Want to jump straight to the answer? The best small business POS system for most people is Square or Shopify POS.
Small businesses need a fast and simple way to check out customers—regardless of the customer’s payment method or transaction environment. Things like tracking inventory, printing receipts, managing your cash drawer, and accurately tracking sales for bookkeeping purposes shouldn’t be a hassle for your employees or back office.
POS systems simplify payment acceptance and accounting while streamlining the checkout process for your customers. You can use this guide to find the perfect POS system for your small business.
The Top 5 Best POS Systems For Small Businesses
Square — Best Versatile POS Hardware For Simplicity
Shopify POS — Best For Retailers Selling In-Person and Online
Square has quickly become one of the most popular POS systems for small businesses in nearly every industry. That’s because they have such a wide range of hardware solutions to accommodate varying needs and checkout environments.
For small business retailers, quick-service restaurants, full-service dining, professional services, and so much more, there’s a good chance Square has an option that fits your needs.
Find an option that fits your needs with Square’s wide range of POS hardware.
For such a feature-packed POS solution, every piece of hardware from Square is surprisingly easy to use. Square accommodates contactless payments, online orders, phone orders, pickup and delivery, invoicing, and more.
You can choose from a wide range of POS hardware that works as a fixed register, mobile throughout your store, and even manage checkouts on the go.
Square Register — All-in-one cash register with a customer-facing display
Square Stand — iPad POS that lets you add printers and cash drawers
Square Terminal — Portable POS terminal with built-in payment processing and receipt printing
Square Reader — Turn any phone or tablet into a payment processing system and POS solution
Reader With Contactless Chip — To accept payments on the go
All of these solutions make it ultra-easy to set up and use, regardless of the checkout environment.
Stands and Terminals start at $149 and $299, respectively. If you want a complete Square Register, pricing starts at $799. Financing is available for all hardware, and you can even get a free card reader.
Shopify POS — Best For Retailers Selling In-Person and Online
Shopify is best known for its industry-leading ecommerce platform. But it’s also an excellent option for small businesses that sell both online and in-person.
That’s because you can manage all of your inventory, sales, and customer information from a single source of truth. It also has advanced inventory management features, including forecasting tools, so you can prepare your stock accordingly.
Sell online or in-person with Shopify’s versatile POS tools.
This is an excellent option for brick-and-mortar retailers that are expanding to online sales. It also works really well for ecommerce stores that want to establish a retail presence.
Keeping everything organized for your customers is another great perk. If someone buys a product online and wants to return it in person, Shopify POS can easily handle the transaction.
Customers can also buy online and pick up their purchases in your store. Let’s say an in-person shopper wants something, but you don’t have the right color or size on-site. You can use Shopify POS to process the transaction and ship the right product to their home—so you never miss a sale.
The setup and onboarding process is ultra simple. So you can get started right away and easily train your staff. If you have any questions, the Shopify support team is available 24/7 via phone, email, or live chat.
Best of all, Shopify POS is free with all Shopify plans. For those of you who want more advanced features, there’s a Pro version that starts at $89 per month.
Lightspeed offers industry-specific POS solutions for retailers, golf courses, and restaurants. But the restaurant systems are ideal for small businesses, as they accommodate such a wide range of needs within the food and beverage industry.
This POS system is versatile enough for bars, cafes, quick-service restaurants, full-service dining, hotels, and more. If you sell food and drinks, Lightspeed has you covered.
Lightspeed’s versatile POS system works for every type of restaurant.
Lightspeed has everything you need to scale your business and accommodate your customers. You can easily diversify your service offerings with online ordering and contactless delivery.
The POS system makes it easy to change your floor plan and adjust tables—ensuring your staff always knows where to go. This also helps you handle large group reservations without confusing your staff.
You can use Lightspeed to turn tables faster with tableside checkouts. The system also lets you set up QR codes for menus, ordering, and payments.
Menu modifications and custom orders? No problem. Splitting the check and accepting multiple payment forms from a single party has never been easier.
Lightspeed also syncs with third-party apps, like OpenTable, for reservations. It seamlessly integrates with popular food delivery services like UberEats and DoorDash.
Plans start at just $39 per month. You can try it free for 14 days with unlimited access to every POS feature.
Clover — Best POS System With Built-In Payment Processing
Most modern POS systems come with payment processing. But Clover is unique in the sense that it’s branded a payment acceptance solution first and a POS solution second.
But don’t think that Clover’s POS tools are an afterthought. It’s still a feature-packed solution with plenty of options for businesses in different industries.
Quickly process any type of payment with Clover’s POS solution.
You can use Clover to accept virtually any type of payment from your customers:
EMV chip cards
Contactless NFC payments
Checks
Cash
Swipe cards
Phone orders
Online orders
The list goes on and on. The software is fully encrypted and PCI compliant. You can also take payments without WiFi, and everything will sync when you connect to a network.
With Clover, most businesses get bank deposits the next day. You’ll also benefit from fraud protection of up to $100,000.
If you’re looking for a payments-first POS system that’s easy to use but highly sophisticated, look no further than Clover.
Pricing varies based on your business type and your hardware requirements. Plans start at $14.95 per month, and hardware ranges from $499 to $2,000+. Processing rates start at 2.3% + $0.10 per transaction.
As your small business grows, you need a POS system that will grow with you. Having to change your POS system as you’re opening new stores will only complicate things.
But Vend is specifically designed to accommodate small businesses with multiple locations. You can easily expand without any downtime and accommodate your customers no matter which location they’re visiting.
Vend will help you smoothly run your Multi-location business with ease.
Vend really shines with its advanced inventory management features. It seamlessly tracks all of your stock in real time. You can easily transfer merchandise from one store to another and use the mobile stock-taking features to count items and reconcile your inventory.
All of your customer information can be collected during the sale process. But this only needs to happen once, as that same customer profile can be accessed from any location.
This makes it much easier for you to track and manage customer loyalty programs across every storefront. You can also segment your customer database to further personalize the buying experience.
Vend even has built-in employee management tools. Permissions can be managed by role, and you can set up sales targets to motivate your staff and track their progress.
The solution works with nearly any payment processor, and you can accept all of your customer’s favorite payment methods from all of your locations.
Plans start at $69 per month if you use Vend’s parent company for payment processing. Otherwise, you can get Vend POS starting at $99 per month.
How to Find the Best Small Business POS Systems For You
Every POS system offers the same functions. There’s a way for you to add products or services to an order, accept a payment, and complete the checkout.
But the variations come in the details, which is where you need to look closely as you’re evaluating different POS solutions and comparing them side by side. Beyond pricing and feature lists, you need to consider the factors that relate to your specific small business and operations.
We used the key criteria below to narrow down our list of the best POS systems. You can use the same considerations as a buying guide to find the best option for your unique needs.
Hardware Types and Functionality
The first thing you need to consider is your checkout environment.
Do you want a POS system that’s fixed to a specific location on a countertop? Or do you want the flexibility to process orders from anywhere in your store?
From there, think about how the POS system should function for your business type. For example, a quick-serve coffee shop may want a POS solution with a customer-facing screen. But that likely won’t be necessary for a local dry cleaner or hair salon.
Some POS systems are simply a screen with software. But you’ll need to sync them with a separate register and payment processing system.
Others are all-in-one payment stations with built-in cash drawers and credit card machines. So you’ll need to think about which hardware solutions make the most sense for your checkout process.
Payment Acceptance
POS systems and payment processing go hand-in-hand.
If you’re already in business and happy with your payment processor, you shouldn’t get a POS system that forces you to change. So you should immediately see if the system is easily compatible with your processing system.
Others may want an all-in-one system for POS and payment processing from a single provider. While this option keeps things simple, it doesn’t always translate to the lowest possible rates. So that’s another factor you’ll need to consider.
You don’t want to turn away any paying customers. So look for a POS system that can accommodate any type of payment—including all major credit cards, cash, checks, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and other alternative payment methods.
Mobility
Mobile POS systems are critical for small businesses that operate on the go.
Let’s say you have a food truck or you’re a retailer that sells shirts at local farmer’s markets. Or maybe you have a restaurant and want your servers to take orders and process payments tableside.
You need something that’s not only small and easy to transport but also something that works from anywhere. You shouldn’t have to rely on a stable internet connection to check out customers or process payments. Look for a system that can still operate offline and then sync your records when you’re able to connect.
