How to take payments online as a UK small business.
Four ways to get paid online, what each one suits, and what to check before you pick a provider.
- Selling from your own website: a payment gateway or a hosted checkout.
- Selling without a website: payment links or a hosted checkout page.
- Taking payment over the phone: a virtual terminal.
- Whichever you pick, check when the money lands and how each payment is charged.
Customers expect to be able to pay online now, whether they found you on Instagram, booked over the phone or got an invoice by email. The good news is that you don’t need a developer, or even a website, to take card payments online. You need the right tool for the way your customers already buy from you.
Four ways to take payment online.
Each of these takes cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay. The difference is where the payment happens and who it suits.
1. A gateway on your website.
A payment gateway connects your checkout to the card networks. If you already run a shop on your own site, it’s how orders turn into payments without sending customers anywhere else.
2. A hosted checkout page.
A hosted checkout is a ready-made payment page with your logo and colours. Share it, embed it or print it as a QR code. It suits businesses selling a handful of products or services without a full online shop.
3. Payment links.
A payment link is a link for one specific amount, sent by text, email or WhatsApp. It’s the quickest way to get paid for a deposit, a quote or an order taken in a DM.
4. A virtual terminal.
A virtual terminal lets you key in card details in a browser while the customer is on the phone. Useful for bookings, orders and anything arranged by call.
Pick the tool that matches how your customers already buy from you, not the one with the longest feature list.
What to look for in a provider.
- When the money lands. Ask exactly when a payment reaches your bank account, including weekends.
- How you’re charged. Some providers charge one flat rate; others add separate fees per transaction, per month or per refund. Ask for every fee in writing.
- Security built in. Card checks such as 3D Secure should happen automatically, without extra work on your side.
- One view of everything. If you also take payments in person, it helps to see online and in-person takings in one place.
- The contract. Check the length, the notice period and any fee for leaving.
Setting it up.
- Decide which of the four you need. Many businesses start with payment links and add more later.
- Have your business details, bank account and ID ready for the application.
- Add your logo and colours so customers recognise the payment page.
- Send yourself a small test payment before you share anything with customers.
- Tell customers how they can pay: on your site, your invoices and your social profiles.
Where Stored fits.
Stored covers all four from one account, alongside card machines for taking payment in person. Payments are settled the next working day. See pricing or book a demo to see it working.