If you develop an eCommerce business, it is crucial to have appropriate software for handling payments. Choosing the right payment options for your online store is crucial to provide a seamless customer experience. 

One of the reasons for a high amount of cart abandonment is that eCommerce customers can’t find their preferred payment option during checkout.

This article will cover the most popular Sylius payment options you can use to ensure you won’t lose revenue because of lacking payment options.

As a bonus, all of the solutions listed below include an available Sylius plugin for faster implementation.

What is a payment service provider?

To put it simply, PSP (payment service provider) is an aggregator of multiple direct payment methods. It is provided by a single vendor who serves as a technological “gate” that lets you implement and get access to a variety of payment methods at once. The PSP provides various payment modes for online shopping, such as direct debits, bank transfers, online transactions using credit cards, etc. They all work together to make the transaction process transparent, seamless for customers, and stress-free for merchants.

How do payments in eCommerce work?

The online store follows similar rules as a traditional store, especially when it comes to the transaction itself. 

There is a seller who offers a product and the customer who pays for it. Simple as that – it is exactly the same in the eCommerce industry. The only difference is that the money is transferred virtually from the customer’s account to the merchant account (there are no coins or banknotes). 

When deciding to run or develop an online store, you should take care of the appropriate software, but the second thing that matters is an eCommerce payment gateway/system. 

Why may you want to use the payment gateway?

Using a payment gateway allows you to easily offer a client many different payment methods. Instead of spending time finding payment providers and signing a contract with them, you delegate this responsibility to your payment service provider.

  • Payment systems allow merchants to accept secure payments through various methods such as credit cards, debit cards, and instant transfers in real time.
  • Payment systems ensure that both buyers and sellers can transact confidently and quickly.
  • Payment systems support multiple currencies, giving merchants the ability to accept payments from anywhere in the world without having to worry about conversion rates

Types of payments in eCommerce

You should first consider your potential customers’ needs to adjust the payment type to your Sylius-based eCommerce. 

If they are older people, it is best to choose the simplest and least complicated payment system. When your offer is addressed to young people who value comfort and speed, you will probably choose more modern methods, including cryptocurrencies. 

Below are several types of eCommerce payments that you can offer to your customers within the Sylius-based eCommerce store:

  • Quick transfers
    It is the most successful payment method and is most often used in eCommerce. The entire transaction runs smoothly and does not require too much commitment, so customers won’t have any problems using this method. The customer logs in to a bank account to authorize the payment, but all other data is filled in automatically, so there is little room for error. Accounting takes place immediately, so the purchased product can be sent instantly after the transfer is confirmed.
  • Electronic wallet  (also called e-wallet)
    The user has to log in with the selected provider, then he receives an account where the money is deposited. The further procedure looks like a regular payment for the service. The entire transaction is done quickly, and the money is instantly transferred. The service is usually free, but sometimes it may involve a commission. This type of payment works exactly like a traditional wallet, but virtually. Examples: Apple Pay, Google Pay.
  • (Credit) Card payments
    Undoubtedly, payments by a bank, debit, or credit card are a very popular method of payment for purchases in the online store. Most payment systems offer this method. It is a very convenient form of payment for customers. All they have to do is enter the card’s data and the security code and authorize the payment – if required by the buyer’s bank. The transfer is made automatically, so just like in the previous case, you can start processing your order quickly.
  • Traditional transfer
    There is no doubt that traditional transfers are a method that has been losing its popularity. Although few internet users sometimes use this method of payment, it is associated with a long wait for the transfer to reach you. In addition, traditional transfers are usually the final choice resulting, for example, from the lack of your own bank account or the fact that the customer’s bank is not available in the payment system.
  • Deferred payments
    This convenient payment method lets you purchase the product without having to freeze funds right away. The seller’s money arrives instantly, while the buyer can pay the service provider directly with no additional charges within 30 days or pay in installments. This is a way to keep financial liquidity and avoid straining the home budget.

Sylius gives you many possibilities to integrate different payment methods just by choosing the right plugin. 

Many PSP integrations are easy to adjust to your eCommerce needs.

The payment service provider provides full support for both technical payment processing and money collection. However, sometimes it may also only offer a gateway.

What features should the PSP eCommerce have?