Conversely, small businesses that want a register fixed in a specific location in the storefront don’t have to worry about mobility.
Setup and Training
Since POS systems come in all different shapes and sizes, the setup process varies greatly as you’re comparing different solutions.
Some systems are ultra-simple and don’t require any specific hardware. You can just download software to a smartphone or tablet and turn any device into a mobile POS system.
Others do come with hardware components, but they’re ready to go out of the box.
Generally speaking, the more hardware you have, the longer the setup takes. Complete POS stations with built-in cash drawers and payment acceptance may require a bit more setup.
Beyond the initial setup, you need to think about the day-to-day use by your staff. Look for systems that are easy to use and don’t require specialized training. It should be an easy fix if someone on your team adds the wrong item to an order or needs to print a new receipt.
Otherwise, glitches and errors with your POS system could lead to long lines at your register—or worse, prevent you from accepting certain payments.
Security and Compliance
POS systems contain sensitive data. Many of you are collecting information about your customers, and some of you might even be storing credit card details when you’re processing payments.
You need to make sure your POS system is PCI compliant to avoid fines and potentially damage your company’s reputation. If there’s a data breach and information about your customers gets stolen, people might think twice before they visit your business again.
This is also important for small businesses that sell online in addition to in-person. Both digital and physical transaction environments must be secure—and you can find plenty of options that are safe with the POS systems reviewed in this guide.
The Top POS Systems For Small Businesses in Summary
Square and Shopify POS are the two best POS systems for small businesses on the market today. If you want a simple solution with lots of options for hardware, Square has you covered. Shopify POS is perfect for small businesses that want to sell online while syncing inventory with in-person sales.
Be sure to consider the hardware, payment acceptance capabilities, mobility, setup, security, and recommended use cases as you’re evaluating the top picks on our list.
Cloud environments have become a necessity for modern organizations across all industries. But choosing the right cloud computing system for your company size, goals, and infrastructure can be challenging.
“Multi-cloud” and “hybrid cloud” are two terms that are often used interchangeably, but they’re not the same. Understanding the key differences and benefits between these cloud environments will help your business grow and ensure you have the right cloud computing system that addresses your unique needs.
This in-depth guide will explain everything you need to know about multi-cloud and hybrid cloud, including tools, tricks, and best practices for success.
The Top-Rated Cloud Storage Services For Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud Environments
In addition to cloud computing, your organization needs to have a cloud storage solution to safely store assets—and these are the best options on the market today:
Multi-cloud refers to a cloud computing infrastructure involving multiple cloud services that perform different functions, such as SaaS, IaaS, and PaaS. Most multi-clouds include at least one public cloud service, with each solution coming from different providers.
A hybrid cloud environment always includes at least one private cloud in addition to public cloud services. The data and processes of a hybrid cloud typically work together to complement each other, managed almost like a single entity.
In short, multi-cloud infrastructures blend two or more of the same type of clouds, while hybrid infrastructures blend two or more different cloud types.
The Basics of Multi-Cloud vs. Hybrid Cloud
Let’s take a closer look at the core components of multi and hybrid clouds. This will help you understand how these cloud environments work while comparing the similarities and differences.
Data Storage
Storing, protecting, and easily accessing sensitive data must be a priority for every organization. So when you’re looking for cloud solutions, this needs to be a top-of-mind initiative.
Both multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments use infrastructure that combines different clouds. So in each scenario, storing sensitive data will be crucial to operations and infrastructure design.
You can store your data on-premise, on a private cloud, in a public cloud, or on an internal server. As long as the data is safe, backed up, and accessible, each type of cloud infrastructure can support sensitive data storage.
Security
Securing your cloud environment relies on the system’s architecture.
If you’re using a system that involves multiple public clouds, you’ll need to evaluate the security protocols and reliability of your cloud service providers and vendors. These providers should have processes and protocols in place to protect you from both internal and external threats.
Organizations that want more control over data encryption, endpoint security, access controls, and other system configurations can think about deploying a private cloud. This pairs multiple public services with a private cloud, resulting in a hybrid cloud environment.
Regulatory Compliance
Some organizations must follow industry-specific rules and regulations. This might include HIPAA, GDPR, PCI, or similar protocols.
You might be able to find public cloud service providers that offer these industry-specific solutions out-of-the-box. So it’s typically in your best interest to seek out these providers that likely have better cybersecurity resources than private cloud solutions.
If you’re also dealing with highly sensitive data storage, such as patient data or payment information, you need a cloud environment that is highly controlled and secured. You might be able to get this directly from public cloud providers. But sometimes you may need a hybrid solution that involves some type of private cloud in your infrastructure.
System Architecture
Multi-cloud systems mix different cloud solutions of a similar type. But there isn’t any communication between the systems, as each solution is used for different purposes.
A multi-cloud architecture also lacks a centralized management system for the network, and data is stored on at least two public clouds.
Hybrid cloud architectures contain at least one public cloud service and at least one private cloud or on-premises data center. All of the infrastructures can be managed from a single source of truth with the capability of identity management, cloud monitoring, alerts, and more. This higher level of interconnectivity makes it possible for public cloud solutions to behave as an extension of the private cloud architecture.
Many hybrid solutions also utilize private clouds and on-site data centers to store sensitive data. So certain records aren’t kept in the public cloud services.
System Availability
Multi-cloud systems rely on vendors for availability. If one vendor has a problem, you’ll need a backup system so end users don’t have any downtime.
With a multi-cloud infrastructure, you can also set up separate public clouds that are closer in location to different users. This type of deployment solves problems related to latency for users in different regions.
Availability for hybrid cloud systems falls on the shoulders of in-house IT teams. That’s because the entire workload is based on private clouds or on-premises systems.
As a result, hybrid clouds could have more issues with downtime if there’s a failure on a public or private cloud. Some downtime is inevitable if there’s a traffic spike or something goes wrong.
Vendor Lock-In
Multi-cloud organizations are vendor-independent—meaning they aren’t locked into a relationship with a single cloud services provider. Workloads and processes can easily be changed so that new vendors can be added, old vendors can be removed, and any vendor can be changed.
You may want to change vendors based on technology, cost, experience, location, or other factors. Regardless of the reason, multi-cloud systems are the easiest if you want to adapt and change with ease.
Hybrid clouds require more integrations between public cloud systems and private clouds. This presents more challenges when you’re changing or moving to a new vendor. While they’re not necessarily locked in and unable to change, cloud organizations could experience significant downtime as they’re transitioning from one vendor to another.
3 Tools to Improve Cloud Computing for Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud
Below are the top tools that we recommend for implementing and managing your cloud environment.
VMware offers cloud computing technology that’s specifically designed for multi-cloud environments. You can use the service to simplify your multi-cloud systems while adding enterprise-grade security.
With VMware, organizations can run enterprise apps from anywhere and scale operations across public cloud environments. The solution can even be used to add enhanced visibility and governance across multiple public clouds, which would otherwise be challenging in a multi-cloud deployment.
Some tools on the market are designed for multi-cloud, while others are built for hybrid cloud. But Azure Stack can accommodate both types of cloud infrastructures.
Developed by Microsoft, Azure Stack has multiple solutions for both hybrid and multi-cloud systems. It’s an excellent product for businesses that need to meet regulatory and data sovereignty requirements, which is why it’s a top choice for industries like healthcare, financial services, and government. You can also use Azure Stack to speed up your cloud migration process with its simple tools, resources, and dedicated training.
Kubernetes is an open-source solution for enterprise IT departments managing a hybrid cloud. It’s a way for tech teams to leverage both on-premises and public cloud infrastructures with flexibility and consistency.
You can use Kubernetes to quickly move workloads and applications to different parts of your IT environment. The solution has been used to help organizations migrate over 150+ different cloud services to a single source of truth for scalability and management. You’ll never outgrow Kubernetes, and you can use it to deliver applications consistently from a hybrid cloud setup.
5 Best Practices For Cloud Computing With Multi-Cloud and Hybrid Cloud
As you’re deciding between a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud environment, there are several things you need to keep in mind. The following best practices will not only help you choose the right cloud system, but they’ll also help you deploy, manage, and scale your organization.
#1 — Start With a “Cloud First” Mindset
Before you select and deploy a cloud computing system, you must first prepare your organization for a cloud shift. This goes beyond your IT department and involves a company-wide approach to define your business technology.
Whether you’re using a multi-cloud or hybrid cloud approach, neither will be totally effective if you don’t have a cloud-first mindset.
