Advice needed for small online transactions

[ambercelery]

Hi,

I am in the process of setting up a web service. This will basically involve users regsitering their details and then using the service by purchasing credits. I want to keep the cost of credits cheap probably 10p. My problem is knowing what options i have to get the payment from the user.

I would prefer to sell blocks of credits but think that it is important to have the lowest amount possible, something like £1.00 - that way users can try out the service and if they decide not to use the remainder of their credits they have only lost £1.00.
For example, trying out a service by having to spend £5.00 seems a bit too much to lose.

The only simple way for web payment I know of is to use PayPal but they charge 20p per transaction plus a percentage of the cost.
Therefore for a £1.00 transaction, I will be paying PayPal around 25-30p - leaving me with 70 to 75p out of every £1.00.

Can anyone help on letting me know any other ways where I can get a better return for small transaction payments online?
How easy (and costly) is it to actually set up to authorise credit card payments?

[Corey Bryant]

Welcome to the forums Ambercelery! Paypal might be your best option here. You are going to see that the industry is not too supportive yet of micro-payments. And it is that transaction fee that really reduces your profit margin

[LMI_Investments]

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[pete]

Actually, what he's talking about is Bank Draft Printing software. You can buy a version of Versa-Check online or at any office supply store.

You can also get a totally free package that will do the same thing here- Not a demo, working program, good forever. http://www.checkprintingsoftware.com

You can buy Blank Check Stock (that's the term to search) online or at places that sell the Versa-Check program. You can also print checks (and Bank Drafts, which have Their account number and routing number on them) on regular plain paper, or 24# paper like you would use for brochures. I do it all the time. Pick out a pretty 24 # paper at the store and print checks on it. Have to be sure to get the spacing right at the bottom for MICR print to read properly, but that's all that matters. About 3/8 inch from the bottom.

So, that is an answer, if you can get them to give you their account number and routing numer, you've got it made. Problem is, with all the talk of identity theft, this is not something a lot of people will do. Even though it's on every check they ever wrote, they don't want to give it out.

Good luck.

[chaplin]

You may consider using E-gold as they will take only 5c per $1 or so.
But it will be used only from people who already use e-gold so it cannot be the only option on the site.

[shark-solution]

Or moneybrookers.com

I have seen somewhere that one of the credit card processors has a micro payment solution, but i cant remember the company.

try check 2co.com, or paysystems.com - thats the only 2 that poped up in my mind.

[Corey Bryant]

Yuo might want to stay away from Paysystems though. They used to offer 3PP and then stopped that business model. They still owe a lot of people quite a bit of money