Every successful eCommerce website needs easy, secure ways for customers to pay. With Wix, you can accept online payments using 80+ trusted payment gateways worldwide.
You can rest assured that transactions happen safely under your watch, and that your customers have multiple ways to pay for purchases on your site. Follow this guide to learn how to accept secure online payments on Wix.
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How to accept online payments with Wix
01. Find the right online payment gateway
To facilitate any transaction online, you need to connect at least one payment gateway to your website. But before we dive in, make sure you know the difference between payment gateway and methods:
Payment gateways (a.k.a. “payment service provider” or “payment processor”) are the pieces of tech that transfer payment information between your buyer and your business. They are responsible for securely transmitting payment data (like credit card details) to your bank account so you can get paid.
Payment methods (a.k.a. “payment options”) are the way your customers pay for your products or services. There’s a variety of payment methods out there, including cash, debit/credit cards, digital wallets (like Apple Pay, PayPal and Google Pay), bank transfers, local payment methods and more. Keep in mind that available payment methods depend on your location and payment provider.
When choosing a payment gateway, consider the payment methods they support. In many cases, a payment gateway supports more than one payment method—and it’s generally considered best practice to give customers multiple payment options at checkout.
Payment gateways vary by location and support different business types. The following are some of the most popular online payment solutions available on Wix for U.S.-based small business owners:
Wix Payments: Wix Payments is our own payment provider and the most efficient way to accept payments on Wix. You can accept online payments without setting up a third-party platform and manage your entire business—payments, inventory and much more—right from your Wix dashboard. Wix merchants in the U.S. and Canada can also sell online and in person using Wix Point of Sale (POS).
PayPal: PayPal is a digital wallet that accesses money from a debit or credit card. In the U.S. and other select countries, customers can opt into PayPal’s buy now, pay later program. U.S. customers can also access their Venmo accounts during a mobile PayPal checkout.
Stripe: Stripe supports over 135 currencies, making it a popular choice if you’re appealing to a global customer base. Like the other payment providers mentioned in this list, you can offer a wide range of payment options through Stripe.
Square: Square supports both in-person payments (via its POS, mobile app or tap-to-pay tech) and online transactions. Square’s omnichannel capabilities, as well as its flat-free pricing structure (among other benefits), are some of the top reasons why sellers gravitate towards this platform.
Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) solutions: Popular BNPL solutions like Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna, Clearpay and Sezzle allow you to get paid in full while letting your customers split their costs into affordable payments over time.
Altogether, Wix supports 80+ third-party payment providers so this list only scratches the surface. It’s worth noting that many users find it most convenient to start with Wix Payments, then enable other providers as needed.
Before integrating any gateway, review its terms and conditions in depth. Take note of anything that can impact your business and profit, including the setup process, transaction fees, supported products/services and information required to verify your account.
02. Set up Wix Payments
Streamline your business with our proprietary payment solution, Wix Payments. Accept debit/credit cards and other popular payment methods, like Apple/Google Pay, Affirm, Afterpay, Klarna and tap to pay.
Wix Payments additionally lets you manage everything in one place—from online and in-person payments to orders, bookings, events, services, classes, subscriptions and more.
To create your Wix Payments account, follow these steps:
Check that your product and service is supported. Make sure that Wix Payments is available in your region and that you’re not selling any prohibited products or services.
Connect Wix Payments. Follow Wix Payments checklist and navigate to “Getting Paid” then “Connect & Setup” in your site dashboard. Hit “Connect Payment Method” to select “Accept Credit/Debit Cards with Wix.”
Choose your payment methods. From the list that pops up, click on the payment methods you want to offer your customers.
Complete account setup. If you’re not already subscribed to a paid plan that supports online payments, you’ll have to upgrade your plan to complete setup and receive payments. Upgrade your site, then go to “Settings” > “Accept Payments.” Fill in your business and bank account info to set up your account.
Accept payments instantly. Note: you can start taking online payments from customers as soon as you connect Wix Payments, but you’ll need to complete account setup to get paid (i.e., receive payouts).
Get paid. Once you’ve submitted your information and gotten approved, you’re good to go. Your money can now be sent directly to your bank account.
03. Accept in-person payments
If you own a physical storefront or play to sell on the go, make sure you have a payment system set up.
You can choose to install hardware—such as a stationary register or dashboard card reader that connects to your laptop—in your store and/or use a wireless option—like a mobile card reader or app—for on-the-go sales.