The choice of payment gateways is very complex, and it’s important for you not just to ensure its safest option but also to ensure it covers most of the needed payment services your customers may want. So, what features should payment service providers meet the most advanced expectations?

  • Easy and flexible refunds
    No matter how great your products are and how well you take care of your customers, there’s one certain thing that will happen – refunds. That’s why the ability to make a fast refund is crucial.
    (Mollie plugin for Sylius gives you the additional flexibility of making refunds from both your store admin panel and your Mollie account.)
  • Advanced payment methods configuration
    You should have access to the newest and conversion-boosting online payment methods and be able to configure them (e.g. changing its name, logo, adding restrictions per country, or excluding countries).
  • Security handling customer data
    With the rising importance of data privacy and legal regulations around the subject, it’s more important than ever to ensure your customers’ data is well protected.
    The problem is that storing your customers’ sensitive data connected with payments brings additional challenges to data maintenance and protection. To protect and process transactional data, you might need even more time and budget to develop the proper solution.
  • Recovering lost transactions with email payment links
    Recovering lost transactions and abandoned carts is a very broad area. It’s also a (seemingly) easy way to increase your revenue.
  • Payment error analytics
    You should be able to see the information on how payments in your store are processed.
  • Payment service providers per country
    Different markets require different currencies, payment gateway(s), or the way of paying by credit and debit cards.
    You may think offering the most advanced payment solution with many options is the best idea. Still, the truth is that when presented with a lot of options, our ability to make a choice is significantly reduced. What does it mean? We get overwhelmed and give up. So do your customers.
    Payment service providers’ popularity may vary heavily depending on what country you operate in. Based on what are the most popular solutions, you should focus on the most important ones not to overwhelm your customers during checkout.
  • Single click checkout
    Single-click checkout is a great example of how you can create a convenient and fast shopping experience. In other words, shopping should be as easy as possible and shouldn’t consist of unnecessary steps on the way to ordering a product or service.
    A well-thought implementation of a payment service provider in your eCommerce allows you to place all steps within one form and complete the purchase with one click.
  • Accept payments by alternative payment methods (e.g. vouchers/gift cards)
    Gift cards or vouchers are frequently chosen gifts because of their versatility. Give them the option to use them in your eCommerce platform.

Benefits of using payment gateways:

  • Ensure heightened security with proper certifications and anti-fraud measures
  • A wide variety of payment methods are available 24/7
  • Speed up transactions to reduce the risk of customers abandoning their carts

Problem:
Potential customers sometimes feel anxious about making online purchases because they fear that their card/bank details may be stolen or used for illegal activity.

Solution:
Payment systems such as PayPal, Apple Pay, Stripe, and more in eCommerce have made the purchasing process not only safer but also much more convenient for both online store owners and their customers. Not only are these systems easy to use, but they also offer customers increased data security, confidentiality, and a significantly shortened ordering time. For online store owners, this means they are able to provide their customers with the highest standards of service and a streamlined checkout process.

Payment solutions available in the Sylius-based eCommerce

Adyen

Our fruitful cooperation with Adyen has brought to life the Adyen<->Sylius integration based on the Adyen drop-in widget.

Learn about the business perspective of a new PSP partnership in Sylius portfolio in their blog >>

Adyen provides a universal solution for multi-channel payments, including in-app payments and in-store POS support.

It was founded in 2006 by a group of entrepreneurs to improve the quality of payment solutions available back then. You can find companies like Uber, Booking.com, or eBay among their customers.

Adyen plugin for Sylius is a convenient way of embedding a list of payment methods and letting the customers pay in the way they want. The integration currently supports all the common payment methods, including card payments, one-click payments, and e-wallets. 

