Accepting Ebook Payment

By Shelley Lowery
Posted Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Once you've completed your ebook and have taken the necessary steps to protect your work, your next step will be to set up an online payment system.

Don't let this process intimidate you, as it is much easier than you may think. There are many professional companies on the Internet that will assist you. If you'd like to get your own merchant account, you can do so right online. If you'd rather not have your own merchant account, there are companies online that will process your orders for you.

Merchant Accounts

If you decide to get your own merchant account, you will also need access to a secure server and a shopping cart system. A secure server will protect your customers information. A shopping cart system will provide your customer with a running total of what they have ordered and the total cost.

The following websites can provide you with a merchant account:

Total Merchant Services (TMS) (http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2332)

This outstanding company comes highly recommended by Corey Rudl -- author of the #1 selling online marketing course, "Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet."

The TMS Merchant account, for Internet transactions, will enable you to accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. They offer two merchant processing software packages to choose from. The first package is the TotalPay powered by Authorize.Net™ Virtual Terminal. This package will enable you to authorize, process, and manage credit card transactions from any computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser. This package ordinarily runs $995, but for a limited time is being offered for only $397. The second package is the TotalPay powered by Authorize.Net™ Virtual Terminal that includes the Total Merchant Manager Shopping Cart. This package includes everything the first package includes, plus all of the following:

- Customizable Shopping Cart System - UPS Shipping Module
- Links to Virtual Terminal - Free Initial Installation

Their discount rate is 2.4% and $0.35 per transaction fee. Monthly fees include a $10 monthly statement fee and a $10 gateway fee that includes secure, online, real-time credit card and e-cheque processing and only applies to merchants processing transactions through their Internet payment gateway.

NRWW Commerce
(http://nrww.com/merchant_account.shtml)

This powerful Internet-based software provides secure, real-time transaction credit card processing. The Virtual Terminal feature enables merchants to authorize, process, and manage credit card transactions from any computer with an Internet connection and a Web browser. This software package runs $179.95.

Their discount rate is 2.25% and $0.30 per transaction fee. Monthly fees include a $5 monthly statement fee and a $15 secure gateway fee.

Third Party Credit Card Processors

If you'd rather not have your own merchant account, third party credit card processors will process your credit card orders for you. There are usually no monthly fees. They charge a "per transaction" fee and send you payment for all of your orders processed, minus their fee and a reserve fee. A reserve fee is withheld to cover and charge backs you may have. If you have no charge backs within a period of time, your reserve will be refunded to you. Each company has their own guidelines in regard to reserves.

The following websites will process credit card orders for you:

CCNow
(http://www.ccnow.com)

This outstanding company will enable you to accept all major credit cards online without a merchant account. There are no set up or monthly fees of any kind. They charge a 9% per transaction fee. In addition, their services are available for non-US merchants.

CCNow is intended to be used for tangible merchandise only. This means that you must have a physical product that is shipped to the customer's physical address. If your product is electronic, you may want to consider using one of the following companies to process your orders.

ClickBank
(http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=196)

ClickBank is another outstanding company that will enable you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, Eurocard, Visa-Debit, MasterCard-Debit and Novus cards. No merchant account is required.

They charge a one-time $49.95 activation fee, and a $1 + 7.5% fee per sale. There are no monthly fees. The great thing about this company is that over 60,000 affiliates can choose to sell your products for you. ClickBank enables any web seller to automatically pay sales commissions to affiliates. They will bill your customers, pay you, and pay your affiliates a commission. In other words, they'll run your entire affiliate program for you. In addition, their services are available for non-US merchants.

ClickBank is intended to be used for electronic merchandise only. If you ship a physical product, you may want to consider using CCNow to process your orders.

iBill
(http://www.ibill.com)

iBill will enable you to accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express, JCB, online checks or telephone billing (900 number). There are no setup fees. However, you must maintain a minimum sales volume of $25 per month or the difference will be charged to your credit card. They charge 12% - 15% per transaction fee for credit card and check purchases and 20% - 30% per transaction fee for phone purchases. Non-US merchants are welcome.

If you're just starting out, you may want to use one of the third party credit card processors, as this is the easiest route. Each company provides you with step by step instructions to assist you in getting your web site set up to accept credit cards. The great thing about third party credit card processors is that they handle everything for you. You don't have to hassle with processing your credit card payments or charge backs, as all of this is taken care of for you.

In order to successfully sell your ebooks on the Internet, you must accept credit cards. In addition, you must make the ordering process as simple as possible. With today's technology, even the smallest home-based business can now accept credit credits almost instantly. Visit one of the web sites mentioned above and get your web site set up today. Your success depends on it.

About the Author
Shelley Lowery is the author of Ebook Starter. A complete ebook design kit that takes you step by step through designing, creating and marketing your own ebook. Give your ebook a professional look in just a few simple steps with over 100 ebook interface and cover templates. (http://www.web-source.net/ebookstarter.htm)