An
e-commerce hurdle for smaller businesses in South Africa has fallen
with the launch of a new payment collection service from PayGate.
“For
a small company that’s turning over less than R100,000 a month, getting
an e-commerce merchant account through a bank can be prohibitively
difficult and expensive,” says PayGate’s business development manager
Brendan Williamson. “Yet there are hundreds of small and home-based
businesses in South Africa that are poised for growth, if only they had a
realistic way to sell and receive payments online. That’s the gap we’re
aiming to fill.”
Williamson
says PayGate’s entry level e-commerce platform will allow SMEs to
accept a wide range of payment methods, including international credit
and debit cards, and get easy access to their money without needing to
open a new bank account. “Our Payment Protector real-time fraud
monitoring system is part of the package, so people are protected
against credit card fraud,” he adds.
Payment
methods on offer include Visa and Visa Electron, Mastercard, Maestro,
Diners Club, American Express, SID Instant EFT, PayD, paysum1 and UKash,
says Williamson, along with a growing menu of mobile payment options.
The
service can be activated within 48 hours, he adds: “The application
form is just two pages long, there’s no security required and the
approval is quick. This allows small business to collect payments more
easily, to project a more professional image and to grow to a different
level.”
PayGate
will continue to support small businesses as they grow, says
Williamson. “There are other services aimed at the SME market, but if a
business takes off it can outgrow those really fast - and having to
change platforms can be very disruptive. At PayGate we support
everything from homebased craft businesses to a major airlines, so we’re
able to grow with our customers.”
However,
he warns that small businesses planning to go online should work hard
on their marketing. “You can’t assume that being online automatically
sells your product - making your shop window visible is a key challenge.
Businesses who are new to e-commerce should make sure they choose web
developers who are able to help them with advice on search engine
marketing and payper- click advertising. Then once the customers are in
the door, PayGate will make sure you can collect their money at the
till.”
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