| For those of us who have been on the web for | | | | If you are selling low-priced items, you might be |
| more than ten years, we remember what a | | | | better off just dealing with an ecommerce system |
| nightmare it used to be to set up an "ecommerce" | | | | that uses Paypal. It is an easy way to do business |
| site. You had to have your own business bank | | | | and the charges can be less than traditional credit |
| account and apply for and be accepted by Visa and | | | | card processors. However, if you are looking to reach |
| Mastercard to do business. Sometimes you even had | | | | a larger market, then you will have to find a way to |
| to buy your own "swipe" machine to run at home | | | | incorporate Visa, Mastercard, and potentially Discover |
| when the credit card numbers came in. Setting up a | | | | and American Express into your payment system. |
| shopping cart for your website was virtually | | | | There are some ecommerce web hosts that will help |
| impossible because so few hosting providers allowed | | | | you with this, and some that will provide you with |
| you to do the programming that was required. | | | | credit card processing at a small fee, usually a |
| Finding an ecommerce web host now is much easier, | | | | percentage of each transaction. Keep that in mind |
| in fact it is too easy. There are so many of them | | | | when you set your prices! |
| online that it is difficult to choose one. So, before you | | | | Everyone along the line will take a small percentage |
| sign up with someone, you should determine what it | | | | off your sales price, from the ecommerce web host |
| is that you need now, and what you anticipate | | | | to the credit card company, so make sure you are |
| needing in the future. | | | | aware of that before you start setting up your site. |