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Stripe Tutorials

How To Accept iDEAL Payments Through Stripe: A Guide

Ever since it was first used as an experimental addition in the transaction flows of small Netherlands-based businesses, iDEAL has become one of the frontrunners of European online payments.

With its simplistic system that seeks to quickly complete transactions through an authenticated bank debit, iDEAL makes online payments easy. Thanks to its user intuitive system and immediate payment confirmation, iDEAL has managed to become the most popular online payment method among the Dutch. This is evident in its 55 percent market share! 

Seen as the Dutch counterpart of other popular payment methods such as Giropay and Bancontact, it’s clear that this tool has become highly sought-after for the right reasons. 

If you’re an online seller looking to offer as many European payment options as possible, this Dutch-developed payment system is a must. Fortunately, integrating it is as easy as accepting iDEAL payments via Stripe!

A Step-By-Step Guide To Accepting Payments Through Stripe

Although it may seem quite complex, fine-tuning your website’s payment pages to accept iDEAL payments doesn’t have to be as difficult because Stripe has streamlined the process through its Sources tool.

With the help of this single integration path that seeks to create payments using any supported method, Stripe users in the United States (and Europe, as well) can quickly accept payments from Dutch customers. This tool is set to help ease up the process because a Source object can be created so that a customer is redirected to their bank’s website to make a charge request— thereby completing the payment. 

Let’s go over each crucial step that you’ll need to follow so that you can use Stripe (and the Payment Page builder tool integrated with it) to start accepting iDEAL payments: 

Step #1: Create a Source object that will start accepting payments

The first step you’ll have to take is to create a Source object on the client-side—a process that can be found in the iDEAL Bank Element Quickstart. With this step, you can help your customers streamline the payment process by selecting their bank online instead of browsing the interstitial bank selection page.

Step #2: Have your customer authorize the payment

Once you’ve set up the source object that will be responsible for accepting payments from the most popular method in the Netherlands, the next step is to have your customer authorize them.

When you create a source, its status is initially set to “pending”, meaning that it cannot be used to make a charge request. This is where your customer will have to authorize an iDEAL payment to make the source object chargeable— which can be done by linking them to the URL provided within the Source object’s “redirect[URL]” attribute. 

Step #3: Start charging the Source

After following the two steps mentioned above, you’ll notice that your assigned Source object’s status is now “chargeable” and no longer “pending”. This allows it to be used to make charge requests. To make a charge request using the allotted source, you can proceed with making a charge request by accessing the webhook handler and using the source ID as a value in the source parameter so you can complete the payment. 

Step #4: Make the confirmation that the charge has succeeded

By the time everything falls into place and the Charge in question succeeds (which will show in the form of a “charge.succeeded” webhook event, the final step that you’ll need to take is to notify your customer of the successful transaction. 

(For a more in-depth guide to integrating iDEAL payments using Payment Page’s integrated payment method, check out Stripe’s official guide here.)

Conclusion

Trying to meet the needs of consumers in the Netherlands entails giving them payment options that make completing a purchase easy. If you see Dutch customers visiting, yet to bounce and abandon their cart in the latter stages of a purchase, your payment options could very much be the reason. With the help of this guide, however, you can quickly and successfully tap into the Dutch market by accepting the country’s leading payment method through Stripe!


If you’re looking to accept iDEAL payments through Stripe with an appealing and effective form on your website, then Payment Page is for you. You can easily build a custom payment form or we can help you set it up, to help your business achieve more profit right away with our tools at your disposal. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help!

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Stripe Tutorials

How to Accept Klarna Payments Through Stripe: A Guide

Klarna is one of the largest Swedish banks today, offering online banking payment options to 85 million consumers through 200,000 merchants. The bank is in 17 countries, including Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, the UK, and the US. Some of the world’s largest brands integrate with Klarna, including Timberland, Sephora, H&M, The North Face, and more.

One of the biggest draws to Klarna is how many choices it offers to customers regarding payment. There are three different payment options you can integrate using a payment page builder—Pay Later, Pay Now, and Slice It. With all of these options, the bank enables upfront payments, protecting both the customer and the merchant against fraud. 

Choosing Pay Later for Klarna

Pay Later allows a shopper to complete a transaction and defer the payment for a couple of weeks. He is usually given 14 to 30 days to settle the full amount. When the customer selects Pay Later, he will undergo the following process:

  1. At the e-commerce store’s checkout screen, he chooses Pay Later as his transaction option. Then, he is redirected to the hosted page.
  2. At Klarna’s redirect page, he may be prompted to enter additional details like his birth date. After this, his order goes to the next step.
  3. The bank runs an automatic credit search using his bank details and the information he supplied on the redirect page. Once it finishes, the purchase is approved.
  4. The browser automatically redirects to the merchant website, where the user could see that the order is complete.

Choosing Pay Now for Klarna

If the customer wishes to pay at the instant that he transacts, he can choose Pay Now. This option accesses credit stored in a digital wallet; he can facilitate bank transfers or card purchases through it.

