Payment

Payment

Irrespective of the payment mechanism used, there are four key factors to consider at the outset when reviewing the possible options. These are:
- Acceptability: the payment system selected must be widely accepted by, and acceptable to merchants, thereby ensuring that the sale is processed without delay;
- Ease of integration: the website interface that is used by the user to input the payment details must be effective and integrated into the total network environment;
- Customer base: there must be enough users of the chosen payment system, and enough subsequent traffic, to justify the investment;
- Ease of use and ease of access: the payment system should be as easy to use and understand as possible, so that it caters for all potential levels of users.

Payment Options

- Shopping Cart and Payment Software
- Writing Your Own Interface
- Merchant Services
- Third Party Merchant Services
- Digital Cash
- Ecash
- Micropayments
- Purchasing Cards
- eCheques
- PayPal

E-payment methods:
1. Electronic payment cards (credit, debit, charge)
2. Virtual credit card
3. E-wallets ( or e-purse)
4. Smart cards
5. Electronic cash
6. Wireless payments
7. Stored-value card payments
8. Loyalty cards
9. Person-to-person payment methods
10. Payments made electronically at kiosks

Other method used primarily for B2B payments:
1. Electronic checks
2. Purchasing cards
3. Electronic letter of credit
4. Electronic funds transfer (EFT)
5. Electronic benefits transfer (EBT)
6. E-lines of credit

Applications of smart card
1. Loyalty cards
2. Financial applications
3. Information technology cards
4. Health and social welfare information cards
5. Transportation
6. Identification



Customer Confidence

One of the major problems that eCommerce has encountered in terms of end-user acceptance is the perception that many sites are insecure and the credit card detail of their customers are likely to be intercepted by hackers.