This mindset helps you start to move away from your legacy systems and outdated tech, and look for replacements that are available as cloud services.
It’s worth noting that not every application and process is suitable for a cloud deployment. So you may need to refactor some of your enterprise applications if you want to move them to the cloud.
#2 — Look Ahead for Your Future and Growth
Migrating to the cloud is not a one-time occurrence. It doesn’t happen overnight, and the changes will define your organization in the long run.
For both multi-cloud and hybrid cloud deployments, you need to understand that your infrastructure and resources will eventually evolve. Planning for that evolution will help you choose the right systems and services for your goals.
You should be looking for ways to acquire new skills and knowledge related to cloud systems. Understand the differences between vendors and systems.
Some cloud migrations can take multiple years. So start with a plan to map out exactly what that migration process will look like. Then re-evaluate that plan on an annual or semi-annual basis based on your progress.
#3 — Implement a Process for Continuous Assessment
Cloud service providers are constantly changing offerings. A single provider could be the best available option for your needs today. But that could quickly change in a few months as your needs change or their services evolve.
So you need to have a system in place to constantly assess your vendors.
Does their technology still support your needs? Do they have new technology as a separate service that you should be leveraging? Is there another vendor on the market that can better support the initiative in question?
Assessments can be scheduled on a quarterly, semi-annual, or annual basis. But you can also have ad-hoc assessments based on needs if something happens or a unique situation arises that requires some extra attention for a vendor.
#4 — Prioritize Management and Governance Rules
Governing systems through multi and hybrid cloud environments can be challenging.
Hybrid systems give you more flexibility and control, but they’re harder to set up and maintain. Multi-cloud systems are easier to deploy, but governance is difficult because the solutions aren’t managed from a single location.
Regardless of which system you choose, you need to think about the way you’re going to manage each cloud service. If you’re not going to manage everything under a single entity, you need to have rules in place for each public cloud so that your team can appropriately control access and secure the environment.
You should also have systems in place that can track the consumption of your cloud service usage, which will help you with this initiative.
#5 — Look at Individual Workloads in Your Cloud Environment
Cloud applications hosted on-site could potentially be replaced by SaaS. Generally speaking, moving to SaaS will be more cost-effective than PaaS or IaaS.
So you can look at the individual workloads of your cloud computing systems to see if the process can be handled by a different SaaS tool. Modern cloud-native applications are typically more agile than legacy applications.
In some cases, the applications you’re using for individual workloads may become obsolete. Shifting to a public SaaS could be the only answer.
What to Do Next
Now that you understand the differences between multi and hybrid cloud systems, it’s time to decide which solution will be better for your organization. The easiest way to start this process is by moving on-site data to a public cloud. You can use our reviews of the best cloud storage services to compare the best options on the market today.
From there, you can continue to evaluate your systems and see if it makes more sense to continue deploying multiple cloud services for different processes. If you decide that you want to go with a hybrid approach, you need to prioritize IT security. You can compare the best endpoint security software as a starting point.
Any company working with sensitive data needs to make security a top priority. Sensitive data could include payment card industry (PCI) data like credit card info, personally identifiable information (PII) like social security numbers, protected health information (PHI) like medical history, and more.
PCI, PII, and PHI? When it comes to data security, that’s just the beginning. Data needs to be secure in transit, in use, and at rest. You need to ensure that proper access controls for authentication and authorization are in place. You also need to maintain data confidentiality, data integrity, and data availability. This can be further complicated when you need to replicate data across systems.
There are plenty of reasons for enterprises that work with cardholder data to care about payment card industry (PCI) compliance. For starters, maintaining PCI compliance is an essential part of protecting cardholders, reducing fraud, and avoiding damage to your reputation. Additionally, if your organization is found not to be PCI compliant, it will be subject to financial penalties and, ultimately, not allowed to process or handle card transactions.
Achieving PCI compliance can be complex and time-consuming. For businesses that want to launch and scale quickly, the burden is onerous. To help you navigate the challenges of PCI compliance, here we’ll provide a crash course on the topic. We’ll also take a look at how Marqeta can help enterprises meet PCI data security standard (DSS) requirements and go to market quickly.
Are you looking to add a PayPal payment form to your WordPress site?
PayPal makes it super-easy to accept payments on your website. It is convenient, cost-effective, secure, and already used by millions of users around the world.
In this article, we’ll show you how to easily add a PayPal payment form in WordPress.
Why Accept PayPal Payments in WordPress?
You don’t need a full-fledged eCommerce store to accept payments on your WordPress website. If you’re only selling a single product or accepting payments for consulting or services, then adding a payment form is much simpler.
PayPal is arguably the most popular and trusted online payment gateway in the world. And since PayPal handles the entire transaction, you don’t have to worry about security issues, getting a separate merchant processor for credit cards, or PCI compliance.
With that being said, let’s take a look at how to easily add a PayPal payment form in WordPress.
How to Add a PayPal Payment Form in WordPress
There are many WordPress PayPal plugins available in the market that lets you add a payment button or order form on your site.
But when it comes to the flexibility of building the order form and add customizations without code, we believe WPForms is the best option.
WPForms is the best drag and drop form builder plugin for WordPress used by over 5 million websites. It lets you create a simple billing or order form without the need for a full-fledged eCommerce platform or shopping cart plugin.
We recommend using WPForms because it lets you accept both PayPal and credit cards in the same form through their integration with credit card services like Stripe, Square, and Authorize.net.
While they have a Lite version that’s free, you will need their Pro plan to access the PayPal addon and order form template.
Upon activation, you need to visit the WPForms » Settings page to enter your license key. You can find this information in your WPForms account area. Make sure you click the ‘Verify Key’ button to activate your license.
Next, go to the WPForms » Addons page. Here, you need to install the PayPal Standard addon. Simply find it in the list, and then click the ‘Install Addon’ button below it.
The addon will be automatically installed and activated for you.
Now, it’s time to create your payment form.
Creating a PayPal Payment Form in WordPress
Simply go to the WPForms » Add New page in your WordPress admin area to launch the form builder.
First, you need to provide a title for your form and then scroll down to the ‘Billing / Order Form’ template and click the ‘Use Template’ button.
WPForms will now automatically load your form template in the drag and drop builder. It’s easy to add, remove, or change the fields on your form.
For example, a Multiple Items list has been added to the form so your visitors can select the product or service they wish to pay for. Once you click on this field you will be able to customize the field’s label and the name and price of each item.
If you are only offering a single item, then you should delete the Multiple Items field by clicking the trash icon in the top right corner of the field.
Next, you can scroll down to the Single Item field and drag it onto your form.
You can click on this field to customize it.
For instance, you can change the field’s label, description, and price. The preview of your form on the right will be updated automatically.
If you are only offering a single item, then the Total field is unnecessary. Feel free to delete it.
Next, you need to go to Payments » PayPal Standard to set up PayPal. Simply check the ‘Enable PayPal Standard payments’ box.
If you don’t already have one, you will need to create a PayPal account. Then you can enter your PayPal email address into the WPForms settings.
After that, you need to fill in the other PayPal settings. If you wish to test your payment form, then you should select the ‘Test / Sandbox’ mode. This allows you to make dummy PayPal payments to make sure that the form is working correctly.
Don’t forget to change the Mode option back to ‘Production’ when you have finished testing.
Most websites will need the ‘Products and Services’ payment type. The other option is ‘Donations’, and you can learn more in our guide on how to add a PayPal donate button.
You can also add a URL to redirect users who don’t complete the payment, and decide whether a shipping address and note are required.
Once you’re done, click the Save button to store your settings.
Your online PayPal payment form is now ready, and you can add it to any WordPress post or page on your website.
Adding Your PayPal Payment Form to Your Website
WPForm makes it super easy to add forms anywhere on your website.
Simply create a new post or page, or edit an existing one. Then, click on the plus (+) sign at the top and add a WPForms block in the WordPress editor.
After that, select your order form from the dropdown menu in the WPForms block.
Once you’re finished, you can save or publish your page and click on the preview button to see your form in action.
When your users fill in the form and click the ‘Submit’ button, the ‘Pay with PayPal’ screen will appear automatically so they can finalize the payment.
Congratulations, you’ve now created a PayPal payment form in WordPress.
You can connect your payment forms with email marketing services, Google sheet, and other apps to further streamline your workflow using WPForms native integrations.