  1. At checkout, when the customer chooses Pay Now, his browser will redirect to the Klarna hosted page.
  2. If he is a new user, he will get a window prompting him to enter his account credentials. If not, he can use his previously saved information to go to the next step.
  3. Klarna confirms the transaction and debits the digital wallet. Then, the customer’s browser returns to the merchant’s website.

Choosing Slice It for Klarna

If a customer wants to make staggered payments, he can choose Slice It, which enables him to pay for the item over a period. There are various installment plans, allowing the shopper to select a payment scheme that fits his budget.

  1. A customer can select Slice It at the checkout screen, which will redirect him to Klarna’s hosted page.
  2. Once he is here, the shopper can choose the installment plan that best suits his budget. The bank offers anywhere from three to 36 months to pay, with varying interest rates.
  3. After he confirms, the browser will ask him for additional details, which the bank uses for its instant credit search.
  4. If the transaction is approved, the browser redirects to the merchant’s website and completes the checkout.

Conclusion

Klarna lets your customer choose the payment option that suits his budget. Payment confirmation is immediate for Pay Now in all regions. For most countries, Slice It and Pay Later are also immediate. In the US and the UK, merchants get a temporary confirmation, and the payment clears after five business days. Overall, it gives customers a simple, flexible way to shop on your website.

Make shopping a breeze with Payment Page. Provide your customers with various transaction modes through a hosted payment page, which integrates with a WordPress site. Join us today or get in touch for details!

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Stripe Tutorials

How to Accept SEPA Direct Debit Payments through Stripe: A Guide

Cashless payments in the European Union makes international commerce more accessible, which is the goal of the SEPA, or the Single Euro Payments Area. SEPA sets banking standards for direct debiting of Euro bank accounts in the region. Its direct debit system benefits businesses with customers in the EU, especially companies with recurring billing. 

How to make payments with SEPA Direct Debit

  1. At the checkout screen of the merchant’s website, the customer must select SEPA Direct Debit as the payment option. This action will take him to a hosted payment page.
  2. Next, the customer must provide his full name and account number in IBAN format. This has the country code, check digits, and the user’s Basic Bank Account Number.
  3. Once the bank details are verified, the customer will see a window notifying him that the transaction is complete.

Disputing a SEPA transaction is possible, and creditors maintain a “no questions asked” policy up to a point. SEPA automatically returns debit transactions to the customer if they make the dispute within eight weeks of the charge. 

After eight weeks, the customer may only dispute the payment if it is considered not authorized. In this case, the customer’s bank gets the mandate that the customer approved of the transaction. The bank also has the discretionary power to provide the customer with a refund.

If the customer’s bank is unable to debit the account because of insufficient funds or because it is frozen, the bank may reclaim the payment through a dispute as well. Decisions on SEPA Direct Debit disputes are final and may no longer be appealed.

Refunds of SEPA transactions

Refunds are only possible with SEPA within 180 days from the date of the charge. Refunds require three to four business days, and it may only be processed after the payment has been completed. If a merchant accidentally debits a customer, he should contact them immediately to prevent a dispute.

Refunds are not labeled as such when SEPA deposits money back to the buyer’s account. They process it as credit, and they include a reference to the original payment.

When issuing a refund, always inform customers that it takes five business days for the funds to clear. Long settlement periods mean a risk for confusion among the customer, the bank, and the merchant. For example, the customer might contact both his bank and the seller to dispute a transaction. If the seller issues a refund while the bank does the same, the customer might end up with two repayments for the same item.

What is a SEPA creditor identifier?

EU businesses need a SEPA creditor identifier, a uniform and standardized number that identifies the creditor clearly. Companies may have multiple creditor identifiers, but each one is unique and lets your customers locate their debit records  easily on their transaction history.

A creditor identifier also helps reduce disputed payments. You can request online for an identifier from your merchant bank. However, sellers need to specify that they are not seeking for the bank to process SEPA payments for them.

Conclusion

SEPA Direct Debit allows EU-based consumers to access their funds expediently. Integrating this payment method lets you provide more options to consumers from SEPA countries like France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, and more.

Make paying for purchases even more convenient for shoppers by partnering up with Payment Page. Our hosted payment page integrates with various transaction methods, letting you provide a convenient e-commerce experience to shoppers. Join us today or get in touch to learn more about our payment page builder.

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Stripe Tutorials

How to Accept SOFORT Payments Through Stripe: A Guide

A popular bank transfer-based payment system in Germany and Austria, SOFORT banking is beginning to make its round across Europe. Without the need to create an account, SOFORT is convenient to use and incredibly safe. If you’re considering introducing a trusted and easy way for customers to pay for your products and services, here’s what you need to know about SOFORT.

How SOFORT Banking Works

If paying through SOFORT banking, customers are redirected from a hosted payment page to SOFORT’s online banking environment. Then, users will decide which account they want to perform the transfer from. The payment will then be authorized, and the client will return to the merchant site. 

