit or credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Diners Club and JCB.
Stripe is primarily built for developers and requires the users to have basic to intermediate knowledge of coding in order to configure it properly. However there are several Stripe plugins available for WordPress.
Stripe charges you 2.9% of every successful transaction plus 30 cents.
5. E-Junkie
E-Junkie is one of the oldest online payment platforms that can be integrated with PayPal, Google Checkout, 2CheckOut and many other payment services. Unlike most modern payment services, it does not charge you any set up or transaction fees and instead requires a flat monthly payment depending upon the number of products you’re selling and the storage that you need.
Unlike Selz, e-junkie charges a flat fee plus you will incur the transaction fee for whichever payment platform you choose. So make sure to factor this into your considerations.
E-Junkie can be integrated with your website or blog using its Buy Now and Check Out buttons that are connected with your own payment service at the backend.
Buyers can make purchases using MasterCard, Visa, bank account or PayPal account. You can also integrate your Google Analytics account with E-Junkie to get detailed account statistics and buyer activity.
Conclusion
Each solution has its own advantages and can be used as a PayPal alternative. So which is the best solution for you? Well it comes down to what is important to you and a good fit for your needs: is it ease of implementation and use, cost, a simple buyer checkout, or specific features such as offering pay what you want or discount codes to targeted potential buyers. The great news is that with so many options available you can easily compare and try different options to find which one suits you the best.
Jawad Khan is a freelance writer, professional blogger and marketing consultant. He works with digital marketing agencies, small businesses and entrepreneurs to build their online presence and brand image. He blogs regularly on Writing My Destiny.
To leave a comment please visit 5 PayPal Alternatives for Freelancers to Collect Payments in WordPress on WPBeginner.