What Do Customers Want in an Online Payment System?

The checkout process is a critical part of the customer experience. Learn what shoppers expect from your online payment system in this expert guide.

Your checkout process can make or break a sale. When a customer decides to move forward with a purchase, your payment system should make the experience as smooth and seamless as possible. While that might seem simple, there are actually a lot of factors to consider.

The functionality of your online payment system plays a huge role in your customer experience, which is why it’s so important to choose the right option. Here’s exactly what you should look for from a customer perspective. 

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5 Things Customers Expect from an Online Payment System 

1. Speedy Transactions

When a customer decides to check out, they want to quickly pay and move on with their day. In fact, customers often already know what they want before they even begin shopping. So, by the time they reach the checkout page, they’re already thinking about the next task on their list.

Customers equate speed during the checkout process with ease and convenience, so your payment system must be able to offer fast payment processing. The faster and easier you make buying a product, the more customers will appreciate your brand and return for more

On the other hand, if your payment system isn’t fast and responsive, you’re more likely to lose sales. Customers already deal with stress and frustration throughout their regular lives. If your checkout process is slow, customers are more likely to abandon their carts.

2. Fully Integrated Payment Gateway

Your checkout page should look like the rest of your website. If your website takes your customers to a payment gateway that feels different from the rest of your branding, they’ll feel skeptical about the trustworthiness of your brand. For most shoppers, this is a warning sign that your website may not be legitimate.

Choose a payment system that allows you to customize the checkout page with your branding or integrate with the API. With the latter option, you can even embed hosted payment fields onto your own website or application. 

3. Preferred Payment Methods

Every customer has a preferred payment method. Some want to use their debit cards, while others prefer Apple Pay, and so on. In fact, a study from Milo found that 56% of shoppers want to see a variety of payment options when they go to checkout.

People prefer different methods for different reasons. They might want to get points from a certain credit card company or prefer the ease and security of a digital wallet.It’s important to accept all of the major payment methods so that you don’t alienate part of your audience. 

4. Privacy and Security

Security breaches are more common than ever, and customers want the assurance that their information is safe with you. According to data from Baymard, 18% of people have abandoned a purchase because they didn’t trust the site with their payment information.

You can get an SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificate that ensures you have a secure connection and encrypt all credit card information. This also displays a lock next to your website URL in the address bar of web browsers. 

It’s also important to maintain PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) compliance. These regulations provide standards for storing, transmitting, and processing cardholder data. You can display the PCI DSS badge on your checkout page so customers know that you comply with industry regulations.

5. Intuitive, Distraction-Free Interface

As we’ve discussed, customers want a fast and easy checkout process. Any friction during the process could lower their perceived value of your product or service. If there are too many issues, they may abandon their purchase altogether. Make sure that your payment system is intuitive. Each step in the payment process should be straightforward and obvious.

Keep your system simple to avoid distracting customers from the task at hand - only asking for essential information. Don’t make your customers create an account to check out. In most cases, you just need a customer’s name, email, payment information, and address to complete the transaction.

Similarly, customers want to be able to easily correct any errors. The system should point out exactly which field has an error. It should leave information as the customer entered it (rather than clearing the field entirely) so the customer can pinpoint their mistake without having to reenter their entire card number.

The Benefits of Working with Pay.com as Your Payment Service Provider 

If you’re ready to revitalize your payment system, Pay.com can give you the tools to create the perfect checkout experience. After a quick onboarding process, you can integrate Pay.com’s hosted payment fields into your own website so your customers get a smooth transition from shopping to checkout. 

Then, easily add a variety of payment methods to your site with a few clicks. You can choose from major credit card companies, popular digital wallets, ACH transfers, and more. From there, your customers can start checking out and enjoy fast payment processing. 

Pay.com maintains Level 1 PCI DSS compliance. You can opt to display this badge on your website so that your customers know they’re in good hands. Plus, Pay.com supports 3DS2 (3D Secure 2.0) which adds another layer of authentication. This can help ensure that each transaction is legitimate without creating friction for customers.

Click here to get started with Pay.com now! 

The Bottom Line

The payment system is a critical point of interaction between your business and your customers. A complicated checkout process can lower the perceived value of your offering and even lead to an abandoned cart. Meanwhile, an easy, straightforward checkout experience can keep customers coming back for more.

It’s important that you provide your customers with a distraction-free, simple, and secure checkout process. Let Pay.com do the hard work for you. Our online payment system maintains Level 1 PCI DSS compliance and easily integrates with your website or app. Your customers get speedy transactions with their choice of payment methods. Sign up with Pay.com today to get started.

FAQs

What's the best way for a business to accept online payments?

Pay.com is a powerful payment solution that makes accepting online payments easy. Use our developer-friendly APIs to create a seamless checkout page, add payment methods with the click of a button, and provide each customer with secure transactions. Click here to create your account now.

What are the elements of a payment system?

A payment system provides your business with the necessary infrastructure to accept payments. That includes a payment gateway, merchant account, and payment processing services.

What are the key factors to consider when choosing a payment system?

You should choose a payment system that provides fast processing, accepts multiple payment methods, and has extensive security measures. Your payment system should also be distraction-free and intuitive to provide an excellent customer experience.

What are the benefits of accepting multiple payment methods?

When you accept several payment methods, you can attract new customers. You can also build trust with customers who choose specific methods that they believe are most secure. Plus, you can lower your cart abandonment rate, as 9% of shoppers report leaving a purchase behind because of a lack of payment methods.

Meet the author
Ginny Dorn
Ginny Dorn is a finance and business copywriter specializing in credit card processing and fintech. She graduated from Western Illinois University with a bachelor's degree in family and consumer sciences.
The Best Way to Accept Online Payments

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