Whether you sell domain names or work as a freelance writer, everyone who makes a living online needs an online payment processing service. Without companies like PayPal and Google Checkout, thousands of small businesses would not be able to continue with their business operations. However many people are extremely wary about handing over personal information to an organisation that they have never heard of.
So what are the most popular online payment processing service providers? Here is our top six:
1. PayPal
When it comes to online payment processing service providers, PayPal is by far the most well known and the most popular of them all. PayPal is popular because of its flexibility – it allows you to accept payments from other PayPal users as well as through people’s credit and debit cards.
PayPal also offers protection against fraud and allows you to store information regarding payment, transaction details and banking history. The only downside to PayPal is that it is not accepted in some countries, such as Pakistan.
2. CCNOW
CCNOW is an authorized online retailer that helps small businesses offer their products to a worldwide market. CCNOW has an airtight fraud prevention system and its reputation online is beyond reproach.
Just like all the other online processing services, CCNOW uses dedicated servers and also uses SSL to ensure that all information exchanged between yourself and your customers is encrypted and secure.
3. Google Checkout
Google Checkout is PayPal’s biggest rival in terms of brand awareness. Checkout has grown in stature since its inception five years ago and continues to gain momentum in terms of market share. However, customer reviews indicate that Google Checkout’s customer service is not up to PayPal’s level as of yet.
4. Moneybookers
Moneybookers is a very popular online payment processing service provider that has 19.9 million users worldwide. This particular service allows customers to pay for their goods by money transfer through the Internet. Their fully integrated banking networks offers users over 100 different payment options with 41 currencies from around the world.
5. AlertPay
AlertPay is arguably the second most commonly used payment processing service after PayPal. It was launched in Montreal in 2004 with the express intention of simplifying instant online transactions. The great thing about AlertPay, and one of the reasons why it is so popular, is that you can open an account for free.
6. OboPay
OboPay is a relatively new online payment service provider that is exploring new ways of making online transactions. For instance, through OboPay you can make online transactions through your mobile phone. Although this service is possible through PayPal, it is quite clumsy and not completely secure. With OboPay you have software that is especially designed for SmartPhone usage. Expect to see OboPay rise in popularity as Smart Phones become more and more prevalent in our society.
The internet has revolutionised the way we handle our finances. Now we can buy and sell from the comfort of our homes. With these six popular online payment processing service providers, your online financial activities will be stress-free and secure.