Today we're here to talk about data regulations and data compliance solutions. Why does all of this matter?
When it comes to online applications, protecting your users' data is one of your most pressing concerns. First of all, it's the right, ethical thing to do. Secondly, data leakages lead to serious reputation damage that you certainly don't want your organization to suffer. Last but not least, failing to protect users' data can lead to dire financial and legal consequences. You've heard of GDPR, right?
Data Security as a Service (DSaaS) enables application and security leaders to mitigate the risk and compliance burdens for all of your organization’s sensitive data through a simple, portable, cloud-native service. This Refcard walks you through data access monitoring, access governance, and at-rest protection for sensitive PII, PHI, and PCI data.
Want to jump straight to the answer? The best video conferencing service for most people isVonage.
Video conferencing software has to work perfectly, or it doesn’t really work at all. If there’s any lag in the video, it’s nearly impossible to have a conversation. If someone doesn’t get the invite, you may have to reschedule.
Below you’ll find my top picks for video conferencing services. These are affordable, reliable, secure options your business can depend on.
The 9 Best Video Conferencing Services
Best of 2023: Vonage, Ooma, ClickMeeting, Zoho Meeting, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Webex, GoTo Meeting, and RingCentral.
All of the video conferencing solutions that I reviewed in this guide are quality options. But these are my three favorite that stand out above the rest:
ClickMeeting — Best video conferencing software for webinars
These video conferencing services are not ranked— all have pros and cons. Use the in-depth reviews below to compare them, and find the one that works best for your needs.
Vonage offers a complete unified communications suite to businesses of all shapes and sizes. But one area where it really shines above the crowd is its dedicated healthcare solutions.
With so many healthcare practices offering virtual appointments and consultations, the ability to keep patient data safe is more important than ever before.
Vonage makes it easy to consult with patient’s from anywhere while keeping their data safe.
Vonage’s video conferencing is HIPAA-compliant and PCI-compliant. The software also has a HITRUST CSF certification, which is one of the most widely adopted security frameworks for healthcare companies in the US.
In addition to basic video conferencing, Vonage has advanced communication APIs. This lets you fully personalize the patient experience in a way that works best for your practice. So whether you’re running a small therapist’s office, a large hospital, or something in between, Vonage can be customized to fit your needs.
Beyond the ability to meet with patients through a video call, healthcare organizations can use Vonage to collaborate internally as well. So if a primary care physician wants to consult with a surgeon about a patient, they can do so without having to be in the same building.
Basic Vonage plans start at $17.99 per month per line. To access video conferencing, you’ll need a Premium plan, which starts at $27.99 per month per line.
Consult with a Vonage expert if you’re interested in a dedicated healthcare solution and video API. They’ll guide you in the right direction for your unique needs.
Ooma is a popular phone solution for small businesses. It’s a great way for smaller offices to get all communications needs under one roof—including voice, video, text messaging, virtual fax, and video conferencing.
All Ooma business phone plans come with over 50 standard features.
In terms of video conferencing, Ooma has one of the most unique features on the market. You can simultaneously share screens with another person on a video call.
Simultaneous screen sharing on Ooma is an excellent way to collaborate during meetings.
I love this feature, and it’s something I wish was available on other business phone systems. It’s a great way to compare notes and share information in a way that’s more collaborative than a single screen share. This can also be used for collaborative presentations.
Meeting hosts have the ability to mute participants and add password protection to calls. Ooma also supports unlimited meeting recordings and storage for three months.
I also love that Ooma is compatible with traditional office phones in addition to its mobile and desktop app. This is perfect if part of your team works in a traditional office setting.
Here’s a quick overview of Ooma’s plans and pricing:
ClickMeeting is a bit different compared to some of the other video conferencing services. This platform has a unique feature: webinars.
It’s a great option for anyone who wants to hold large online events, market products with video demonstrations, and host online courses or training sessions with live video.
ClickMeeting also offers traditional video conferencing solutions for team meetings and business collaboration. However, if that’s all you need, I’d look at other options on this list.
Pricing is complicated too. There are two plans, and each offers different levels and costs depending on how many attendees you have.
Here’s an overview of those price points per month for each plan:
Live
Up to 25 — $30
Up to 50 — $45
Up to 100 — $79
Up to 200 — $149
Up to 500 — $179
Up to 1,000 — $309
Automated
Up to 25 — $45
Up to 50 — $55
Up to 100 — $95
Up to 200 — $179
Up to 500 — $229
Up to 1,000 — $359
For video conferences with more than 1,000 attendees, contact the ClickMeeting sales team for a custom enterprise solution.
You can try ClickMeeting free for 30 days and run webinars with up to 25 attendees to try it out. Save up to 20% with annual billing instead of a month-to-month contract.
The Automated plan is your best option for broadcasting professional video webinars. This plan comes with advanced features like auto-streaming to Facebook or YouTube, automated follow-up emails to attendees, Google Analytics integration, and certificates of attendance.
ClickMeeting is definitely pricey compared to the other options on our list, which is why I wouldn’t recommend it for just basic video conferencing use. But the price is worth it if you’re planning to use the webinar features.
More Great Video Conferencing Software
Zoho Meeting – Most Affordable Video Conferencing Service With Basic Features
Zoho Meeting is arguably the most straightforward video conferencing solution on the market today. There aren’t a bunch of bells and whistles.
Some of Zoho’s top features include:
RSVP scheduling
Screen sharing
Moderator controls
Embed meeting links
In-session chat
Lock meetings
You’ll also have the ability to switch a presenter, give someone control, and remove users from a video conference.
As expected, Zoho Meeting integrates seamlessly with Zoho CRM. So if you’re already using a Zoho product, this will be a top option for you to consider.
This isn’t the most feature-rich video conferencing software out there. But it’s a quality solution for small business owners who just need basic features and already utilize Zoho products.
Pricing is tiered based on the number of participants in a meeting, and charged per host per month. Here’s a breakdown of what that looks like:
10 participants — $3 per host per month
25 participants — $6 per host per month
50 participants — $9 per host per month
100 participants — $12 per host per month
150 participants — $14 per host per month
200 participants — $16 per host per month
250 participants — $18 per host per month
There’s also a free forever plan with limited features that supports 100 meeting participants and 100 webinar attendees.
Microsoft Teams is an instant messaging service with chat, audio, and video capability. The platform is designed specifically for internal comms in the workplace.
With the ability to support group sizes of 10 or 10,000, MS Teams is the ultimate in-house communication solution.
MS Teams shines over competitors like Slack with its superior technology and video conferencing features. But the setup, usage, and onboarding are a bit more complex compared to other options on the market.
MS Teams is best when it’s accessed from a desktop device or web app. Your team can also take advantage of the mobile app version of the software, but it’s not as easy to navigate as the web version.
Let’s take a quick look at the plans and pricing options:
Microsoft Teams — Free
Microsoft Teams Essentials — $4 per user per month
Microsoft 365 Business Basic — $6 per user per month
Microsoft 365 Business Standard — $12.50 user per month
Microsoft 365 Business Premium — $22 per user per month
All paid plans are only available with an annual contract.
You’ll still have access to quite a few features with the free version, including video calls. But you’ll need Office 365 Business Premium to get the most out of this software.
Paid plans have 140+ app integrations, 1 TB of storage, scheduled meetings, meeting recordings, and administrative support. Our in-depth Microsoft Teams review covers its features and capabilities in greater detail.
Aside from its complexity, MS Teams does have some limitations. It’s not really a true video conferencing service. Instead, it’s better for one-on-one video meetings or smaller groups.
If you want to host large-scale video conferences and make presentations to clients, you should look elsewhere for a more suitable solution.
Since launching in 2011, Zoom has quickly become an industry leader in the video conferencing space. The software is trusted by large businesses like Ticketmaster, Uber, Pandora, and GoDaddy, just to name a few.
Zoom shines with its simplicity, which is highlighted in our full Zoom review. There’s a plan for businesses of any shape and size, including a free-forever option.
Zoom has video conferencing capabilities with up to 1,000 participants, and up to 49 videos on the screen simultaneously.
Zoom helps connect entire organizations with video conferencing.
The platform is secure and has role-based user security options, password protection, and waiting rooms. Zoom makes it easy for your team to collaborate with screen sharing, filing sharing, and other interactive features.
Zoom is modern, so naturally, the service can also be accessed from a mobile app. This is perfect for participants who are on the go and unable to reach a computer for a meeting.
