Safe Payment Methods

Credit/Debit card payments:

Payments via cards are one of the most widely used and popular methods not only in India but on the international level.

As a global payment solution, by enabling payment acceptance via cards merchants can reach out to an international market.

Credit cards are simple to use and secure. The customer just has to enter the card number, expiry date, and CVV, which has been introduced as a precautionary measure. The CVV helps detect fraud by comparing customer details and the CVV number.

Coming to debit cards, they can be considered the next popular method for eCommerce payments.

Debit cards are usually preferred by customers who shop online within their financial limits. The main difference between credit and debit card is with a debit card one can only pay with the money that is already in the bank account, whereas in the case of a credit card, the spent amount is billed, and payments are made at the end of the billing period.

Prepaid card payments:

As an alternative for credit/debit cards, prepaid cards are introduced.

They usually come in different stored values and the customer has to choose from them. Prepaid cards have virtual currency stored in them. Though the adoption rate of prepaid cards is low, they are gradually becoming popular for certain niche categories.

Bank transfers:

Though not popular nowadays but still bank transfer is considered as an essential payment method for eCommerce.

It is considered as ‘if all else fails’ kind of payment method. Some of the eCommerce stores are also keen on using bank transfer payment options.

Customers enrolled in internet banking can do bank transfers for their online purchases. Bank transfer is the most secure method as the transactions need to be approved and authenticated by the customers.

It is a simple way of paying for online purchases and does not require the customer to have a card for payment purposes

E-Wallets:

E-wallet is one of the upcoming trends which gives a new shopping experience altogether. The use of e-wallets is becoming popular at an alarming rate.

E-Wallets require a sign up from merchants as well as customers. After creating an e-wallet account and linking it to the bank account they can withdraw or deposit funds.

The whole procedure with an e-wallet is easy and fast. Considered as an advanced and instant digital payment method, e-wallets can be integrated with mobile wallets using advanced functionalities like NFC.

Prepaid e-wallet accounts store customer information and multiple credit/ debit cards and bank accounts. It needs one-time registration and eliminates the need for re-entering information every time while making payments.

Cash:

Let’s face it, in India cash is the king. For eCommerce, it comes in the form of the cash-on-delivery option.

Cash is often used for physical goods and cash-on-delivery transactions. It does come with several risks, such as no guarantee of an actual sale during delivery, and theft. Though nowadays, cash on delivery does not necessarily mean customers pay with cash (they can use cards, mobile payments as payment terminals are often available with delivery agents), missing out on this is a strict NO.

Mobile payments:

Payment acceptance was no exception for mobile penetration.

This digital payment solution offers a quick solution for customers. To set up a mobile payment method, the customer just has to download software and link it to the credit card.

As eCommerce is becoming mobile mainstreamed, customers are finding it more convenient to use mobile payment options.