Shift4Shop eCommerce Blog | Digital Payments

Technological advancements have spiraled in the modern world, and businesses have shifted to digital forms of online payment. Website and mobile channels have dominated the scene and are the top options for accepting payments. That’s why these channels have gained a solid foothold in the eCommerce world.

The world of eCommerce is constantly shifting. As it is a relatively new industry brought upon by the development of technology and the popularity of the internet and mobile devices, it is a realm that is going to continuously see major changes as people make purchases and shop through a screen.

There are so many aspects that go into running your eCommerce store - finding the right assortments of products, creating eye-catching product pages with beautiful images, reaching relevant customers with your marketing efforts, managing inventory and shipping - you probably think that deciding which payment methods to offer is of secondary importance. 

A payment is a payment, right?  Wrong!  Selecting a payment method is one of the most critical elements of the customer journey and offering[...]

As an online seller, you always need to be on the lookout for potential advantages. After all, competition is fierce, and it takes very little for a customer to hit the back button on your online store and decide to shop elsewhere. Anything you can do to make shopping with you faster and easier, and smooth out the checkout process, is important.

Amazon Pay is one such option that makes shopping at your online store more attractive by allowing customers with an Amazon account — and there are [...]

Do you know which credit card pricing plan you’re on? This may seem like a basic question, but there’s a lot that goes into credit card payment processing. If you’re scratching your head, try thinking back to your initial merchant account setup.

If you were in a rush to get up and running (and who can blame you? The costs of starting even an online store are high), you may have partnered with a payment facilitator. These providers offer one pricing model — flat pricing. Just as the name[...]

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have no doubt felt the buzz surrounding blockchain and cryptocurrency. The rise of digital wallets is making way for more convenient and instant payment systems, and as a result, disrupting the way we conduct business. Given cryptocurrency is automatically converted into local currency for merchants when using a payment processor, accepting this form of payment can be pretty seamless for retailers. Despite this, most are yet to get on board.

If[...]

When it comes to processing payments, staying up to date on available technologies is crucial to protecting your business and your customers.

However simple it may appear on the surface, payment processing is a technical business largely focused on reducing fraud and staying ahead of the next cybersecurity threat. Apart from protecting your business, staying current also helps it run smoothly and deliver a delightful customer experience.

Luckily for you, there are some new technologies that[...]

If you've decided it’s time to start selling online with your very own eCommerce website, you're about to embark on one of the most rewarding journeys in the world: entrepreneurship!

Of course, it's not always going to be easy, and there's a lot to learn before you can even really get started.

You could imagine that eCommerce is like its own ecosystem, where web design, online security, credit cards, shipping, and more all come together in a relationship that makes everything work. It's[...]

For eCommerce today, the name of the game is mobile. More shoppers will visit your online store from their smartphone every year, and if you're not catering to them, you're missing out on some serious conversions.

One of the quickest ways to raise your mobile conversion rate is by accepting payments through digital wallets, which are convenient services that allow a customer to save payment and shipping information for later use. Credit card details are not shared with the merchant, which makes[...]

In this day and age, it's easy to assume that everyone prefers to use a credit or debit card. PayPal and other digital wallets are also prevalent, and for the most part, checks have become a thing of the past. However, that isn't always true.

Many people have negative associations with the word "check." The idea of checks brings to mind slow processing speeds, mental images of waiting behind someone in line as they painstakingly make one out… you get the idea.

It's easy to assume eChecks are[...]

If you gauged e-commerce trends based on headlines alone, you might conclude that only a big marketplace or two run the industry. While major e-commerce platforms do hold some advantages over standalone sellers, 2017 has seen an increase in digital shopping activity across the board. As more brands offer perks such as free shipping and returns and use personalized strategies to keep customers on their sites, consumers have expanded the scope of their online purchasing options.

Merchants have always needed to evolve to meet the changing demands of their customers, and in the world of eCommerce, it's no different. In fact, it's even more important today to stay ahead of the game when it comes to serving your customers' needs. With millions of online stores available, customers have many more choices in front of them and competition is fiercer than ever.

One of the most important parts of attracting customers is providing them with a smooth, convenient shopping[...]

Online shoppers are a large and diverse group, and just like with any large part of the population, personal preferences vary greatly. If you want to widen your customer base, you need to be aware of the different options potential new customers will have an interest in.

Customers' personal preferences extend to their payment methods, whether for practical reasons, security concerns, or simple convenience.

Some shoppers prefer never to enter credit card information, while others want to use[...]

Touch a button; pay for your coffee. It's simple, right?

Mobile wallets empower consumers to make every transaction with increased speed and convenience. Since Apple Pay launched in 2014, followed by Android and Samsung Pay 2015, consumers have enjoyed the power to pay at their fingertips.

Although adoption rates are on the rise, obstacles to more widespread consumer adoption remain. To get you up to speed on the current state of mobile wallet trends, we'll look at the mobile wallet[...]

If you want to accept credit and debit card payments for your business, you’ll need a merchant account. A merchant account is essentially a line of credit that enables the processing of transactions and the deposit of funds into your business’s bank account.

It’s said that time is money—business is expected to move fast and you would expect your money to keep up. However, whether you realize it or not, the U.S. banking infrastructure does not move as fast as what you would imagine in a world where we can get deliveries within 24 hours. When we can get a giant package delivered almost within the same day, why can’t bank transfers do the same?

3dCart has been selected by Visa as the first hosted eCommerce shopping cart platform to provide our current and future merchants with access to one of the newest payment service options available, Visa Checkout.

As a business owner, you know time is money, especially in today’s hyper-digital on the go world. The faster and more secure you can make the online shopping experience for your potential customer, the more likely you are to make a sale and gain repeat business for life. By adding Visa[...]

Making a choice as to which payment gateway provider to use for your online business is not a trivial concern. This choice requires careful thought and planning.

Depending on several factors, the choice can make your business profitable or have a negative effect on your success.

3dcart offers you many choices in this regard. In some cases, too many choices can be daunting, overwhelming and create confusion. However, a wide range of choices also gives you the ability to make a proper, informed[...]

Bitcoin, Bitcoin, Bitcoin… We’re hearing it everywhere, aren’t we? It’s being covered everywhere in the media, including a recent NPR story about a Bitcoin wallet theft—the humor in the story apparently that all the coins, wallet, and theft were virtual.While it is true that Bitcoin operates in an entirely virtual, e-commerce realm, its currency is very real for the businesses and individuals who use it.

The internet truly is a digital frontier, filled with opportunities that just cannot be found offline. This naturally extends to trade, as eCommerce businesses can outfit their online storefronts with all kinds of features for the convenience of their customers. One major example that should be a priority for all internet-based merchants is offering a variety of payment gateways. The more ways they can accept payment, the more customers they can reach and retain.