Here’s an overview of Zoom’s pricing model:
Basic — Free
Unlimited one-on-one meetings
Up to 100 participants
40-minute limit on group meetings
Unlimited number of meetings
Pro — $14.99 per month per host
All basic features
24-hour meeting limit
User management tools
Admin feature controls
Reporting tools
1 GB of cloud recording
Business — $19.99 per month per host
All of the Pro features
Up to 10 hosts
Up to 300 participants
Dedicated phone support
Company branding
Cloud recording transcripts
Admin dashboard
Enterprise — $19.99 per month per host
All of the Business features
Up to 50 hosts
Up to 1,000 participants
Unlimited cloud storage
Dedicated customer support manager
Executive business reviews
Bundle discounts available for Zoom Rooms and webinars
As you can see, there is a plan for everyone. The free option is an excellent choice for a small team or freelancer who only needs to video chat once in a while for brief meetings.
Beyond personal use, you’ll need to upgrade to the Pro or Business plans to get the most out of Zoom. Fortunately, Zoom makes it easy for you to scale to another plan as your company grows.
Just be aware that your plan will impact the level of customer support you receive. To get premium support, you’ll need to upgrade.
Webex – Best Video Conferencing Service For Cloud Collaboration
Cisco is a brand name that’s synonymous with superior business technology. So it should be no surprise that Cisco Webex ranks so highly on our list for video conferencing software.
With Webex, you can host massive virtual events with up to 100,000 participants and run an interactive webinar for 3,000-person audiences.
Webex is perfect if you need to run on-demand training lessons for large groups as well. This is a great tool for onboarding employees at scale throughout multiple locations.
You can use webex to join or host video conferences from your computer or mobile app.
The Webex mobile app is another standout feature of the platform. Hosting and joining meetings are both simple and accessible from anywhere.
Arguably the best part about this video conferencing software is the cloud collaboration features. It’s easy to share files and screens with other meeting participants to stay organized and make the conference more interactive. That’s what makes them great for teams.
Cisco offers four different plans for you to choose from, including a basic free option.
Free — $0 per month
Up to 50 participants
40-minute limit on meetings
Unlimited meetings
1 GB of cloud storage
Starter — $16.95 per month per host
Up to 50 participants
Unlimited meeting duration
5 GB of cloud storage
Recording transcriptions
User management
Application and file sharing
Plus — $22.95 per month per host
Up to 100 participants
Assign alternate hosts
Allow others to schedule meetings for the host
Customizable Webex URL
Admin portal
24/7 customer support
Business — $32.95 per month per host
Up to 200 participants
10 GB of cloud storage
Branding and custom options
Single sign-on
Active Directory sync
Minimum five licenses per month
At first glance, the Webex prices appear to be higher than Zoom. However, you can save 20% per month with an annual contract.
It’s also worth noting that the Webex Plus plan doesn’t have any host minimums, and the business plan has just a five-license minimum. Zoom has a 10- and 50-host minimum for their plans at similar price points.
So Webex will be a better option if you want those business or enterprise-level features for a smaller team.
GoTo Meeting – Best Video Conferencing Service For Small Businesses
GoTo Meeting makes it easy for you to turn any video conference into a highly collaborative workspace.
It’s a fantastic choice for remote workers from sales managers to business owners to IT teams.
Why? GoTo Meeting easily integrates with the systems your business is currently using.
It also offers an all-in-one hardware and software kit for those of you who want to transform your physical conference room into a digital one. This hardware is more advanced than the built-in cameras, microphones, and speakers on your current devices.
Some other top features and benefits of using GoTo Meeting for video conferencing include:
Cloud collaboration
Automatic bandwidth adjustments
Available on Mac, PC, iOS, and Android
Single-click start and join sessions
Multi-channel support
Integrated scheduling
GoTo Meeting offers three plans to choose from:
Professional – $12 per organizer per month billed annually
Business – $16 per organizer per month billed annually
Enterprise – Contact sales to request a quote
The Professional and Business plans are very similar. You get unlimited meetings and unlimited meeting durations with either plan. You’ll also benefit from Salesforce integration, Slack meeting launcher, and an admin center with both plans.
The significant difference is the Professional plan can host up to 150 participants while the Business plan supports up to 250 participants. In addition, the Business plan also offers extra video meeting features like transcripts, keyboard and mouse sharing, unlimited cloud storage, drawing tools, meeting lock, note taking, and mobile cloud recording.
I think signing up for the Business option instead of Professional is a no-brainer. The added benefits are worth the extra $4 per month.
GoTo Meeting also offers enterprise-grade plans for up to 3,000 participants. But those prices aren’t available online. You’ll need to speak to a sales rep for a custom quote.
Save 16% on your GoTo Meeting plan with an annual contract.
You can get rid of your traditional phone plan, too. RingCentral provides video conferencing features as an added bonus.
You can always purchase RingCentral Meetings as a standalone product. Those plans are below:
Free — $0 per month
Up to 100 participants
Unlimited one-on-one meetings
40-minute limit on group meetings
Essentials — $14.99 per month per user
Up to 100 participants
Unlimited group meetings
24/7 phone support
1,000 call minutes per license
Advanced — $19.99 per month per user
Up to 100 participants
2,500 call minutes
Real-time usage dashboard
SLA available
The free plan is decent if you compare it to others on the list. The meetings cap at 40 minutes each, but you can still have up to 100 participants.
Paid plans are also limited to just 100 participants, which is low compared to the competition. However, you can add on larger meeting options to your plan for an upcharge.
RingCentral also has great enterprise solutions. You’ll need to contact their sales team to get a custom quote. But you can save some money by bundling RingCentral Meetings with a VoIP business phone.
Now that you’ve had a chance to review the top solutions on the market, how can you find the best option for your unique situation? This is the methodology that I used to come up with this guide.
I’ve identified each feature set that matters the most and why you need to take it into consideration when you’re evaluating prospective platforms.
Conference Size
In the world of work-from-home and distributed teams, video conferencing sizes are a very important consideration.
Make sure you choose a service and plan that can accommodate the number of people you need for your video conferences. You don’t want to overpay for a plan that has participant limits that you’ll never reach. But more importantly, you don’t want to be in a situation where your participant list is too large for your platform and plan.
Meeting Length
With the global pandemic putting a ton of people into remote work, businesses and schools need to be able to take as long as they need for certain calls.
That’s why we took a close look at how long each plan allows you to meet when determining this list. Often, they had to be counterbalanced with how many participants are allowed in a plan as well.
After all, a plan that offers unlimited time but with only a dozen participants might not be helpful for larger teams.
Scheduling Options
Good video conferencing tools allow you to schedule easily and across a wide breadth of calendar apps.
When looking at scheduling options, see if they integrate with common planning and calendar services such as Google Calendar, iCal, and Office 365.
Video Streams
You might be able to have a large number of participants in a conference, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that every user will be able to broadcast a video stream.
For example, RingCentral plans have up to 100 participants per meeting, but limit you to just ten simultaneous video streams.
So don’t be swayed by the participant limits alone. Always check to see how many users can actually stream a video at the same time.
Collaboration Tools
Collaboration tools are crucial for groups and teams.
Features like screen sharing, built-in chat, file sharing, and cloud collaboration are very useful for presentations and group projects. It’s also helpful when a video conferencing service integrates with existing tools and platforms that you’re already using to run a business. You can look for features like Salesforce integration or Google Analytics integration.
The Top Video Conferencing Services in Summary
Video conferencing software has become the new normal for business use, especially with remote work and dispersed teams trending upward. For daily standups, interviews with prospective hires, and quick calls to prevent long email chains, video conferencing improves efficiency in the workplace.
It’s worth noting that your internet connection will impact the quality of your video conferencing calls. So you should always test your connection or sign up for a free trial to see how the quality holds up.
Compare Quotes From The Best Video Conferencing Services
Get matched up with a video conferencing service that fits your specific needs.
We had the opportunity to meet with AJ Jennings, CEO and Co-founder and Simon Bain, CTO and Co-founder of Shield.io during the IT Press Tour in San Francisco. AJ and Simon are providing a modern encryption-in-use approach to protect data which:
Solves latency issues while searching encrypted data.
Their solution offers comprehensive, cross-platform enterprise data protection that is database, application, infrastructure, and location agnostic. It has been tested and validated in concert with Oracle, SAP, Google, and Teradata with the most frequent adoption in healthcare (PHI), e-commerce (PII), and financial (PCI) industries.
