Seeking integration-friendly payment system for online web tools

ie: user pays -> provider confirms -> script updates the members account

[harleyx]

This is the setup:

User joins the site and creates an account. They get to use the tool and test it out as long as they like. If/when they decide it's worth purchasing a business account with more features, they do so via a link which sends them to the payment processor and includes their membership ID. The payment processor takes payment, verifies, and sends back a confirmation to a page I have setup which interacts with the implemented user system to make necessary changes to the appropriate account.

I've looked at Paypal's system, though Paypal has a bad reputation for unexplained account closures and being generally unreliable.

What other options are there for accepting online payments? I'm so clueless in this area I don't even know what to search for to find other payment systems.

[Corey Bryant]

Paypal is fine as long as you do not do anything against their TOS / AUP. So many people negelct to read that for some reason. Paypal is a third party processor who has a merchant account and it is in Paypal's best interest to keep that merchant account. And unfortunately, a lot of people under the age of 18 sign up for a paypal account which is against their TOS. So their account is suspended and then they like to complain about it. Just remember, 100 people will complain for every one person who will give you a compliment.

Having said that, Paypal seems like a perfect fit for this. If you are anticipating over $1,000 a month, you also might consider a merchant account with an electronic payment gateway if you are in the United States or Canada.

Another 3PP you might check out is 2CO - they might be able to support you as welll

-Corey