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Online store conundrum

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Gullanian View Drop Down
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    Posted: 05 January 2004 at 8:29pm

You all probably know I got a drum community website, getting bigger and better!  A drum shop has approached me and would like to make a deal with me, I have an online store on the site selling drum stuff, I get a 3% commission on everything sold.

Right, heres the problem, how am I going to actualy sell the things on the site?  I really dont want to end up paying for some credit card service to take the orders online, plus how can I record how many orders where made, and if I do go for a credit card company, who's credit card's name is it in?

Bah!  Its complicated

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dpyers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 January 2004 at 12:22am

3% is only good if they eat the credit card fees which will usually be more than 3%. They eat them now, but online the fees tend to be higher than fees where the card holder is in front of your face.

A lot of people like candypress. ASP, easy to set up. Storefront is free, but the admin stuff goes for around $50 US. WWF for the support forum.  A good place to start.

This article   http://www.broad-lea.com/weblog.php?id=C0_1_1   mentions FreeAuthNet which I've used in the past with no bad experiences. - YMMV



Edited by dpyers

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ljamal View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ljamal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 January 2004 at 12:26am
3% is really small commission even Amazon Associatiates offers 5-15%. Credit Card processors can take 4-5% alone.

There are several online processor, I recommend 2checkout.com, there's a $50 sign-up fee and they take 45 cents plus 5.5%. 5.5% may sound a little high, but you are not paying a monthly fee or any other fees (NONE at all). They process the cards and pay you twice a month.

PM me if you need more info about e-commerce.
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KCWebMonkey View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote KCWebMonkey Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 January 2004 at 9:13am
I was also going to suggest candypress.com for the shopping cart. and no, i wouldn't go for 3% commission if i would be paying for the merchant account and payment gateway. that crap gets expensive!
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Gullanian View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gullanian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 January 2004 at 10:57am

Thanks for all the help, im happy building the store myself that fine. Mleh, never mind hehe ill think about it

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dpyers Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 January 2004 at 10:59am

Don't know about things in the UK, but in the states, each CC has variable rates depending upon the type and volume of the business, how they physically interact with customers, and their past record.

If this was me, I'd be thinking that he's already paying 3-5% for credit card transactions. Comissioning you at 3% for sales gets him an additional sales outlet for no - or even less - addtional cost.

Also, remember that your arrangement with the CC processor is subject to change. Your arrangement with the shop owner needs to reflect that.

One option you have is to take an online order subject to verification. The shop owner then "swipes" the card the next day from his retail location. I imagine that orders would be shipped by the shop owner so combining the verification and distribution stages wouldn't be a terrible hardship.

Just make sure that the process leaves you with the customer contact responsibilities. Keeps the shop owner from claiming the card didn't pass when it actually did.

BTW... He gets his drums from somewhere. If you have to use a cc processors, you may want to think about contacting drum manufactures directly. Factory shipping and the margin is something substantial you can play with. Many product manufactures look at online sites as additional storefronts others are afrraid of cannibalizing existing sales.

As I would think that drums tend to be a "try before you buy" thing, you could address those objections by targeting advanced drummers and market geography that not's covered by retail.



Edited by dpyers

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Gullanian View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gullanian Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 January 2004 at 3:52pm

Ahhh, so its possible for me to take the CC details, send it to mr blokey who runs the shop and he keys it on his machine?

Ok, I suppose I would need to get SSL hosting, and what by law am I allowed the store the CC numbers on?  Pressumably not my SQL Server database?  And how would I go about sending CC details to the store legally?  I'm probably not allowed to simply post/email them!  SSL login to view them?  I dont know

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ljamal View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ljamal Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 January 2004 at 4:03pm
You are legally allowed to store CC info however it must bee encrypted in the database and you must jump through all of VISA's hurdles. If you can meet VISA's requirement then you are home free as no other CC is as strict.
Visa's CISP
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