To understand the current and future state of application security, we obtained insights from five IT executives. We asked them, “What are the most effective application security techniques and tools?” Here’s what they told us:
Runtime Application Self Protection (RASP) is effective because it actually protects vulnerabilities through automatic remediation without code changes. This leverages insights into applications, applying the right protection where and when it matters.
Analyzer engines/scanners tools are continuous watchdogs for production APIs and production applications. We need to always be analyzing. Netflix does 300 production changes per day. They need to constantly look in production. Get away from dependence on operating system agents, proxies, and firewalls. They are non-scalable and are not effective. Automate at scale and look for anomalies. Humans for risk management and policy enforcement (HIPPA, SOX, etc.).
There is no single set of effective techniques and tools. As with any field, it is imperative to avoid putting all your eggs into one “technique or tool” basket. You’ll just create a false sense of security. A good security strategy involves looking for vulnerabilities from multiple different angles and handling the risk. Remember the majority of security breaches are done by employees or recent ex-employees, not hackers (source: 2018 IT Risks report). That means effective modeling of your release process and setting up a bulletproof role-based access control scheme is very important for controlling these internal threats.
Many of the techniques mandated by PCI are the foundations of a good security posture — regular vulnerability scans, penetration testing, risk assessments, and ethical hacking go a long way. During these processes, open-source tools like Nmap, Wireshark, P0f and Argus can help.
Technologies that analyze apps throughout the lifecycle from the beginning to end. Three technologies: 1) SAST (static application analysis) analyzes applications for the existence of vulnerabilities, 2) DAST (dynamic application security testing) analyses application behavior at runtime, and 3) SCA (static code analysis) detects open source components with vulnerabilities. Fewer than 50% of enterprises adopt these technologies. They keep buying firewalls. Those that have invested are not testing the entire portfolio of applications, just one or two, so most vulnerabilities are not fixed. I have not seen any company investing enough to test all of its applications. They keep doing what they’ve been doing for years — buying firewalls. The government is doing nothing to stop the attacks. 140 million records of Americans are available to hackers stealing money and performing malicious actions. This is a direct result of our negligence and our stupidity of not protecting applications.
Our recommendation for most people is Shopify because it has everything you need to start accepting ecommerce payments immediately. Try Shopify free for three days, no credit card required.
Every ecommerce site must be able to accept payments from customers online. After all, your entire business model revolves around getting paid.
After researching and reviewing dozens of payment gateways, we narrowed down the best options on the market today. Whether you have an existing ecommerce business or you’re starting a new one from scratch, this guide will help you find the right payment method for you.
The Top 11 Payment Methods for Ecommerce Sites
Best of 2023: Shopify, Square, Payment Depot, Stax, Helcim, Payoneer, 2Checkout, Stripe, PayCafe, PayPal, and PaymentCloud.
From complete ecommerce platforms to specialized payment options, our research team narrowed down my top picks to the best three this year using the methodology outlined below.
Our favorite ecommerce payment methods for 2023 are:
If you haven’t yet started your online store, Shopify is the way to go. But if you’re already selling online, Square and Payment Depot won’t steer you wrong.
Shopify provides everything people need to start selling goods and services online. It’s a payment processor, online store builder, and ecommerce marketing solution all in one.
Because everything is included and works so well together, we highly recommend Shopify for people launching new stores. That said, people on a different ecommerce platform may be convinced to switch once they experience the convenience of Shopify.
Shopify Payments is activated once you sign up for an account. There’s no wait time to start accepting major credit cards and other digital payments.
Every transaction is tracked and displayed automatically. There’s minimal busy work necessary to stay on top of your sales, payments, and monthly numbers.
Shopify is convenient for your customers, too. Once you have an account, you will be able to accept a wide range of popular ecommerce payment methods, including:
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover
PayPal
Google Pay
Apple Pay
Facebook Pay
Shopify Payments comes as part of every Shopify plan. There are integrations with dozens of other ecommerce payment methods, but those have transaction fees. There is no transaction fee when you use Shopify Payments.
There are a variety of ways to get set up with Shopify.
Shopify Starter is $5 per month, and lets you create shoppable links. Sell directly on social media, text, and email, and Shopify handles the rest.
Basic Shopify is $39 per month and includes everything we’ve reviewed so far. Build a store, ship products, sell services, and start making money. Upgrading your Shopify plan will bring your credit card processing fees down.
You do get a discount on Shopify’s website plans if you switch to annual billing, with the Basic plan coming down to $29 per month.
It makes a good deal even better. Learn more about Shopify and take a free trial, no credit card required.
Square — Best for Restaurants, Retail, and Services
Square is a great choice for those of you who have physical locations and plan to start selling online.
Why? It’s simple: they’re known for their stellar POS system that seamlessly integrates with their payment method solutions. That makes them a great option if you’re planning to open retail locations in addition to your ecommerce shop.
Don’t have a shop yet? Square offers a fantastic ecommerce website builder too. They don’t skimp on the builder either, offering you tons of great-looking drag-and-drop themes that allow you to create the ecommerce store of your dreams—no coding knowledge needed.
Square is priced competitively compared to the other methods on our list.
There is no monthly fee for adding the Square payment gateway to your website. They charge you 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction, just like Stripe and PayPal.
Integrating Square into your ecommerce platform is easy. Some of their ecommerce partners include:
Wix
WooCommerce
GoCentral Online Store
Ecwid
3DCart
OpenCart
Magento
Miva
Drupal Commerce
X-Cart
Zen Cart
ShipStation
Mercato
Unbound Commerce
WordPress
nopCommerce
WP EasyCart
Sociavore
So if you’re currently using one of these platforms for your ecommerce shop, adding Square will be a breeze. Click here to learn more at Square.
Payment Depot touts itself as the “Costco of credit card processing” for its membership fee-based pricing model as well as its completely transparent pricing.
Payment Depot goes with a single membership fee, rather than charging you per transaction. You can purchase a membership package based on the financial amount of the transactions you do annually.
This is a different business model than many payment processing services, which may charge you a percentage of your transaction amounts. As long as you are doing a significant amount in financial transactions per year, Payment Depot should save you quite a bit on fees.
Payment Depot’s updated plans and prices include:
Starter — $59 per month: Process up to $125,000 per year
Starter Plus — $79 per month: Process up to $250,000 per year
Growth — $99 per month: Process up to $500,000 per year
Transaction fees are 0.00% + $0.08 on swiped/chip transactions and 0.00% + $0.18 on online transactions.
Should you need to process more than $500,000 in transactions annually, you can request a custom price quote from the company.
However, if you’re a smaller business, you might end up paying a bit more for the monthly membership fee. That’s why we really don’t recommend this brand if you make less than $25,000 per month.
If you go with an annual membership, Payment Depot offers a 90-day money-back guarantee. That means you can cancel within three-ish months and send your equipment back, and you’ll get a complete refund.
Visit Payment Depot to get great rates for your heavy transaction processing. Note that this program is exclusively for companies based in the US.
Stax is ideal for any small business. Not only does it accept all payment types and integrate with most terminals and point-of-sale (POS) systems, but it is also a subscription-based pricing model with a flat monthly fee.
This means Stax can save you money per transaction, especially once you factor in the 0% markup on interchange fees. More sales do not mean higher fees from Stax.
For your ecommerce store, Stax has flexible options so you can integrate it with the shopping cart plugin or function you already use or use one of Stax’s pre-built templates (or design your own) to create your own custom shopping card quickly with no coding skills required.
Stax’s one-click shopping cart integrates with all of the top payment gateways, such as BigCommerce, Magento, WooCommerce, Salesforce, and more.
Stax’s ecommerce tools include:
Heatmaps to keep track of staff and sales trends
Inventory tracking for online and in-person stock
Reporting and analytics to get real-time reports on customer behavior and patterns
Integration with QuickBooks and Google My Business
Stax’s pricing is very straightforward. It is a monthly subscription with no long-term contract and transparent fees. All three subscription tiers come with wholesale interchange pricing (0% markup), $500,000 in annual processing, a large knowledge base, and 24/7 customer support.
By having a flat-fee monthly subscription, your ecommerce business knows exactly what you’ll pay each month, and if you have a lot of transactions, you’ll pay less per transaction, making it very affordable.