Wix supports all of these options with solutions for:
Point of sale (POS): Sell online and in person with Wix POS. Manage your multichannel inventory, sales, orders, payments, payouts, customer profiles, analytics and more. You can also integrate Square and SumUp POS with Wix.
Manual payments: Allow customers to make a purchase on your site and pay in person with cash. Simply connect manual payments at checkout and add instructions so your customers know how to pay you offline.
Pay via a link: If a customer prefers to pay securely via your site, send them a branded invoice with how much they need to pay. Wix Invoices lets you include direct links to products for faster checkout.
Related reading: How much does a POS system cost?
04. Manage your payments
We’ll venture a guess and say that when it comes to payment management, most businesses are well past manual spreadsheets.
Simplify how you manage your business even more with Wix’s all-in-one dashboard. You’ll be able to review every purchase made on your site, regardless of the payment provider or method. Plus, you’ll get an overview of your payment activity, including gross income and number of successful payments.
For each transaction, you’ll see the date, customer name, products/services purchased, payment method, amount due and payment status. You can download the entire spreadsheet as a CSV file to conveniently manage your business offline.
If you choose Wix Payments as your payment gateway when starting a business, you’ll be able to manage your payments and payouts in one place. You can additionally monitor and handle refunds and chargebacks from the same spot. Refund your customers directly from your dashboard, and track and dispute your chargebacks with our built-in tool.
Different types of online payment methods
Online payment methods offer convenience, security and efficiency. There are various ways that customers choose to pay online, including:
Credit cards: Credit cards are one of the most widely accepted online payment methods, allowing customers to make purchases using their credit line. Credit card transactions offer protection against payment fraud, meant to safeguard both businesses and cardholders.
Debit cards: Debit cards are linked to a customer's bank account, enabling them to make purchases directly from their available funds. Debit card transactions are processed immediately and thereby reduce the risk of fraud compared to credit cards.
Electronic wallets (e-wallets): E-wallets, such as PayPal, Venmo, Google Pay and Apple Pay, provide a secure platform for storing and transferring funds. Customers can link their bank accounts or credit cards to their e-wallets to make online payments.
Mobile payments: Mobile payment solutions like Google Pay and Apple Pay let customers pay for purchases using their smartphones. These methods utilize near-field communication (NFC) technology for tap-to-pay and contactless payments.
Automatic clearing house (ACH) payments: ACH payments are electronic bank-to-bank transfers processed through the ACH network in the U.S. They are typically used for subscription payments, large transactions or recurring billing because of their lower transaction fees and secure processing.
Bank transfers: Bank transfers involve transferring funds directly from a customer's bank account to a merchant's account. This method is often used for larger transactions or when other payment options are unavailable; while usually faster than ACH payments, bank transfers tend to be more expensive.
Buy now, pay later (BNPL): BNPL services allow customers to make purchases and spread out the payments over time. This method is gaining popularity due to its flexibility and affordability.
Cryptocurrencies: Cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin and Ethereum, are emerging as an alternative online payment method. While still in their early stages of adoption, cryptocurrencies offer decentralized and secure transactions.
Why online payments are a must for modern businesses: 8 core benefits
Taking payments online comes with a lot of perks. Some benefits may be more obvious than others—but as food for thought, here are some perks you should remain mindful of:
Convenience for customers: Online payments let your customers make purchases from anywhere, anytime using their preferred devices, eliminating the need to carry cash or visit physical stores.
Flexibility and scalability: By accommodating various payment methods—including credit cards, debit cards, e-wallets and mobile payments—your business can cater to more customer preferences, plus potentially gain a competitive edge.
Faster payment processing: You can receive payments almost instantaneously through online transactions. This, in turn, can accelerate cash flow and streamline administrative tasks.
Reduced costs: You no longer have to handle physical cash, checks or credit cards, saving your business money on processing fees, bank charges and fraud prevention costs.
Enhanced security: Reputable online payment gateways, such as Wix Payments, employ advanced security measures to protect both your business’s and your customers' financial information. These measures include data encryption, fraud detection and tokenization, which protects sensitive data from unauthorized access.
Global reach: Accepting online payments opens you up to a global customer base. To state the obvious, this can boost your sales, revenue and market share.
Valuable customer data: Online payment transactions can give you insight into your customers’ purchasing patterns, preferences and demographic information. This data can be used to tailor your marketing campaigns and engage customers more intelligently.
Real-time sales tracking: Track sales in real time and make more immediate and informed decisions around inventory management, staffing and marketing strategies.