Today's Internet Shopper Wants You to Accept Credit Cards

There are two sides to the rationale for adding credit card online processing to your Internet-based business, and which side you see depends on how you think about the business.

One view stems from being a business owner. You’ve read the studies that show what credit card processing can do for your business – increase traffic, sales and profits. Not to mention add speed and efficiency to your cash-flow situation.

All those things are true, but there are still some e-merchants who see that and still don’t pull the trigger and accept payments online. And that is because they are looking at merchant services only through their eyes as business people.

They need to approach this from the perspective of the consumer. If they do they may find themselves a little more ready to add credit card services.

Today’s consumer has gotten used to the idea of shopping on the Internet. What was once a novelty is now as regular a part of their shopping life as running to the corner store for a gallon of milk and a loaf of bread. They like the fact that their e-stores are open 24/7, that they can shop on their schedule and that they never have to leave home.

Hand in hand with their love of shopping online is the fact that they are at home using their credit cards when they shop. Using their credit card allows them to make their purchase quickly and easily. In some cases it even provides some additional warranty time. And most cards also have buyer-protection programs.

So with all this in mind, think about the following scenario. An online shopper finds your site. They spend some time navigating through the various pages. They select a few items because they like what they see, and they think your pricing is pretty good, too.

And now they are ready to check out. They enter their shipping address and everything else and head to the payment page, credit card in hand. Then they hit the next-to-the-last page and find that you don’t accept credit cards.

This is where you really need to think like your customer. If you were the consumer here, are you going to go find your checkbook and a stamp and mail your payment? Probably not. The probable end to this story is that you’re going to take your business to another e-store.

Because that’s how consumers voice their opinion most of the time. Most don’t file an objection. They just move on, never to return.

Can your business afford to turn people away? Because that is what happens more and more these days when consumers are not able to use their credit cards to make their purchases. Fair or not, the consumer can be pretty fickle and capricious. While they may not make the rules of retailing, they sure will let you know when they bump up against something that doesn’t work for them.

So now do you have a greater sense of urgency when it comes to adding credit card services?