"Online Payment Multitaskers" by Idealware

This article is from the March 2011 issue of KC Stage

If you’re looking to accept donations, register people for events, or sell items online, there are many applications out there to help you complete any one of these transactions. But what if you’re looking to process more than one type of payment? What if your needs are a little out of the ordinary? Are there any software options that will support a variety of online transactions?

There are, but keep in mind that a multi-tasker – something that supports many types of transactions - are unlikely to provide top of the line support for all of those. Some focus on just one particular payment type, while others offer a number of payment types, but lack deep functionality for any one feature. But if you have multiple, straightforward needs that require less specialization — for instance, you’d just like to take basic online donations, sign up members, and sell a few items — you have a number of options.

Hosted Online Payment Specialists

If you’re looking for software to support several typical kinds of payments without a lot of complicated setup, it makes sense to use an online service that offers payment forms hosted on the vendor’s server. Hosted online payment tools allow you to link out from your Web site to one or many forms that can process an unlimited number of payments. The forms can often be customized to match your Web site (at least to some degree), thus creating a relatively smooth transition from your site to the vendor’s. Because you don’t have to create and host the payment form yourself, you don’t need to worry about security issues, and you generally don’t need to know any code to set them up.

Some options here are: Paypal Standard, Click & Pledge, Auctionpay, Gifttool, MemberClicks and CharityWeb.

Hosted Online Integrated Packages

If you plan to revamp your entire website and are open to switching to a new constituent database, a hosted online integrated package is worth considering. These packages offer support for payments as well as content management, e-mail blasting, and more — all centered around an integrated constituent database. Some options here are Kintera and Convio. Membership-based organizations should also take a look at integrated tools with a membership focus, including the aforementioned MemberClicks, Affiniscape, GoMembers, NetForum by Avectra, and Aptify.

Rolling Your Own Payment Solution

The hosted online payment specialists or online integrated tools listed above can be a practical way to integrate payment processing into your website. However, if you need to create custom workflows or business rules, or if you would like to integrate data directly with your database, hosted solutions are likely to feel limiting.

This route will require some technical chops (the ability to integrate HTML forms with calls to web services or APIs, for instance) and a bit of a learning curve to master the rules of the specific payment gateway. However, someone with experience in payment processing can likely set up a basic payment form in less than a day.

Keep in mind, though, that you’re likely to need a lot more than just a basic payment form. Should you decide to create your own payment solution, you’ll be entirely on your own when it comes to creating or maintaining site functionality. You’ll also need to purchase services beyond the payment processor itself. You’ll need to set up a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate for your Web site payment forms to protect the credit-card information. Depending on which payment gateway you choose, you may also need to get your own merchant account as well. Some options here include: PayPal Pro, IATS, Vanco, PayPal Payflow, and Authorize.Net.

Wrapping It Up

Accepting online payments from your website requires a bit of setup and a vendor to help process transactions, but it shouldn’t be prohibitive for any organization. From straightforward tools like PayPal or Click & Pledge to robust solutions like CharityWeb, online integrated tools, or Authorize.Net, there are good options for any requirements. Choose a vendor with an eye to your specific needs and the actual transaction volume and amounts you expect to take in, and you’ll be set up for successful — and lucrative — payment processing.

For More Information

Idealware, a 501(c)3 nonprofit, provides impartial information to help nonprofits choose software—and they have more resources about online project management software. All these resources are free.

A Few Good Online Payment Multitaskers:
http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_payment_processing.php

Online Payment Processing in Pictures:
http://www.idealware.org/articles/payment_processing_ pictures.php

A Few Good Methods for Processing Credit Cards:
http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_process_credit_cards.php

A Few Good Event Registration Tools:
http://www.idealware.org/articles/fgt_event_registration.php