To ensure the scalability of your online business you need to consider how to accept payments using the most well-known global payment methods. There are a variety of payment methods available. The following list is a brief look at those most-common and accessible online payments options that you need to consider.
Visa and MasterCard cards
Visa and MasterCard credit cards are accepted in most countries (China being an exception). Online payments via credit card are the popular choice in many parts of the world, so it is an important payment option to offer. Your customers should be able to pay for your services through this payment method. If you do not, many customers will search for solutions elsewhere.
Maestro cards
Maestro debit card, owned by MasterCard is not as popular as Visa or MasterCard, but in many markets, especially in Europe, Brazil, and Australia, many people prefer to pay via direct debit rather than create a credit card debt.
PayPal
PayPal is one of the most popular alternative payment methods in the world. In some regions, such as North America, the service is widely used. While many people prefer the payment option, others will refuse to use it, however, it is a good option for people who do not want to enter their credit card data online.
American Express cards
If you are selling in the North American market, you must have American Express as a payment option. One of the big advantages of the card for users is the ability to make large payments in one transaction, which can be a benefit to your business too.
Bank transfer
A huge advantage of accepting bank transfers in your eCommerce business: most people have a bank account, so most users can make a wire transfer. However, there is a downside: if you want to sell globally, it has to work manually (so you are providing your bank account number on your website and waiting for a transfer).
It is one of the most popular payment methods. Most countries have their own dedicated systems for bank transfers in eCommerce (such as iDEAL in the Netherlands, GiroPay in Germany, pay-by-link transfers in Poland, etc). So if you don’t want to implement each of these payment systems separately you can provide your bank account number on your website.
JCB cards
This credit card is more prominent in Asian markets (Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Japan) and completely unknown on the others. Depending on the scope of your intended market, the credit card might be a valuable payment option to include.
(China) UnionPay
One of the biggest card brands in the world, with the biggest number of issued cards, a Union Pay card is essential if you want to sell in Asia (especially in China). The popularity of the card is growing, so including it as a payment option could be good for your scalability.
Direct debit
Direct debits work completely differently in different countries. In some countries, it works automatically, in the others it does not. It’s available around the globe, but unfortunately, most countries have their own regulations for processing this payment method. That’s why if you want to sell through direct debits in several countries – in most cases – you will need to implement direct debit methods for each of these countries separately.
Diners Club cards
Diners Club is a well-known worldwide card brand. Owned by Discover Financial Services it’s quite popular in certain markets, such as North America, Germany, and the UK. the card is also popular in some specific industries, such as travel and entertainment. Depending on your market and industry, it is worth considering if Diner Club is an attractive payment option for your customers.
