Replacing Google Wallet/Checkout

With Big G's Wallet/Checkout almost gone, what are the other options?

[artefaqs]

As someone who's been hosed by Google Wallet/Checkout in the past, I'm not sad to see it go away.

That said, I will need to replace it with another credit card processing solution on my web site.

I already have PayPal, but some of my clients don't trust PayPal, which is why I added Google Checkout as a second option in the first place.

I need something that is

• Easy to implement for someone with mid-level PHP experience
  
• Visually easy for older people to understand
  
• Has functionality to handle instant digital downloads.
  

It's been a long time since I looked for a good processor, and while the names have changed, a lot of the problems remain -- too many are either hard to set up, require an off-the-shelf shopping cart program, or are commonly associated with the gambling or skin trades.

What I sell isn't controversial, age-restricted, or risky (it's architecture-related). Mostly it's just a method for my offline clients to pay their invoices.

Any suggestions?

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Are there that many people around who still don't trust PayPal?

I occasionally use PayPal for people to pay invoices and I just send them an email link. None of them have ever complained about this.

[piatkow]

Are there that many people around who still don't trust PayPal?

Quite a few people probably still think that you can only use PP by opening an account. (Remember that customers will be "normals" not geeks). My second experience of having a card processed by PP was that it ordered me to log in to the account that I didn't know they had created with a previous purchase. I know that they have changed this but a PP logo on a site is still a minus factor as far as I am concerned.

From posts here I also get the impression that they, at least in the earlier days, had a better image in the US than in the UK.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

In my experience here in the UK there are no longer any significant problems with PayPal reputation. As I say, if I have to use it for invoicing all I have to do is send the client an email with a link to PayPal where they can make a payment. It really is quite simple. All you have to do is provide the required information.

[jamesMP]

We had Google Wallet, but I removed it when they made the announcement a couple of months ago (only ever had a handful of sales through Wallet anyway!).

Quite a few people probably still think that you can only use PP by opening an account.

I agree that customers are don't trust/understand PayPal. It is now our primary payment solution and the majority of our customers choose to pay over the phone when they get to the PayPal "login" screen.

So I would also like recommendations for an alternative.

[topr8]

>>In my experience here in the UK there are no longer any significant problems with PayPal reputation.

i disagree, the feedback i get from talking to 'normals' about paypal is that either they think you are an ebay seller (aka. car boot trader) or you are selling stuff from your spare bedroom.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Must say I have not experienced this.

[jamesMP]

Just in my experience - we're an established bricks-and-mortar business who also sells in small volumes on-line. Despite a short message on our checkout page saying you don't need a PayPal account, probably 90% of our customers telephone to complete the order, saying they don't have a PayPal account or don't want to use PayPal to make payment.

I've done user-testing with people of varying tech-ability and all have navigated the website and "purchased" an item without problem, so there must be something inherently "untrustworthy" about PayPal or people's perceptions of them.

Regardless, I'm in a similar fix to the OP - any suggestions for an alternative?

[artefaqs]

It would be great is people would actually respond to the question posed, instead of second-guessing the OP. But that's a problem on most internet fora, not just this one.

I'm going to assume that the people who haven't experienced any customer pushback on the PayPal issue are either selling to internet geeks, or to very young people, or don't have a readily-available complaint mechanism and so they have no idea how many sales they've lost by only offering PayPal.

My clients are mostly banks, very large real estate companies, and advertising agencies. They are staffed by normal people, not internet geeks.

One thing I will say in PayPal's favor, though, is that it's very good at handling transactions in certain regions that other processors won't touch. Google Checkout would consistently fail for my customers in Singapore, India, Hong Kong, and some other places. PayPal would occasionally fail. But even if an online checkout process with PayPal failed, I've never had an e-mailed PayPal invoice link fail. It may take a while, but it always goes through.

Still -- 90% of my business is North America, so I still need a reputable Visa/MC/Amex handler that meets the requirements previously stated.

[artefaqs]

As another point of data for this discussion, I just received YET ANOTHER phone call from someone who didn't want to pay for an order with PayPal.

The real world simply doesn't trust PayPal.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

It would be great is people would actually respond to the question posed, instead of second-guessing the OP. But that's a problem on most internet fora, not just this one.

People who dismiss those who try to help them are a problem on most internet forums too. :(

Mostly it's just a method for my offline clients to pay their invoices.

I replied based on the above. If I have a client who needs to pay an invoice I send them an email with a PayPal link. All they have to do is click the link and follow the instructions. I will admit that this is not a daily occurrence but to date I have not a problem and no one has refused to use PayPal. ;)

[Essex_boy]

Pay pal is now more mainstream and not just for a minor ecom site, so I wouldnt hesitate to use it

[artefaqs]

Pay pal is now more mainstream and not just for a minor ecom site, so I wouldnt hesitate to use it

So, not only did you fail to read the part of the original post where I stated that I AM using PayPal, you also failed to read the part where I actually have people on a weekly basis who refuse to use PayPal. Not theoretical people, but actual customers.

[BeeDeeDubbleU]

Nice!