Pricing starts at $99 per month, which includes ACH processing, analytics, and more. Transaction fees are 0.00% + $0.08 on swiped/chip transactions and 0.00% + $0.18 on online transactions.
It’s important to note that this program is exclusively for companies based in the US. Learn more about Stax.
Helcim is another “one-stop-shop” solution for your payment needs. From point-of-sale hardware to ecommerce payments, it has what you need to get started selling.
Where it really stands out is its unique fee structure, which includes no monthly fees.
Pricing is highly customized depending on your monthly volume of sales and the price of your average transaction. That means the more sales and/or the higher the price of the average transaction, the more you save.
You can save even more due to the fact that they have:
$0 monthly fees
$0 set up fees
$0 cancellation fees
$0 compliance fees
$0 bank deposit fees
That’s a big difference from other payment method solutions out there, which typically charge for all of the above.
However, I wouldn’t actually recommend Helcim if you have a high volume of sales. If you’re an enterprise business that deals in a lot of monthly transactions, we recommend Payment Depot instead. They’ll offer the best overall rate if you’re a big business.
But we do recommend Helcim for mid-sized companies. You’ll get the best overall rate if you do anywhere between $25,000 and $50,000 per month.
It’s worth mentioning there’s even a platform for you to create an online store through Helcim. It’s on the Helcim site and comes with its payment processor built in. It’s also highly customizable and comes default with some great-looking themes.
If you already have an online store, Helcim has you covered. Its fully-hosted payment pages allow you to add payment options to your site without any coding knowledge. This solution can be integrated with some third-party software you might already be using such as QuickBooks, Drupal, and Magento.
There’s a deal going on right now where you can get the first three months for free. After that, it’s $20 per month. Try Helcim today!
An ecommerce site that is already established in global selling knows there’s still room for improvement. That could take the form of growing into untapped markets, keeping more of the money you make on international sales, or finding better ways to work with suppliers.
Payoneer knows the way to accomplish any and all of these improvements and has the software to prove it.
First, Payoneer eliminates the pain of costly wire transfers and currency conversion with an easy way to set up localized receiving accounts, so you get payments in USD, EUR, or one of several other options.
In just three easy steps, you can set up accounts, email customers info on how to pay you, and automatically have those payments sent to your Payoneer account.
It should be noted: Payoneer isn’t a merchant account provider. That means it does not give you the ability to accept payments via debit or credit cards. Instead, it sets up a local bank within the region you want to attain money for and allows for bank transfers instead. This is particularly helpful for some specific business types.
For example, global businesses lean hard on their network of suppliers and vendors. So, Payoneer makes it a cinch to pay them when you need to. By paying them directly from your Payoneer account balance, payments are sent instantly and for free. Plus, you can send in batches of up to 200 for convenience.
If you’re struggling to make headway in some global markets, you can even lean on Payoneer’s network of partners. From shipping and sourcing services to legal assistance, translation, and advertising, you can fill in the gaps by connecting with vendors based in the markets you’re trying to sell to.
Payoneer does charge low-cost fees for some transfers and there is an annual account fee, but it’s a scant $29.95/year.
Your growing business can’t worry about the reliability of its payment processing. When you’re striving to make inroads into new markets or break into global business, that detail needs to already be taken care of.
That’s where 2Checkout excels. It’s a modular solution that is very scalable with no stress on your end.
With this software, you can handle global payments, subscription billing, taxes, and any other ecommerce payment needs. Start with what you need right now and when you’re ready to take the next step up, 2Checkout has a feature to help.
But, above all, this software is the perfect partner for international selling.
The distinction between this and Payoneer is that 2Checkout will actually facilitate payment processing via typical ecommerce methods such as credit card, debit card, PayPal, and more.
With any of 2Checkout’s modules, you can start selling in over 200 countries in no time. And, if you utilize their 2Monetize platform, you can rest easy knowing that they’ll handle the heavier stuff, like VAT and regulatory compliance.
Even better—you can start on any of 2Checkout’s solutions for free. You only have to pay once you start selling.
That’s a huge boost for those of you who want to really test drive the software before committing.
Once you do start selling, you pay a fraction of each sale plus a small fee. On 2Checkout’s base-level plan, 2Sell, that runs you 3.5% + $0.35 on each transaction.
Stripe is one of the top payment methods on the market today because it’s so versatile.
It’s a great choice for ecommerce shops, subscription services, or on-demand marketplaces. For those of you who operate a business with multiple processes and services, this is definitely something that you should take into consideration.
Where Stripe really shines though is how developer-friendly it is. It offers great tools that let any team customize their payment methods.
From the easy-to-use API, the library for coding languages, and the comprehensive integrations, a developer can get everything they need to out of Stripe.
Another top feature of Stripe is the ability for you to set up recurring payments from your customers.
It supports payments online, as well as in-person. So if you currently have a brick-and-mortar store, you can add a Stripe POS system in addition to the gateway on your ecommerce site. This way you can remain consistent across both marketplaces.
Studies show that brands using Stripe have increased revenue by 6.7% after implementing the payment gateway. With Stripe, you’ll have 81% fewer outages and 24% lower operating costs compared to competing payment methods.
Another reason why I love Stripe is that you’ll have the option to customize your checkout process with the Stripe UI toolkit.
Stripe accepts all major credit cards and debit cards from all countries, including:
Visa
Mastercard
American Express
Discover
JCB (Japan)
UnionPay (China)
You can also integrate some alternative payment options into your Stripe payment gateway. Some of these we’ll discuss in greater detail as we continue through this guide.
Stripe’s standard pricing is simple. As a merchant, it will cost you 2.9% + $0.30 for every card charge. There will be an additional 1% charge for international cards.
For ACH transfers, your cost is 0.8% of the transaction with a $5 maximum fee.
Additionally, Stripe offers customized pricing options for those of you who have a unique business model or have large volume payments. You’ll get discounts for volume and multi-product rates, as well as some country-specific rates if you’re targeting an international market.
Stripe has exceptional tech support and customer service. You can reach representatives 24/7 via phone, live chat, or email. Overall, it’s definitely one of the top payment methods for you to use on your ecommerce site.
PayCafe offers some of the best fraud and chargeback protections we’ve seen out there.
Seriously, the only other one we consider a contender to their level of protection is PaymentCloud.
That’s because it offers an automated, machine-learning algorithm that scans each transaction for fraud. Once it detects it, you’ll be notified and the troublesome transaction will be blocked. Of course, if there’s a mistake you’ll be able to undo it and put the transaction through.
PayCafe also has tools in place to handle credit card disputes. From an early warning dispute alert system to highly-detailed records of each transaction, it’ll arm you with the tools you need to tackle pesky chargebacks and win.
Some of their other features and benefits include:
Recurring bills. PayCafe automatically bills your customers daily, weekly, monthly, or annually depending on how you set it up.
International card and currency. This allows you to accept payments for all major credit cards in every country across 135+ currencies.
Flexible payment methods. Accept payments from places like PayPal, direct deposits, and even cryptocurrencies.
In-depth reporting. Dive into the crunchy analytics of your business. That way, you can improve your numbers over time.
On top of all that they even give you 24/7 customer support every single day of the year. That’s a must-have when it comes to ecommerce payment processing.
You never want to be in a position where something breaks and you can’t immediately address it. Learn more at PayCafe.
PayPal — Best for Creating Your First Online Store
PayPal is a name that I’m sure most of you are already familiar with. The company has a reputation that speaks for itself when it comes to ease of use, reliability, and security.
Hundreds of millions of people trust PayPal and use it every day for their business.
This is why we highly recommend PayPal if you’re just starting out. Not only does everyone already use PayPal, but it’s also very easy to add and integrate into practically any online store.
For those of you who don’t have a well-established name brand yet, the PayPal button can help put your customers at ease. They know that PayPal has their back for security.
Plus, people might have a PayPal balance that they want to use for spending, as opposed to charging a credit card or debit card.
PayPal is the most commonly used digital wallet in the world. With PayPal for ecommerce, you can accept:
Credit cards
Debit cards
PayPal
Venmo
PayPal Credit
PayPal offers many different payment options that you can offer to your customers, which enhances its popularity. You can deliver the precise way you want to let your customers pay. Options include:
Online checkout on the website
Online checkout through an app
Pay later in installments
Charge recurring subscription payments
Online checkout through social media
Accept payments in person
PayPal also has an option that will allow you to generate estimates when bidding on a job and invoices for your completed jobs, saving you time.
