Posts

Posted on

An Affordable Online Payment Solution for Sports Leagues

Trying to find the right online payment solution for your sports league can be confusing and expensive. Some of the mainstream solutions can charge up to $5.00 per registration and then processing fees of up to 3% on top of that. It doesn’t have to cost that much!

 

Web Payment Software was used by the Rhode Island Breakers, a girl’s basketballSample payment page for a girls basketball league.league, as an affordable registration and payment solution. The RI Breakers hold several basketball tournaments throughout the year. Each tournament has several hundred teams that need to register, make payment and submit team information. This can make for a ton of administrative work.They say “time is money” so streamlining this process helped save the organization a hoop-load of both.

 

By using Web Payment Software’s “payment pages”, the RI breakers set up a separate payment page for each of their basketball tournaments. Using a separate page for each event lets them tailor the details and collect different data for each event. It also lets them sort the registration and transaction data in to event specific Excel spreadsheets for use at the event.

 

The payment pages were branded to match their Website and are hosted in Web Payment Software’s PCI compliant data center. The experts at Web Payment Software set up their first payment page with all of the options and information necessary. Then, the staff at RI Breakers cloned that page and tailored the details and options for their next event. Along with having the ability to create as many pages as they need.

 

WPS’s solutions costs significantly less than the credit card processing would cost with PayPal. The merchants get their money in two days instead of the normal week or two. Web Payment Software also offers a virtual terminal, recurring payments, and can work as an e-commerce payment gateway service all for $15.99 per month.

 

Web Payment Software is an affordable online payment solution for sports leagues. Want to find out more about our top of the line merchant services? Feel free to email us at [email protected] or call us at (518)583-0300. We look forward to hearing from you.

 

Posted on

What is a QR Code?

wps_qr_code

QR codes (also known as Quick Response Codes) are those square barcodes you can find on almost anything. Like right next to this paragraph, for instance. Even though these codes rose to fame in the late 2000’s, they were actually created in 1994. They were originally developed by Denso (which was an affiliate of Toyota) to track parts going through the factory.

What they do is pretty simple. Just like how a cashier scans a barcode on a product, you can scan a QR code with your phone. It brings up a website, a video, a Skype call, an application in the app store – anything really. QR codes are used in all types of businesses, with all forms of advertising, on literally anything – the bench at a bus stop to a page of a magazine can have a QR code on it. And the best part is that they don’t take any fancy designing to make. You can just go to a QR code generator site and go to town within seconds.

QR codes can be very useful, because they’re a free way to get consumers to interact with different components of your brand. Let’s pretend you work for a car company and you’re at a trade show. You’re really trying to get the word out about your new line of cars. You can give consumers fancy photos, let them sit in the cars, etc. But what you really want them to do is like your Facebook page, so they’ll constantly get up to date information about your cars. How can you do that? Well, there are a few ways:

Option 1) Set up a computer and have people log in to Facebook to like your page.
The problem: People are concerned about security, and don’t want to type their e-mail address and password in on a random computer.

Option 2) Tell them to go to Facebook on their phone and like your page.
The problem: There’s a good chance they won’t actually do it.

Option 3) Have a QR code that leads to your Facebook page posted somewhere very visible.
Why this is the best option: Consumers are curious. They want to see what that QR code does and where it will take them. Once they scan the code, all they have to do is decide whether they want to like the page or not.

And in a perfect world, this article would stop here, and QR codes would rule the world. But they’re not. Why?

1) iPhones can’t scan them unless you download an app.
2) They’re ugly.

But don’t let that get you down. Would you rather stick a QR code on your piece of advertising, and potentially get more customer interaction? Potentially increase sales? Potentially get more video views? The list goes on and on.

Or would you rather leave the QR code off? Then you’ll never know what it could have done for your business…

Posted on

PayPal vs. Web Payment Software

paypal_vs_web_payment_software

Paypal is one of the most useful e-commerce solutions in the world – we won’t deny that! Founded in 1998, PayPal is a 10,000+ employee company that helps millions of people send and receive money — every day.  But does bigger always mean better? Check out how PayPal weighs in with Web Payment Software, below.

Lets start with the account setup.  We charge $98. PayPal is free. But why?  We only charge $15.99 a month, whereas PayPal charges $30.  Our transaction fees our lower, too.  We charge 2.25 – 2.7% + $.25 each transaction, when PayPal charges 2.2 – 3.9% +$.30 each transaction.  We also don’t charge to receive payments outside the U.S.

Put all of that on top of the fact that it takes funds 2 business days to clear the bank with us, and 3-4 business days with PayPal (or two months with rolling reserve). Rolling reserve could put you out of business.

Next, let’s talk about payment pages.  That’s one of the big things we do.  We support unlimited payment pages.  PayPal does not.  Our payment pages can be custom branded.  PayPal’s cannot.

At the end of the day, if you want to send money, PayPal is probably what you want to look into.  But if you’re running an online business and need to accept payments, Web Payment Software is the solution you need!

Posted on

The Pros and Cons of Mobile Payment Solutions

mobile_payment_solution

Mobile payments are a big part of the e-commerce industry, and they’re one of Web Payment Software’s specialties.  But the term “mobile payments” is so broad.

In short, mobile payments are any monetary transaction that can take place on a mobile device.  Examples include anything from a card-swiping device that plugs into your phone’s headphone jack, to Google wallet, to a store’s iPhone app that makes it easier to buy products.  Mobile payments are growing, and they’re more than likely “the future.”  But as great as mobile payments are, there are also cons.  So let’s break it down a little more.

Why They’re Great:

1.  The Security
If you download an app from a trustworthy company, use a secure Internet connection, and keep your phone password protected, you’re more than likely safe making mobile purchases.  Do customers necessarily believe that, though?  We’ll discuss that in a bit.

2.  They Give Consumers More Options
Say you’re a business at a trade show.  You have a mobile credit card reader. Customers can no longer say, “I can’t buy that, I only have my card.”  In the same sense, if you’re a customer, you don’t need to worry about bringing cash everywhere.

3.  Brand Loyalty
Mobile payment systems help build brand loyalty.  Lets take a moment and flashback to the McDonald’s mobile ordering app.  It’s great for McDonald’s because people download the app, and then see the McDonald’s logo every time they flip through their phone.  But it’s great for McDonald’s fans as well, because they get a cool new ordering system.

Why They’re Not…(Yet)

1.  User Experience
At the end of the day, many users feel that mobile payments are more trouble than they’re worth.  Why download a phone app, just to purchase a product on a tiny cell phone screen, when you can simply go on your computer?  Why scan a QR code to pay for something when you can just pay in cash?  Think about this – you need to have your phone charged in order to pay for something / accept a payment.  What if it dies?

2. They Cost Businesses Money
If you’re allowing people to swipe credit cards on your phone, you’re getting charged a transaction fee, or a monthly fee, or both.  If you’ve had someone design an app to help people buy your products on the go, that costs money.  The ability to accept mobile payments is not always worth the price.

3.  The Trust Isn’t There Yet
Despite what I said earlier about mobile payments being safe and secure, consumer trust just isn’t there yet.  There’s something about sending information through thin air from one device to another, or swiping your info into someone’s phone whom you don’t know very well.  Read this article for what people in the UK think.

Are mobile payments right for your business?  What do you think?