Today, WordPress is used in every genre imaginable, from basic business websites to fully-featured eCommerce stores. The numbers speak for themselves: Just over 40% of all websites on the internet now use WordPress as a foundation.
WordPress for eCommerce
So if you're designing an online store from scratch or upgrading your current business site to take payments, is WordPress the right option?
The modular nature of this CMS, combined with its vast user base, means that someone somewhere has probably already implemented a custom plugin to add the exact functionality you require without having to pay a developer.
In the case of turning WordPress into a fully-fledged eCommerce store, that plugin is known as WooCommerce.
WooCommerce Overview
Although WooCommerce is installed just like any other WordPress plugin, the software turns the basic WordPress framework into a fully-functional eCommerce platform. Customisable product listings, a shopping cart, taxes, stock levels and more are all included, plus anything else you could need to quickly build and deploy an online store.
Taking Payments on a WooCommerce Store
WooCommerce makes it simple to add a WordPress payment gateway to your online store, with a range of plugins, including the company's own offering, the official WooCommerce Payment Extension.
The WooCommerce Payment Extension seems, at first glance, like the best payment gateway plugin for WordPress. It's deeply integrated into the rest of the WooCommerce platform and makes it relatively straightforward to integrate a payment gateway into a WordPress website. However, whilst it scores top marks for ease of use, the official plugin does have a few potential drawbacks.
Potential Downsides of the Official WooCommerce Payment Plugin
Whilst the official WooCommerce plugin is a completely free payment gateway for WordPress, (fees are taken on a per-transaction basis) there are some potential downsides to its use, depending on your intended application:
- WooCommerce Payments is available in a decent range of countries (check the official page), but if your region isn't supported, you'll have no option but to look elsewhere.
- PCI-DSS compliance is not directly supported without customisation. You'll also need to keep a close eye on GDPR if you're selling to EU citizens.
- You'll be able to offer alternative payment methods and subscription-style payments, but the options aren't as comprehensive as those of rival offerings.
The WooCommerce Payment Extension is a completely free payment gateway for WordPress that’s a decent option for businesses on a budget. Still, you'll need to have an in-depth understanding of the documentation and ensure that hidden costs don't mount up.
If you're building a more extensive eCommerce operation or plan to expand into new countries or regions, better alternatives exist for integrating a payment gateway into a WordPress website.
What is the best payment gateway for woocommerce? Questions to ask yourself before making a decision
There are plenty of options when it comes to choosing the best payment gateway plugin for WordPress and WooCommerce, but not all of them will be able to offer your business the tools it needs to sell effectively in 2022 and beyond.
Here are some essential questions to ask when choosing the best payment gateway for WordPress.
Does the checkout offer suitable payment options?
The landscape of digital payments is changing at a rapid pace. Today's customers expect not just credit and debit card payment options but eWallets such as Apple and Google Pay, as well as the region-specific payment methods that they are most comfortable with. That means a simple credit card payment gateway integration in WordPress may not be enough to keep your customers happy.
Will you be able to implement payouts?
Not every business needs to make payouts, but if you need this kind of functionality from your payment provider for salary remittance or various types of customer compensation, it’s important to check how easily this functionality can be integrated into your workflow without needing multiple interfaces (or additional services).
Will the payment gateway achieve high conversions?
Of course, your conversion rates will vary tremendously depending upon the genre and region you're working in. However, good WooCommerce payment gateways allow you to customise the page layout, adding your own branding and giving you options to either embed the page on your site or redirect customers to a standalone page.
Will I need multiple integrations to get the functionality I require?
WordPress sites can be customised infinitely. However, whilst it's very easy to add dozens of plugins from different providers to cobble together a custom payment gateway in WordPress that gives you the full functionality you require, it can quickly become a nightmare to manage.
Updates and conflicting plugins can break your site, and managing multiple accounts from different payment providers can quickly become a chore. It's a much safer bet to stick with fully-featured WooCommerce payment gateways that offer everything you need in a single integration.
Is the provider able to offer great support and security?
As more people take their businesses online and customers embrace fully digital shopping, fraud and card chargebacks are surging. Add in the genuine risk of falling foul of GDPR and other legal requirements, and it becomes more important than ever to choose a provider that doesn’t just offer a credit card payment gateway integration in wordpress, but also one with the expertise to minimise exposure to security and legal risks.
In addition, if you're expanding into new regions or about to launch a hotly anticipated new product, you really don't want to be dealing with checkout page outages and other technical issues.
Introducing the ECOMMPAY Plugin for WordPress & WooCommerce
ECOMMPAY's WooCommerce payment gateway plugin is the answer to all of the above questions, allowing you to accept payments seamlessly on your eCommerce store, issue payouts and integrate with the entire feature-set of our payment ecosystem.
- Accept debit and credit card payments.
- Alternative, local payment methods for a tailored customer experience.
- Launch payment pages as embedded HTML elements, separate browser tabs or iframes.
- Let customers spread the cost of payment with Buy Now Pay Later.
- A powerful Merchant Dashboard with analytics and money management.
- Class-leading support, security and fraud prevention.
The ECOMMPAY WooCommerce payment gateway plugin doesn’t require any special technical knowledge or development time to set up, allowing you to get up and running in no time at all.
Installing the ECOMMPAY Plugin for Wordpress and WooCommerce
The ECOMMPAY WooCommerce payment gateway plugin is very simple to install and use. Simply head over to the technical documentation page and click the download link to get started.
- Log in to Wordpress and head to the admin dashboard.
- Go to the “Plug-ins” section and click the “Add New” button.
- Click the Upload Plugin button.
- Select the zipped archive file containing the plug-in and click the “Install Now” button.
- Once the plug-in is installed click the “Activate Plugin” button.
Once you see the “Plugin Activated” message, you’re ready to add your account details and begin testing.
Selecting the Best Payment Gateway for WordPress is an Important Decision
There are plenty of WooCommerce free payment gateways for WordPress, but choosing the right one can be crucial for your business. A quality payment platform integration can make expansion into new regions a much smoother process, whilst positively impacting your conversions and profit margin. ECOMMPAY's WooCommerce plugin adds an even greater level of flexibility to your store for a seamless, customer-friendly shopping experience.