Standard credit card and debit card payments carry a 2.99% fee rate (based on the transaction amount) plus a $0.49 fixed fee in the United States. For other transaction options, fee rates range from 1.9% to 3.49%. Most of them have small fixed fees as well.
International sales’ fee rates typically will be 4.49%, plus a fixed fee, depending on the country where the purchase originated.
PaymentCloud is another one of our recommendations. Not only can it provide you with an easy way for customers to purchase your products and services, but it also offers top-notch security features, including fraud and chargeback protection.
What really sets it apart, though, is its clientele. While most merchant solutions restrict who they work with to “low-risk” businesses, PaymentCloud is one of the rare ones who have systems in place to work with higher-risk businesses.
These are the businesses that typically deal in matters with sticky compliance issues—or might get more chargebacks than your average ecommerce sites. A few industries they won’t shy away from (though others might) are:
Cannabis
Guns and ammunition
Adult products
Alcohol
Bail bonds
Vape products
Tobacco products
Credit repair
Debt consolidation
Couple that with its chargeback and fraud protection feature, and you’ve got a match made in heaven if you’re a higher-risk business.
It’s also an all-in-one ecommerce merchant. Instead of needing to Frankenstein together different shopping cart solutions and find a separate way to take mail and phone orders, you can take care of them in one fell swoop.
The provider’s payment gateway works well with just about any ecommerce platform you could use, including:
Big Commerce
WooCommerce
Magento
Shopify
Shift4Shop
Ecwid
OpenCart
Volusion
So, you’ll never have to worry about its integrative capability.
PaymentCloud allows you to accept debit and credit cards, as well as e-checks. The payment gateway lets you accept payments anytime, set up invoices and subscriptions, and ensure safe transactions at both ends. All payment information goes through five layers of security.
You can also set up a shopping cart on your ecommerce store through PaymentCloud or integrate it with one that you like using already. You get the same ease of use (on both ends) and security from PaymentCloud’s shopping cart as you do its payment gateway and processing service.
There are no setup or cancellation fees and processing rates and PaymentCloud’s fees are competitive—its processing fee is identical to Square’s and the payment gateway fee tends to run at about $15-$20 per month.
Get a secure payment processing platform and a shopping cart together by going with PaymentCloud. Connect with them to apply for free—and, if you’re shopping for a replacement for your current ecommerce payment platform, PaymentCloud will provide cost comparisons for free.
How to Find the Best Payment Method for Your Ecommerce Website
Not every ecommerce website is the same—and your payment methods shouldn’t be either. But narrowing down the perfect option can be tough with so many options to choose from.
Below are the exact criteria we used to determine our list. Use it over the course of your research to help find the perfect payment method for your ecommerce website.
Fair (But Affordable) Processing Fees
Every payment method charges fees for its services. They typically come as:
Monthly fees — Flat prices you have to pay each month for their services. Payment Depot, for example, utilizes this method.
Processing fees — Fees you’ll have to pay with each transaction. These are occasionally variable (i.e., interchange processing rates), or they’ll offer a fixed rate, as with ProMerchant.
Many merchant services typically charge both a monthly fee and a processing fee for their services. But the ultimate price varies depending on the service.
For example, Shopify, Square, Stripe, PayPal, and Payment Cloud charge 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction. That’s a pretty typical standard for the industry.
Other solutions have a unique way of charging you for their services. For example, Helcim customizes the price for you depending on your monthly sales and the average price of your transactions. The more you sell each month and the higher your average transaction is, the less your rate is going to be.
Helcim is great because there are no fees outside of the transaction fees. That means no monthly, setup, or cancellation fees.
When researching, be sure to take a look at how the payment method you’re considering charges you—and by how much.
In the end, it’s a bit of a balance between monthly fees and processing fees. Higher monthly fees typically mean lower processing fees (and vice versa). If you don’t have a ton of transactions each month, it might make more sense to pay a lower monthly fee and go with the high processing fees.
Payment Methods That Meet Your Customers Where They Live
Selling globally can be tricky for ecommerce businesses—especially if you’re just starting out. You have to worry about exchange rates, and you also have to consider what entails typical payment methods in that country.
For example, Alipay is one of the most popular payment methods in China. PayPal probably takes the crown in America.
Not every payment method gives you the option of completing purchases internationally.
Payoneer is an excellent payment method if your business plans to sell overseas. They’ll help you set up localized receiving accounts so you can receive payments in USD, EUR, GBP, CNH, JPY, AUD, CAD, SGD, and MXN.
2Checkout is another method you should consider if you want to handle global payments. You can get set up to sell in more than 200 countries in just a few minutes.
That means you’ll be able to literally open up your store to the entire world—tapping into a global market of potential customers. You can also convert your funds into different types of currencies, so you’re not restricted to just receiving money in USD.
If you plan on selling internationally, definitely look into how the payment method you’re considering handles non-USD currencies, if they can at all.
Checkout So Simple Customers Never Abandon Their Cart
You need to make sure the user experience is effortless for your customers. For ecommerce stores, this process is arguably most important when it comes to the payment method.
A single hiccup or irritating moment while they’re at checkout could result in a higher cart abandonment rate for you—causing a sizable hit to your bottom line.
You can prevent this easily with the right payment solution. With PaymentCloud, for example, your customers can simply enter in their purchase information and be on their way in less than a minute. The same goes for Square, which offers a very seamless ecommerce experience.
You’ll also want to make sure that the payment method offers a clear way for your customers to see:
The items they want to purchase.
The items’ costs.
Exactly where to enter their purchase information.
How to check out.
It might seem self-evident, but you’d be surprised at how often a payment gateway makes its customers jump through hoops in order to actually make a purchase.
Payment Methods for Your In-Store and Online Customers
Are you currently selling items in person? Do you plan to open a retail location in the future?
If so, you’ll want to get a payment method that plays nicely with your business as a whole. If you don’t, it could end up the squeaky wheel that winds up costing you.
Want your website to support your payment solution? Create them in the same place!
Shopify, Square, and Helcim offer great ecommerce website builders to help you create an online store for free. You’ll be able to use their payment methods for every customer purchase.
Shopify, Stripe, and Square all offer fantastic physical hardware solutions for POS systems.
This is perfect if you have a brick-and-mortar store—or if you run a customer-facing business such as a farmers market stand or a food truck. You’ll even be able to accept multiple forms of payment from your phone.
Best Payment Methods for Ecommerce: Your Top Questions Answered
Which payment method is the best for ecommerce?
Shopify is the best payment solution for ecommerce because it’s a fully integrated ecommerce platform with a built-in payment system. This means you can get everything you need to sell products online and accept payments from a single provider—without having to go through a third-party gateway or payment processor.
The great part about Shopify is that it does support other payment methods as well, in addition to Shopify Payments. So if you want to change the way you accept payments in the future, you can still keep your Shopify store and just integrate your new payments system to your existing site.
What are the most commonly used payment methods in ecommerce?
Credit cards and debit cards are the most commonly used payment methods for ecommerce purchases. But alternative payment methods like PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Amazon Pay, Facebook Pay, and digital wallets are growing in popularity.
Ecommerce shops should offer a wide range of different payment methods that appeal to all customers. If you don’t accept a customer’s preferred payment method, there’s a chance you could lose out on potential sales.
What is the safest payment method when selling online?
Accepting credit cards through a payment gateway is the safest way to get paid when you’re selling products or services online. Payment gateways will securely verify the card’s funds and authorization with the bank and credit card network. This ensures that the card is active, the customer is authorized to use the card, and the account has sufficient credit to cover the purchase.
Payment gateways also encrypt the cardholder information and credit card data so that customers are protected. They can also help ecommerce stores with information storage, PCI compliance, and integration with payment processors.
What is the best payment gateway for Shopify?
Shopify has a wide range of payment gateways, including 2Checkout, Authorize.net, PayPal, QuickBooks Payments, Amazon Pay, Chase Paymentech, WorldPay, and more.
The best Shopify payment gateway for your ecommerce site depends on the location of your business. Shopify supports different payment gateways by region, and there are more than 100 different options to choose from.
The Top Payment Methods For Ecommerce in Summary
Every customer has a different payment preference. The best online payment gateways and shopping cart solutions accept multiple payment types to accommodate everyone’s needs.
All of the options recommended in this guide are industry leaders with low fees. While Shopify is the best solution for most, every provider reviewed on our list is worth considering—it all depends on what you’re looking for.
