What to decide on..

[ryanb4614]

Link point vs Authorize.net vs pay pal pro.. experiences and recommedations please.

[mamasylvia]

I use PayPal regular and express, not pro -- couldn't see any reason to pay a monthly fee AND higher percentages. Both have worked seamlessly with my ZC, and I purchase postage and print shipping labels through PP. Only problem is I got an Email from a customer today that said that her husband had had a horrible experience with Paypal so she wouldn't be ordering from me. I sent her a nice Email that I understood.

[stevesh]

From the research I've done, the three you've mentioned seem to be roughly equal in terms of numbers of fans and detractors. LinkPoint and Authorize are usually sold through resellers (including Zencart), so you can price shop a little. I personally don't use PayPal because they require you to post their Express button on your site.

To disagree a little with mamasylvia, I won't buy from sites which only offer PayPal either (unless you're selling something I can't live without and can't get anywhere else (although I'm really curious about what a tomato-scented candle smells like)), but I won't bother sending an email. I want to think that the businesspeople I do business with are sufficiently committed that they'll spend a few bucks a month for a proper merchant account. That way I can believe they'll still be around if I have a problem with what I ordered, or want to buy again.

[ryanb4614]

I want to make sure that if I am setting up my business correctly, I am in the process of opening a business checking account. Then all I will need is Link Point, (I'm looking into this more than paypal) for my zen-cart...in order to accept credit cards correct?

[Kim]

Please note this page is sponsored by First Data, but The FAQs are very informative and should answer many basic questions.

http://merchant-accounts-4-shopping-carts.com/faq.html

[mamasylvia]

> are sufficiently committed that they'll spend a few bucks a month for a proper merchant account

Last time I checked, it wasn't a matter of a "few bucks" -- it was more like $50/month. There are still months I don't gross $50, and I've been selling online since 2001. (Of course, there are also months I net over $200 ...) I pretty much don't expect to be able to justify the flat expenses of a merchant acct (in addition to the CC percentage) until I have the steady income to justify it.

Maybe I should offer to let people pay by M.O. as well, but I don't want to put my home address out there. I'd have to get a P.O. box.

(The tomato candle really does smell like tomatoes growing on the vine. Amazing.)

[Kim]

Accepting credit cards is one of those business expenses that generally has a very large return on investment. Most businesses will see immediate increases in sales. Some company's offer special "small" business accounts that are very inexpensive. It is worth your time to talk to the various folks on our Partner's page.

[ryanb4614]

Has anyone used Link Point? Or does people go through their personal bank, Im just confussed of the process...

[stevesh]

It hasn't been updated for a while, but there's some pretty good general info about merchant accounts here:

http://www.informed-merchant.com/