Handling payments

There are a number of interrelated issues with regard to payment handling, some of which are not obviously apparent. This is one of those times where I recommend to read about payment providers and currencies, to completely understand the best option that fits your business.

Which payment provider should I use?

This is an interesting question. The three big players that we will cover specifically are Google Checkout, PayPal and Amazon payments. There are a few comparisons between them that should help you choose the best option for you. First, a few words about merchant accounts.

Merchant accounts

A merchant account is where you use a company, sometimes called a "gateway", to handle the actual transaction, but the customer's payment is deposited directly into your account. This sounds great and in some ways it is, but it's not always a good option. Another advantage is that you are probably less prone to being defrauded by a customer. This is because regular credit card chargeback...