Once authorization is successful, the funds will take anywhere between 2 and 14 business days to funnel into your business account. Once received, they can no longer be reversed other than through business-initiated refunds. When selling low-value or high-margin items, businesses can consider the initial authorization as one that is final and need not wait for the receipt of funds. 

Fast Facts About SOFORT

Currently active in countries such as Austria, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain, payments made via SOFORT are accepted in the form of Euros. Payment methods occur exclusively through bank credit transfers and don’t accept recurring payments. If needed, businesses can grant full or partial refunds. 

Disputed Payments on SOFORT

Because customers are required to authenticate SOFORT payments with their banks, the occurrence of fraud or unrecognized payments is extremely low. As such, you won’t have to dispute chargebacks or have funds withdrawn from your Stripe account. 

Failed Charges on SOFORT

If a pending charge isn’t confirmed by customers within the cut-off period, the charge automatically transitions into a failed charge. On the other hand, if the funds are received only after the cut-off period, the customer is automatically refunded. 

On average, a small value of 0.2% SOFORT charges fail. This, of course, will vary according to your customer base and industry. To mitigate any risk to your business, consider your average payment amount and types of products being sold—then, depending on your ability to cope with failed charges, you can choose to fulfill orders only after you’ve received the funds. 

Refunds on SOFORT

As previously mentioned, SOFORT can shoulder full or partial refunds, sometimes automatically. However, they can only be submitted within 180 days from the date the original charge was made. After 180 days, your customer won’t be able to receive their refund. 

If charges are still pending or unconfirmed, you can still submit them for a refund. If you’re making a full or partial refund on a pending charge, you’ll only be able to transfer the fees after its status shifts from pending to succeeded. If the charge happens to transition from pending to failed, full and partial refunds are canceled.

Conclusion

When considering SOFORT as a payment option for customers on your page, you enjoy the benefits of sourcing funds from only one provider. A SOFORT system is also easy to navigate, making account tracking all the more efficient. 

If your European business needs a custom-designed payment portal, use our payment page builder upon launch day! By signing up today, you can enjoy a 30% discount on beautifully designed templates and convenient payment options. 

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eCommerce

What Are the Benefits of Having Diverse Payment Choices?

The age of the internet has taken the world by storm. And as the world continues to progress, it continues to make ripples and trickle-down today, especially in the world of eCommerce. Small businesses, merchants, and huge companies from all over the world make use of various payment methods, all of which have been made possible thanks to digitalization. 

Cash has now become a rather unnecessary form of payment method—in the world of online shopping, credit cards, and digital wallets, such as PayPal and Apple Wallet, reign supreme. While the blueprint for business success still features marketing and traditional aspects, businesses all over the world are now urged to accept payments, regardless of location. 

By offering diverse payment options, businesses can extend their horizons, now reaching customers that have otherwise been inaccessible in the past.  

If you wish to learn more about the importance of accepting alternate forms of payment, here are some benefits you must take into consideration:

1 – It reduces the chances of cart abandonment

Shopping cart abandonment rates are high across the globe, and it’s an occurrence that has been hurting most businesses. If you’re one of the few suffering from abandoned carts, something as simple as allowing your customers the freedom to choose payment methods may be the answer. 

Experts postulate that most customers end up abandoning their carts due to the lack of payment method. In a world where customer behaviors and patterns dictate the name of the game, it’s important to always put your customers first—especially when it comes to payments. When you keep customers happy, they’ll keep coming back.

2 – It creates a better image

By offering diverse payment choices, you present yourself as a forward-thinking business. It raises your credibility and reputation, subtly letting your customers know that you’re here to stay—and therefore, worth knowing and engaging with. 

Staying on top of the digital game also lets people know that you take your work seriously, always ready to help a customer in need. It also helps you attract customers, especially the technically-savvy market pools. 

3 – It serves as a competitive advantage for businesses

Given the rapidly growing world of eCommerce and increasing competition, online businesses now compete for customers. Most online stores compete in terms of deals and prices, but payment options have now become prime competition grounds—the more convenient your payment methods are, the more attractive your brand becomes. 

Stripe checkouts, for instance, are the preferred method for many, which allows users to use cards more securely and conveniently. By offering your customers more options for payment, you not only address the issues of cart abandonment—you also create a better image for your brand, one that makes it even more attractive. 

Your Hosted Payment Page—Making Businesses For You

The payment industry has grown tremendously—from checks and cash payments, people now regard digital transactions heavily, especially since these methods make convenience and comfort possible. With online shopping rampant these days, it’s important now more than ever to heed consumer wants and needs, ever ready to exceed expectations. 

If you’re on the hunt for more payment methods to offer, we’re ready to assist! We make it easy for businesses to accept payments, especially through our special WordPress plugin that allows you to create a hosted payment page. Integrated with Stripe, we guarantee you safe and reliable options, one that will enable you to reach new heights. Reach out to us today to learn more!