[FAQ]

I’m in the home stretch of building my first online store, and now I’ve hit the payment gateway step. Honestly, it’s more confusing than I expected.

I see names like Stripe, PayPal, and Authorize.net everywhere. When I start looking into their fee structures—per-transaction fees, monthly fees, etc.—my head starts to spin. I’m just a small startup, so keeping costs low is a priority, but I also need something that’s reliable and easy for my customers to use.

I’m using WooCommerce, if that makes a difference. Is there a clear “best” option for a beginner, or does it depend entirely on the business? I’m worried about picking one and then realizing later that the fees are too high or it’s difficult to manage.

Any advice would be a lifesaver.

[Jeff Bullas]

Choosing your payment gateway is a critical decision that impacts both your revenue and customer trust.

Short Answer: There is no single “best” gateway, but the right one for a new store typically prioritises simple, transparent pricing and ease of integration over complex features.

You should evaluate them based on a few key factors rather than just looking for the lowest transaction fee.

To find the right fit for your business, you need to consider a few things. First, analyse the fee structure; some gateways offer a simple, flat-rate fee per transaction which is predictable and great for new businesses, while others might have lower rates but add monthly fees. Second, consider the checkout experience, as some gateways keep the customer on your website for the entire process, which is great for brand consistency, while others redirect them to a separate site to complete payment, which can be simpler to set up. Finally, since you are using WooCommerce, you must prioritise a gateway that has a reliable and well-supported plugin, as a difficult integration will cause endless headaches. The biggest mistake is choosing an obscure provider to save a fraction of a percent on fees, as sticking with a reputable, well-known gateway is crucial for security and customer confidence.

Cheers,
Jeff

[Author]

Posts