How To Collect Payments Remotely?
E-commerce has become essential for reaching new markets. Online sales increased by 15.1% and represent 14.1% of retail trade (for product sales). Accepting remote payments for goods or services makes it possible to reach a wider audience and guarantee an optimized customer experience.
To buy in a few clicks, from the comfort of your home, remote payment methods are becoming more popular. Several options make it easy to accept payments online, regardless of the size of your business.
Why Offer Remote Payment To Your Customers?
Consumers are used to being instantly connected to information, entertainment, social media, and the items they want to buy. They expect their needs to be immediately met through technology. Their level of demand for online payments has increased and they favor companies that accept this payment convenience.
Remote payment offers several advantages, for you and your customers:
- Save time for your customers: they can make payments wherever they are, without having to go to a physical store and wait in a queue to pay at the checkout.
- Simplifies the payment experience: it is easier for customers to fill out a payment form online than to connect to their online bank to make a deposit or a transfer.
- Better financial control: it is easier for the company to follow the orders it has generated, those that remain to be collected, and those that have already been paid.
The remote payment experience is an additional point of contact and communication opportunity with the customer. By diversifying your sales channels you maximize your chances of developing your turnover. You also allow consumers far from your catchment area to access your products.
COLLECT REMOTELY WITH A PAYMENT SOLUTION BY LINK
This solution is becoming more and more democratized because it allows unique payment links to accept payments in a secure environment and without a merchant site. This solution is particularly suitable for all merchants who do not have the skills, the time, or the means to devote themselves to online activity.
A payment link is a unique URL address, inserted in a message (e-mail or SMS) which, on click, directs customers to a secure web payment page on which the customer can enter their payment information and validate their transaction.
Benefits of using payment links:
- It makes it easy to accept online payments without having to set up and maintain a website.
- The payment page is customizable and configurable with a few clicks.
Let’s take the example of a personal services agency that has to invoice the services it has just provided. Instead of issuing an invoice for deferred payment by check or bank transfer (which can cause collection problems), it sends an e-mail or text message containing a payment link. Thus, the customer makes his payment immediately by entering his bank card information in a secure environment.
Here’s how remote payment with a link works:
- The seller confirms the order/service and asks for the customer’s mobile phone number or email address.
- A unique and tamper-proof payment link is sent to the customer by SMS or e-mail.
- The customer receives the e-mail or SMS, clicks on the link, and accesses a payment page inviting him to enter his bank card information as he would on an e-commerce site.
- Payment is then processed quickly, easily, and securely.
- The customer receives a payment notification by sms or a validation e-mail
COLLECT REMOTELY WITH A WEBSITE
For a service company, a self-employed person, or a merchant who sells products online, a common way to accept payments remotely is to set up a payment page on their website.
The customer goes to the website and enters the information relating to his payment card as well as his contact details.
A website with an online payment system offers complete flexibility to customers as they can make payments anywhere, directly from their computer or mobile phone, at any time.
To find out more on this subject, we invite you to consult our guide on How to create a merchant site for your business?
COLLECT REMOTELY WITH YOUR TYPE
We use the electronic payment terminal (TPE) of our business to make payments by bank card remotely.
A remote sale collection (VAD) with its TPE, how does it work?
- Beforehand, check the compatibility of your equipment with your TPE maintainer by contacting the assistance number indicated on your terminal.
- Sign a secure remote payment acceptance contract (known as a VADS electronic payment contract ), with your bank, which will then provide you with a direct debit card or merchant card.
- Set up your EPT to accept remote payments.
- Dealing with the client takes place over the phone. The latter communicates his bank card number and the merchant executes the payment from his TPE.
Remote payment by telephone is based on trust. Unlike the usual online payment, bank details are provided by the customer to the seller. This is responsible for making the payment.
Important points to remember:
- Check that the distance selling software (VAD) is installed on your payment terminal.
- The customer, remotely, must have his bank card to be able to list the different numbers on his bank card.
Remote payment with an electronic payment terminal is a less and less used payment method. In favor of a pay-by-link solution, which is an excellent payment option that is secure, easy to configure, and does not require any additional hardware.
