June 27, 2009
e-commerce merchant account shopping cart question?
lindsay g asked:
If i set up a merchant account, will I get software to put a shopping cart in my site? i built my site with dreamweaver, and they have a shoppingcart, and i use hostmonster.com for a host and THEY have a shopping cart/merchant account package… but i also have a friend that sells merchant accounts.. what should i do>???
If i set up a merchant account, will I get software to put a shopping cart in my site? i built my site with dreamweaver, and they have a shoppingcart, and i use hostmonster.com for a host and THEY have a shopping cart/merchant account package… but i also have a friend that sells merchant accounts.. what should i do>???
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This is a complicated question –
It depends on the merchant account package.
Sometimes the merchant account gives you access to eCommerce packages i.e. Miva Merchant or open source osCommerce. You get full functionality but will not have the ability to customize it fully – but some you might.
Some times merchant accounts only provide SSL and ability to install shopping carts easier…through 1 click button as opposed to your own installation.
My advice is get to know eCommerce packages if you’re going that route. Any web host can add SSL and you yourself can install packages like Miva/osCommerce/XCart/ZenCart etc…
Get a Merchant account only if they take care of software installs, upgrades, etc. Or better – go with an e cart solution like goecart.com for example.
Hope that helps.
I also sell merchant accounts. Any credit card processing company should be able to provide you with a package that will be compatible with your website. Sometimes, the only difficulty comes when it is a Yahoo Store but yours isn’t. You need to check the rates of all your options. Don’t just use the hosts because it seems easier becuz many times, they may be priced too high in fees. Check the discount % rate, for an online account most of yours are going to be mid-qualified or non-qualified rates which are higher because no one is actually swiping the credit card, therefore the chance for fraud is higher. Check the monthly fees, monthly minimum, per transaction fees, etc. Message back if you have questions.
Most merchant account providers do not provide a shopping cart with their services. However, this doesn’t mean you can’t get one with your merchant account. Some merchant account providers are also ecommerce solutions providers. This means they have the ability to establish a merchant account for you AND supply you with a shopping cart. Just keep in mind this route can be fairly expensive as you have to pay them to create and/or install this software.
Another option, since you will need a payment gateway to process credit cards on your website, is you can try to get one that offers a free shopping cart with their gateway. This is nice because their payment gateway will automatically be integrated with your shopping cart. All you then need is the merchant account. Plug ‘n Pay offers just such a feature.
If you don’t want to worry about getting a shopping cart from the payment gateway provider or from another company then you can easily get one yourself. There are lots of fee and paid shopping carts you can get yourself. The majority of them are easy to install and they usually have lots of great features.