Website payment methods (also known as payment gateways or payment portals) are an ideal way for small businesses to take payments online. By adding a payment portal to your website, you can give your customers the ability to buy directly from your online store in whichever way they see fit.

Also known as an online checkout, payment portals allow you to safely complete online transactions using customers' credit card information. The information captured is securely sent to your server, where it is then processed; funds are typically deposited into your account a few days later. Every website payment method has its own features and benefits to consider, so it's important to choose one that will work well for your business and your customers.

How to add a payment gateway on a website

Once you've picked the right payment eCommerce payment gateway (we’ll go into how to do that later in this article), you'll have to add it to your website using your web host. Your web host should give you options to integrate payment gateways using either the control or admin panel. The exact steps needed to add your payment gateway might be slightly different but in general, they’re all pretty similar.

Set up your online store

Most online stores use website payment methods from third-party companies to make an e-commerce storefront. This software is used to build things like the "add to cart" buttons and checkout processes that you see on your typical eCommerce site. Some of these programs come with a payment gateway built-in, others will need you to integrate one. Creating this code from scratch can be tricky thanks to a few security and regulatory considerations - not to mention very time-consuming - so it's best to let a professional do it.

Add payment methods

Again, each one of these services will be slightly different. But generally, you’ll need to add payment information for every payment method you wish to accept (i.e. Visa, Mastercard, etc.). Your payment gateway will also determine which of these options you can actually use.

Test your payment gateway

After you've added all of your information and chosen your website payment methods, you’re ready to start testing your payment gateway. You'll usually be given a test or 'sandbox' account to do this - these accounts are separate from your regular account and let you check your payment processing is working correctly by making fake transactions.

Some payment gateways will come with built-in fraud prevention tools. These are important to have since they can help protect your business from disputes, chargebacks and other fraud-related issues. Testing is an important part of adding a payment gateway - you need to make sure everything is working correctly before your store goes live.

Payment gateway integration

When looking at payment gateway integration, you'll have to pick between either third-party hosting or hosting on your own domain:

Third-party hosting

This type of payment gateway sends your customer away from your website to another secure site. After the payment has been processed, your customer  is sent back to your website. This option is popular because it can be easier to set up, and the PCI compliance issues are managed by the payment gateway provider.

Self-hosting

With this option, the payment gateway is hosted on your own site (and payment is taken here too). You can also add APIs and modules to your website to customise the website payment method and checkout experience to be exactly what you want it to be. Having the payment gateway on your own site gives you more control over the customer experience - but it also means that you are responsible for things like maintaining the code, security and PCI compliance.

Payment gateway providers

Getting the right process and experience for your checkout, and picking the right website payment method, is crucial if you want to achieve success selling online. Here are some of the most common payment gateway providers that you'll come across:

• WorldPay - From £19 per month/2.75% + £0.20 per transaction

WorldPay offers a variety of features, including fraud prevention tools, to help protect your business. It also offers a wide range of supported payment methods, making it a popular choice for businesses.

• PayPal - 2.9%+ £0.30 per transaction (monthly fee n/a)

PayPal is an online payment service that allows you to pay for goods and services or to send money to friends and family. PayPal is one of the most popular online payment gateways, and it's available in 190 countries. It's also one of the oldest - it was founded in 1998.

• Stripe - 1.4% + 20p (monthly fee n/a)

Stripe is one of the most popular payment processors available, and it's known for its ease of use and wide range of features. Stripe also has a wide range of supported payment methods, making it a good choice for businesses of all sizes.

• Amazon Pay - 2.7% + £0.30 (monthly fee n/a)

Amazon Pay is a payment processing company that allows businesses to accept payments online. Much like Stripe, it has a wide range of supported payment methods and has a simple learning curve. Amazon Pay is available in the US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, and Spain.

• iwocaPay - free

iwocaPay lets you accept payments from your customers at without fees. Pay Now is always free for you and your customer and you can decide whether you or your customer front the cost for Pay Later. Either you pays a fixed fee for the your customer to benefit from interest free payments, or your customer pays to a monthly interest rate for the extra time they use.

As well as the costs for transactions, you should also double-check if there are any extra fees or service charges. Some payment gateways will charge a fee for integration and set-up - but depending on the payment gateway you choose, you might also have to pay for extra security measures for each transaction.

It’s worth spending the time to really research each of the website payment methods you come across very well and get answers to all your questions before making a commitment - and if you're still not sure, it's worth asking for expert advice.

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More on collecting eCommerce payments:

• How you can optimise cash flow with cashless payments

• Preventing and coping with late payments

• What is Faster Payments and how does it work?