Easy Payment solutions for Home-based businesses

By Cher Zevala

Special to the Financial Independence Hub

More and more people are striking out on their own and starting their own businesses. Whether they simply want the freedom to work from anywhere in the world or feel they have something worthwhile and valuable to contribute to the business world, today is the age of startups and home-based businesses and customers are flocking to them.

For the owners and managers of these businesses things can look a lot different when, all of a sudden, you have to be the receptionist, the accountant, the inventory manager, and virtually everyone else who staffs a business. However, most of these are one-person operations, which can be difficult to manage.

The end result of any business is to make a profit. While you need to direct your attention to all aspects of your new business the ultimate goal is to get paid;  if your company exists solely on the web you’ll need the tools to make it easy for your customers and clients to pay you. Here are few easy payment options that accomplish that:

PayPal

In many ways the dinosaur of online payment systems, PayPal remains an easy way to receive payments provided your customer has a PayPal account. Not as popular as it used to be, it’s still a wise choice to have a PayPal payment option on your business website.

The funds you receive can be transferred to your bank account but some people choose the option to leave money in their PayPal account and use it for other purchases that offer PayPal. The choice is entirely up to you.

E-Commerce Plug-ins

The world’s tech developers have made web-based businesses easier than ever to run with payment plug-ins. These are the “add to cart” buttons you see when you shop anywhere online. Once customers finish shopping, they enter your payment method and information and it’s done.

Plug-ins like WooCommerce and Shopify not only make it easy for your customers to have a quick and simple shopping experience but it takes a great deal of the pressure off you. Taxes and shipping rates are calculated automatically and you receive your funds in a timely manner.

Apple Pay

Once reserved almost exclusively for point-of-sale systems, Apple Pay can now be used for online purchases, which is a boon for online retailers. The process works in the same way; the purchase is authenticated via the iPhone’s Touch ID system provided the customer has set up their credit card information.

From the business owner’s side of the transaction you simply need to register with Apple Pay to display the icon on your checkout page and your customer completes the transaction in the manner described above. Many experts say that this development will compete directly with PayPal and could render them obsolete.

Payment by Check/Cheque

If PayPal is the dinosaur, then payment by check is something truly ancient. However, it’s quite surprising to learn just how many people still use paper checks (cheques) over credit cards and other forms of digital payment. In some cases it’s for record-keeping purposes and in other cases checks are preferred for very large payments. However, the end result is that you as the merchant have to wait for those funds to clear and that can take several days.

There are easier ways to receive your money when you customer uses a check. If you need to have those funds cleared in a more timely manner, services like ACH check processing can take the check and transfer the funds to you, whether you accept via phone or electronically. These types of services make it easy for you to receive your funds and easy for your clients who need to pay by check.

Running a business online requires a great deal of thought and careful planning but as we mentioned earlier the goal is to get paid and make your business a profitable one. Offering your customers easy ways to pay for their purchases not only keeps them happy but also ensures that you receive your payment for all of your hard work. And as technology moves forward we might be able to expect other options but for now, these payment choices are some of the best you can make.

Cher Zevala is a content coordinator who assists in contributing quality articles on various topics. In her free time she also enjoys hiking, traveling and getting to know the world around her. Cher has built up many strong relationships over the years within the blogging community and loves sharing her useful tips with others.