The integration supports the following payment methods:

  • Credit and debit card payments
  • Google Pay
  • Apple Pay
  • PayPal
  • Klarna
  • BLIK
  • Polish Online Banking
  • iDEAL
  • Twint
  • WeChat Pay
  • Alipay

Read the case study of implementation:

Mollie

The integration supports the most popular payment methods like PayPal, ApplePay, or Klarna and features such as a convenient checkout, partial order fulfillment, easy refunds, and more. It is the most expanded and supported plugin for the platform.
Some of the included features:

  • API integration 
  • Partial shipment, partial refunds 
  • Management of payment methods
  • Card data validation
  • Multi-Currency

The integration supports the following payment methods:

  • Credit Cards (Master Card, VISA, American Express)
  • PayPal
  • ApplePay
  • Klarna
  • iDEAL
  • SEPA
  • SOFORT
  • EPS
  • Giropay
  • KBC/CBC Payment Button
  • Przelewy24
  • ING Home’Pay
  • Belfius Pay Button
  • Gift cards
  • Bancontact
  • PayU

Read the case study of implementation:

Coinbase 

Coinbase is a visionary company on a mission to make cryptocurrency payments available to everyone around the world.

With over 35 million users (and growing), it’s certainly a payment solution worth considering. It’s a great addition if you would like to give your customers a bit more flexibility – especially if your target audience is more tech-savvy and interested in cryptocurrencies.

MultiSafepay

With over 20 years of experience in eCommerce, MultiSafepay advantages are experience, technology, and partnership focus.

This payment method gives you access to features like payment after delivery, multi-language and multi-currency, and split or recurring payments.

Braintree

Payment solution acquired by PayPal in 2013 to help businesses drive more revenue globally. 

Braintree puts enabling growth for all kinds of businesses in the first place and offers two core products: Braintree Direct (online payments solutions) and Braintree Extend (share and exchange data with your partners or service providers).

Przelewy24

Przelewy24 is one of the leading and most recognized payment service providers in Poland. It’s also included as an available payment method when shopping on Aliexpress.

It aggregates over 300 payment methods and recently merged with two other major payment solutions: DotPay and eCard.

Sylius QuadPay Plugin (Zip Plugin)

Integrate Zip (previously QuadPay) payment system with the Sylius platform app and offer your customers installment payments. Customers can pay for the purchase in 4 installments. Customers can set up their payment schedule, so your business can capitalize on this flexibility.

Sylius AmazonPay Plugin

This plugin allows AmazonPay payments in the Sylius store and synchronizes the payment state. It is capable of fetching addresses from the Amazon account.

This plugin allows AmazonPay payments in the Sylius store and synchronizes the payment state.
You have the ability to buy goods or services from sites other than Amazon and pay for them with the Amazon Pay account by importing credit card details and shipping address.

Sylius PayU Plugin

This plugin integrates PayU payments with Sylius-based applications. After installing it, you should be able to create a payment method for the PayU gateway and enable its payments in your web store.
PayU allows you to set up an account in the system and connect it with your card.

imoje

This plugin integrates imoje payments (ING) with Sylius-based eCommerce. It offers all the most popular payment methods, such as BLIK, e-transfers, card payments, including Apple Pay and Google Pay wallets, and deferred payments (imoje płacę później) provided in cooperation with PayPo and Twisto.

Radosław Żurawski - CSO at BitBag
Get an advice on how to choose and implement the right PSP in your Sylius project

How to use the payment gateway in Sylius?

Each of our plugins comes with an installation guide. After the successful installation, you need to add a new payment method. We will walk through the process of adding a Przelewy24 gateway, but these steps are similar for every payment gateway.

Go to Admin PanelPayment methods. Click on the Create button and select an option with the name of your payment gateway; in our case it is Przelewy24.

How to use the payment gateway in Sylius

Now fill all fields marked with * and choose which channels you want to activate the payment method. From now your clients can choose your new payment method while placing their orders.

choosing-the-payment-method

How to choose the right payment solution?

We understand that the choice may not be easy. For some, low commissions are important, for others safety, and for some, a rich offer and a wide selection of payment methods in eCommerce. To make the right choice, pay attention to the following aspects:

  • Customer opinions – it is important that the PSP has good ratings and comments. Choose a trusted partner, and you will save yourself problems
  • Available payment methods – at least the most popular ones
  • Clearly described fees
  • Integration with the store – you should check whether the payment system can be integrated with your platform
  • Safe and easy implementation process – you need to make sure that you will receive the company’s support in the implementation or will be able to use the help of a specialist
  • Friendly reporting system – the list of completed transactions and payments should be clearly compiled

To make the right choice, we encourage you to contact our experts, who will advise you on the appropriate solution.