By max June 29, 2023
BigCommerce is one of the most preferred platforms for developing online stores. Customers can view, buy, and pay for the products through your store. BigCommerce is also popular for its flexible payment methods. The platform allows sellers to integrate with different payment processors or acquiring banks to process online transactions securely and seamlessly.
Unlike other eCommerce platforms, BigCommerce doesn’t limit your options to in-house payment processors. BigCommerce Payment Gateways enable merchants to accept payments online. It refers to all payment processors or gateways compatible with BigCommerce.
Are you wondering which payment gateways are acceptable on BigCommerce, how you can use its payment services, and what’s the procedure for transferring/accepting payments? You have come to the right place. Let’s learn more about payment gateways for BigCommerce.
What Are BigCommerce Payment Gateways?
Payment Gateways are the portals that verify the payment and allow the transmission of communication from the user to the payment processor. It is these payment gateways that facilitate the seamless transfer of customers’ card information to the processor. Note that payment processors and gateways are different, although the terms are sometimes used interchangeably. Both have different functions.
Payment gateways encrypt the cardholder’s card information, ensuring a secure transaction, while the payment processors verify this data and accept or decline the card. The payment gateway may or may not be attached to the payment processors. It can either direct the card details to a third-party payment processor or use its in-house payment processor.
Common Payment Gateways For BigCommerce
The payment gateways are categorized into the three following types. Let’s understand each.
On-Site Payment Gateways
As the name implies, on-site payment gateways are built-in payment processing tools that are built directly into the merchant’s website. Making a payment on a website with an in-house payment gateway is pretty straightforward, as the entire transaction takes place on the merchant’s website. The process might make it easy for your customers to do everything on your website, i.e. from purchasing products to making the payments.
However, managing the on-site payment gateways is not easy for the merchant, as they have the responsibility of managing a huge customer database. Greater control over the payment system also means the business can collect useful insights, including customers’ buying patterns, preferred payment mode, average transaction size, etc.
Redirect Payment Gateways
Another way to integrate payment processing into your eCommerce platform is by choosing redirect payment gateways. It refers to the process of redirecting customers to the third-party payment gateway portal, where their transaction is verified and processed. The best example is PayPal.
When making a payment on a merchant’s website, you will be redirected to a third-party gateway, like PayPal, where you need to mention your account details and verify the information. Simply put, the redirect payment gateways direct you to a third-party website where you need to verify your account details.
These payment gateways are famous among customers and are also used by many merchants, they can be a little inconvenient, as customers move from one screen to another to verify their payment details. From the merchant’s perspective, redirect payment gateways are convenient, as they don’t have to manage cardholders’ data.
On-site and Off-site Combined
Some merchants have embraced hybrid payment models where they have payment gateways built within their website and a third-party payment processor. This means the customer enters the card details within the merchant’s website and the details are verified within the platform before they are sent to the payment processor.
The entire processing is outsourced to the third-party payment processor, but the process takes place at the backend. Then again, this payment model is far better and more flexible than redirect payment gateways, as it gives merchants greater control over payment management.
How Does Payment Processing on BigCommerce Work?
Payment gateways or processors on BigCommerce work just like they do on other eCommerce platforms. The processing depends on the type of payment gateway you choose. The customer visits your eCommerce store, selects the products, adds them to their cart, and then heads to the checkout page.
As mentioned above, if it’s a redirect payment gateway, a new payment verification screen will open on the customer’s screen. The exact payment processing varies for each gateway. Some merchants request customers to input their card details within the website, while some digital wallets allow your customers to use their saved card information to process the transaction with just a few clicks.
Whichever payment gateway you choose, there’s one thing in common in each—merchants do not have to type in a single thing to process the transaction. The customers enter their card details, which are then sent to the payment processor, who verifies the transaction and marks it complete once the information is accurate. The main role of a payment gateway, in all types mentioned above, is to communicate your card details to the payment processor.
It’s important to note that even the best payment gateway doesn’t guarantee protection from chargebacks. The only responsibility of the payment gateway is to communicate your card details to the acquiring bank.
Steps for Integrating Payment Gateway Into Your BigCommerce Store
The biggest advantage of using BigCommerce is that it allows you to integrate your payment gateway into the platform in just a few steps. The process is quick and takes only a few minutes. Let’s take a look at the steps for integrating the payment gateway
Step 1: Sign into your BigCommerce or register an account if you aren’t already a merchant.
Step 2: Head to the Settings section and choose Payments
Step 3: In the online payment methods option, you will see a list of the payment methods the platform is compatible with.
Step 4: Once you have selected the suitable payment gateway, choose “Setup”
Step 5: Enter the required information and complete the setup.
The process is straightforward, but there’s a technical team always available at your disposal should you face any difficulty completing the setup at any point. If you are integrating a third-party payment gateway into your eCommerce store, make sure you set up a merchant account with them before initiating the integration.
Once you have a merchant account, you can connect the payment gateway to your eCommerce store via API integration. For any technical issue, you can get in touch with the customer support team of the payment gateway or BigCommerce.
How to Choose the Right Payment Gateway for BigCommerce?
Now that you know how to integrate a payment gateway into your BigCommerce store, the next big question is how to choose the right payment gateway for your business. With so many options, how do you decide on a suitable solution? Let’s find out.
Compare the Cost
It’s obvious that cost will be the first thing you’ll want to consider when selecting a suitable payment gateway. Before determining an ideal budget, consider your monthly revenue, your industry, and the payment methods you accept. In addition to the transaction fees, you will incur a setup fee, which is fixed in most cases. There’s not much negotiation possible here, but it acts as the best option to compare payment gateways.
Device Compatibility
Visitors use different operating systems, browsers, and payment methods to complete the transaction on the merchant’s website. Before you choose a payment gateway, you need to ensure that it’s compatible with all devices, operating systems, and browsers so that your customers do not abandon their shopping cart because of device incompatibility with the payment gateway.
You can also collect your visitor’s insights, to know which payment methods a majority of your customers prefer. While you are at it, check the compatibility of the payment gateway with BigCommerce. Fortunately, the platform has more than 65 online payment solutions and accepts more than 140 currencies.
Customer Support is Important
This may not be the first thing people consider when choosing a payment gateway, but it is important. The right customer support service will help you have peace of mind knowing that there’s a professional to look into the technical glitches or any kind of issues. Remember, downtime can result in significant loss for a business, even if it’s just for an hour.
Think about what if the customer team doesn’t respond in 4-5 hours. You will lose a large number of customers if your payment gateway stops functioning. Look for a company that offers excellent support service.
Does BigCommerce Charge Extra for Payment Gateway?
Not unless you choose its in-house payment gateway and processing tools. If you are integrating third-party payment gateways, it’s free. However, you still pay the setup and transaction fee to the company you choose. Other than that, BigCommerce only charges a monthly/annual fee for creating a merchant account on the platform.
Conclusion
BigCommerce is known for its flexible payment options, allowing merchants to choose from a long list of compatible payment gateways for the platform. The integration is pretty simple too. Although each payment gateway option is great, Bigommerce’s in-house payment processing is highly recommended for merchants that want to offer security and convenience to their customers.