Care to review my new site?

[DecorativeDishes]

At least with the PP Shopping cart I use on my website, its just copy/paste - that I can handle OK Cheesy

Both BBH and Fiber Guy encouraged me to get a merchant account right away for my off-eBay site. The were correct in that twice as many people use cc as Paypal on my site.

You are a one of the first Store boardies I knew that had a web site so I KNOW you could get set up here. They are verrrrry helpful. Kim

[thentavius]

Both BBH and Fiber Guy encouraged me to get a merchant account right away for my off-eBay site. The were correct in that twice as many people use cc as Paypal on my site

Absolutely 100% true. For anyone reading this who's kicking around the idea of accepting PayPal-only in their webstore--consider this.

My last ecommerce site sold role playing game supplies, dice, board games, fantasy stuff, etc. Since 2002 we had thousands of orders. Before closing the business, we analyzed how many total sales had paid with PayPal over the 4 years it was in business--because it had always seemed a rare payment option.

Credit Card - VISA/Mastercard through our merchant account was #1
(about 90% of all orders)
Check / Money order mail-in payment #2 (about 8% of all orders)
PayPal - (usually for someone who wanted to pay via AMX) - 2% of all orders.

Some of the customers didn't even know what PayPal was (as was the case with several people who wanted to pay via American Express or Discover, but our merchant account doesn't process those. When I instructed them to use those cards through PayPal, they had NO idea what I even meant).

[amy]

Credit Card - VISA/Mastercard through our merchant account was #1
(about 90% of all orders)
Check / Money order mail-in payment #2 (about 8% of all orders)
PayPal - (usually for someone who wanted to pay via AMX) - 2% of all orders.

Our websites average 95%+ merchant, under 5% PayPal.

Some of the customers didn't even know what PayPal was

Sell on TradeMe in New Zealand (which we did before they banned international sellers) if you want to see people who are clueless about PayPal.  ;D

On Overstock our sales are 90% merchant/10% PayPal.  PayPal only on O guarantees you a higher NBP rate.

[Anita]

I do a LOT of online shopping...

When I didn't know what PayPal was, I NEVER used it. 
Now that I know what PayPal is, I NEVER use it.

[Powerbuyer]

Both BBH and Fiber Guy encouraged me to get a merchant account right away for my off-eBay site. The were correct in that twice as many people use cc as Paypal on my site.

My monthly transaction volume, coupled with the technical requirements, and additional start-up and monthly costs involved with merchant accounts options I've researched, has kept me with Paypal so far.  Buyers can pay with their CC without being PP account holders, I have gotten lots of these through my website.

You are a one of the first Store boardies I knew that had a web site so I KNOW you could get set up here. They are verrrrry helpful. Kim

By here, do you mean here at TT?  I don't think so - I feel much better having my website under my control here, even if I am on a learning curve with the technical and hardware aspects of doing so.  I lost my IT department when my husband died in July.  So I need to do a lot of  to educate myself on the network and how to use it properly.

[bargainbloodhound]

My monthly transaction volume, coupled with the technical requirements, and additional start-up and monthly costs involved with merchant accounts options I've researched, has kept me with Paypal so far.

There are mannnnnnnny merchant accounts without any start-up costs.  The only technical requirements are a shopping cart (free if you use osC, Zen, etc.  Support for credit cards is built-in and enabling card payments usually only entails entering your account number and password/nerchant key) and an SSL certificate (available for under $20 from several places).  You could even skip the SSL by using something like Mals.

[thentavius]

I offer PayPal an additional option, just so I don't lose that 2% of sales.

As a primary option, I can't imagine it. I think you'd be better of trying Google Checkout as your merchant account if you can't afford one. It can be inegrated with many platforms and performs quite like a merchant account.

[xppman]

Since I got my merchant account.
VERY little PP... I mean VERY little.

Still offer it... but I KNOW PP, so there is no trust there for me.

[Powerbuyer]

As a primary option, I can't imagine it. I think you'd be better of trying Google Checkout as your merchant account if you can't afford one.

Yes, I have signed up for them but they can't be integrated into Paypal's Shopping Cart (for obvious reasons *smile*).  Its only an option for now through my Google Base listings.

Once I get something figured out, I plan on having both G and PP as options in my cart.

There are mannnnnnnny merchant accounts without any start-up costs.  The only technical requirements are a shopping cart (free if you use osC, Zen, etc.  Support for credit cards is built-in and enabling card payments usually only entails entering your account number and password/nerchant key) and an SSL certificate (available for under $20 from several places).  You could even skip the SSL by using something like Mals.

Like I said, of the ones I've researched - there are LOT more options out there that I just haven't had time to investigate.  I'd want to have the new site ready to drop the merchant account into, so getting the website figured out was the priority over the merchant account - but that's on hold until I can figure out what to do.

Installing things like the SSL certificate would be something new for me too - its intimidating when you are not technology saavy.

Besides that right now I have my hands full with a server with a degraded SCSI drive I need to replace and get back up and running again.

*crossfingers*

Edited to add:  Mals-e.com is looking very good to me right now as its just adding buttons to a webpage, like I've been doing with Paypal's cart, but will do Paypal and Google Checkout.  I'm going to take a hard look at it once the server problems are past me.

[thentavius]

I think Google Checkout also has Buy Now buttons that can be placed on your site for purchasing, taking your customer instead to the Google Checkout cart.