Although often overlooked by retailers in the past, checkouts have a huge impact on the success of an online store, which is why they’re now rightly regarded as a value creator rather than a cost centre. By meeting the needs of your customers with a well-designed payment process, you can not only decrease drop offs, but also boost conversions at the busiest time of the year. 

Here we list the top qualities that customers value most when paying for purchases online,  highlighting how you can transform clunky transactions into a streamlined experience. 

Tried and trusted security

With online fraud on the rise as scamming tricks and techniques become increasingly sophisticated, security remains a key concern for today’s shoppers. As a result, consumers need to be certain that your checkout solution is safe and reliable, and leverages protection from the biggest and most robust brands. 

World class payment methods such as Barclaycard, which is available as part of VS Pay - our end-to-end payments solution - offer real-time fraud protection alongside SCA compliance straight out of the box, at no extra cost to your business. Long-standing providers such as PayPal also quickly alleviate security worries, with stats proving that over 54% of shoppers are more willing to buy from businesses when it’s present as a payment option. 

Friction-free convenience

Products like VS Pay, powered by Stripe, also include all possible payment methods which creates a frictionless experience, enabling shoppers to glide through the checkout with minimum interaction without compromising security. 

This level of convenience is hugely important to online customers, with a growing number - particularly among younger generations - now opting for the ease of paying via digital wallets such Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal. Relied on by millions of worldwide shoppers everyday, Amazon Pay can also reduce basket abandonment by reducing the time it takes for customers to checkout, which is proven to uplift conversions by as much as 35%.

International options

For retailers looking to increase their global market share, international options are a must, as shoppers are much more likely to place orders with stores that accept familiar, localised payment methods and allow them to checkout in their own currency.

Available on VS Pay, our industry partner Checkout.com is specifically geared up to help businesses convert more sales abroad. Importantly for merchants, it also helps to cut payment processing costs in over 150 countries, and offers local acquiring in more than 55 regions to help you to tap into new global markets.

More ways to pay

Alongside traditional payment methods and digital wallets, more shoppers are looking for flexible options that allow them to spread the cost of Christmas shopping, particularly when budgets are tight. Trusted by millions of global customers, solutions such as Clearpay can enable shoppers to pay in interest-free instalments - at no risk to your business - which in turn can boost conversions, increase average order value, and reduce your return rate. Our industry partner Klarna is also a highly regarded brand, allowing customers to pay now, pay later or pay over time, all interest-free, while ensuring your business is paid up front. 

Supporting over 40 payment methods and more than 135 currencies, VS Pay is the ultimate end-to-end solution for retailers that are ready to scale. To learn more about what VS Pay can do for your business, get in touch with our team today.

You can also read more key stats and takeaways in our latest report: Make Golden Quarter shine, download your free copy here.