| Summary Although they cost less, online order forms can be time consuming and problematic for customers. Ensure that your online order form is secure by using a secure server to email customer information, an offline PDQ machine or shopping cart software. Explore the real alternatives to these methods by comparing online and Electronic payments systems by using the tool. |
An order form is a simple page on your site that the customer fills in with details of themselves and the goods they want to buy. There is no automation and the fields in the forms are sent to you as an e-mail and do not use a PSP.
As a very basic method of taking orders through your online catalogue this can be very manual and labour intensive. An automatic ‘buy product’ button can take the user to the order form page where product details are already filled in but customers who want to buy separate products need new forms for each one and it soon becomes clear that a simple shopping cart product is more effective.
A simple form is NOT a secure way of collecting card details. To be secure you, the Merchant, must use a secure order form, which uses a secure server to email the customer’s credit card information.
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Like the code machines used in World War Two, a secure server encrypts the message making it hard for criminals to decipher (and steal) credit card information. |
An offline PDQ swipe machine, available for a small cost, will enable you to process the credit card details when you receive them.
A slightly more advanced option is available by using a shopping cart software product as most carts have the ability to either store credit card numbers securely so you can view them over the Internet or send them securely over e-mail. By making use of an existing merchant account, payments can be processed by using a PDQ swipe card machine or by old-fashioned credit card slip.
Advantages:
- Secure forms require a minimal outlay
- Avoid paying for a Payment Service Provider facility.
- Avoid an extra internet merchant number for online transactions
- Merchants can manually screen orders as they come in and reject risky transactions
- Site superficially appears to be fully credit/debit card enabled
Disadvantages:
- Secure forms have limited use for more than one product on your site.
- Some bank acquiring services disapprove of merchants using an offline merchant number for Internet transactions so the merchant may be in breach of their acquiring bank’s terms and conditions.
- There is no “live” authorization of card details so incorrect details will still appear to have been accepted. Contact (by telephone) may then be necessary.
- Transactions are processed manually - time consuming.
The free Electronic payments diagnostic tool will allow you to look at the cost of proper electronic payment systems and compare this to the secure online form method of taking payments from your customers.
this to the secure online form method of taking payments from your customers.
