How to accept payments in an e-shop from scratch?
Your products are photographed, the descriptions are uploaded, and the website is almost ready. One question remains, and it is often left until the last minute: how do you actually get the money from the buyer?
Accepting payments looks like a single technical step. In reality, it is made up of several separate parts, and as long as even one of them is missing, you cannot complete a sale. Below, we cover what you need to have at the start and in what order to set it up.
What do you need before your first payment?
The list is shorter than it seems, but every item is essential. It is best to sort them out in this order.
- A registered business activity. To sell on a regular basis, you need to register your activity – for many, individual activity is enough at the start. The payment gateway provider will need your business details. You usually enable the service itself in the self-service portal: you submit your shop for approval and accept the terms. Some providers stop there, while others also ask you to sign a separate agreement.
- A place to sell online. This can be your website, a marketplace, or even a social media account. Your choice determines how much technical work will be needed later.
- A payment gateway. It connects your shop with banks and card schemes so that the buyer can pay without leaving the website. It is provided by a separate company, not by your website platform: WooCommerce or Shopify only connects the shop to the provider.
- Shop terms and conditions and a privacy policy. The buyer must be able to see who is selling, on what terms, how to return an item within the statutory period, and other information required by law (the 14-day right of withdrawal, the return procedure, the seller's details). Without these pages, the payment gateway cannot be enabled: before enabling it, the provider reviews your shop and looks for these pages.
How does the money get from the buyer to you?
When the buyer clicks "Pay", a payment gateway provider comes in between you and the buyer – a company that connects the shop with banks and card schemes. It confirms the payment and notifies you that the order has been paid and the item can be shipped. Where the money itself goes depends on the provider. Some collect it in their own account and transfer it to you at the frequency you choose; others pass it on immediately, and the amount appears in your account at the same moment.
The buyer can pay in two ways:
The first is through the bank. The payment is initiated by the shop itself – the buyer does not need to enter the recipient's details anywhere. The money moves like a regular transfer: it can only be returned with the recipient's consent.
The second is by card. The payment goes through the Visa and Mastercard schemes. They have their own rules on how the buyer can get their money back: the buyer contacts their bank, and the bank disputes the payment.
This difference matters to the seller too: a card payment can be disputed through the bank, but a transfer cannot. It determines when the money reaches you and how refunds work.
Which payment methods do you need right away?
At the start, you do not need every payment method – two are enough: bank and card. You can add others based on how your buyers actually pay.
Enable right away:
- Banks in the countries where your buyers pay. If you are just starting out and are not sure yet, start with Lithuanian banks and add other countries once you see where your orders come from. Otherwise, some buyers will not find their bank in the checkout window and will leave.
- Cards. You need them not only when selling abroad. On a phone, buyers often choose Apple Pay or Google Pay. The payment is confirmed with biometrics (a fingerprint or face recognition), without entering card details. These are the same card payments, so they are usually enabled together.
Leave for later:
- Instalment payments. They are worth coming back to when you sell more expensive items.
- Cash payments. Relevant only if your customers ask for them.
- Local payment methods popular in other countries. Each country has its own, and they matter only when you actually sell there.
- Every extra button in the checkout window slows the buyer down.
When does the money reach your account?
Bank payments reach you faster, card payments more slowly. When the provider collects the funds in its own account, they are passed on according to the schedule you choose in the self-service portal – usually daily, weekly, or less often. Some providers hold back part of the funds for a while. This applies specifically to card payments – mostly because of possible disputes and refunds, and sometimes because of the nature of the sales (e.g. a long delivery time or a higher likelihood of returns). Check the specific terms before signing.
It is worth asking the provider directly: how often payouts are made, how much of the funds is reserved, and for how long it is held. There is one more cost that is not visible at first – refund and dispute fees. That is why the cheapest offer does not always remain the cheapest. We covered the reserve, refunds, and the real cost of a transaction in a separate article on how to choose a provider.
What if you also sell in person?
The payment service for your e-shop does not apply to in-person sales – the same agreement will not be valid at a fair or in a showroom. In-person sales require two separate things:
- a cash register – it records the sale and sends the receipt to the State Tax Inspectorate;
- a device for accepting cards.
The cash register and the card terminal can be physical devices or run on a phone (the cash register can also run in a browser). This is a separate service with its own fees. We have described what to sort out before your first in-person sale in our guide for new business owners.
What does this look like with Paysera?
As a financial institution, we have payment acceptance and the business account in one system – one login, one self-service portal, and reports in one place. Paysera Checkout supports more than 15 banks in the Baltic states – Swedbank, SEB, Luminor, Revolut, Citadele, LKU – as well as cards with Apple Pay and Google Pay. You can see the full list on the Checkout page.
With Checkout Modern, there is no commission on bank payments – you pay only for card payments. If you sell through Shopify, two commissions apply: the standard Paysera rate + a 0.50% Shopify platform fee on the basket total (for both bank and card payments). You can find the current prices on the payment gateway fees page.
It is worth checking the reserve and upfront fees with each provider. Enabling the service costs nothing, and a reserve applies to card payments: 100% of the amount is held for three days, and 5% for three months.
Three mistakes that cost you your first sales
These mistakes cost you quietly – the buyer does not write to tell you they could not find a suitable payment method. They simply leave.
- Only one payment method. Every buyer has their own habits: one pays through their bank, another with a card on their phone. When there is only one method, some carts are left unpaid, and the reports do not show why.
- An untested checkout window. Distrust of a page that asks for card details is one of the most common reasons why a purchase is abandoned. Most often, the problem is not security but appearance: an unexpected redirect to an unfamiliar page, a broken layout, or a payment form without clear security signs (Visa/Mastercard logos, automatic card number formatting). Also check the name under which the payment will appear on the buyer's account statement: if it does not match the shop name, some people will not recognise the payment and will dispute it. Order an item from your own shop and go through the whole journey from the buyer's point of view.
- No preparation for refunds. A refund policy on the website is a prerequisite for enabling the payment gateway, so buyers can see it from day one. For the seller, however, refunds often remain unclear: where to initiate one in the self-service portal, how long it takes for the money to reach the buyer, and whether there is a fee. Check this before your first refund – the buyer expects an answer the same day.
Frequently asked questions
Is it enough to show your account number in the shop and ask the buyer to transfer the money?
Technically, yes, but in practice it costs more than it seems. Paying an unfamiliar recipient looks suspicious to the buyer, payment details get copied incorrectly, and the shop receives no automatic notification, so each payment has to be matched to its order manually. A payment gateway automates this process.
Do I need a developer?
Not necessarily. WooCommerce, PrestaShop, OpenCart, and Shopify have ready-made plugins – you only need to install one and enter your credentials. A custom-built website will need a developer (integration via the provider's API). On social media, a payment link is enough.
When will I receive the money for my first sale?
Some providers pay out in cycles, others pass the money on immediately. With Paysera, the funds reach your account immediately – part of the card payment amount is held for a while (100% for 3 days, 5% for 3 months).
What should I do when a buyer wants to return an item?
You initiate the refund in the provider's self-service portal – the money goes back the same way it came. With Paysera, a same-day refund is free, and a next-day refund costs 0.50 EUR. The payment gateway fee charged on the original payment is usually not refunded, and the service does not cover shipping costs.
Can I accept payments without a website?
Yes. You can send the buyer a payment link – they pay in exactly the same way, just without a website. This is convenient while you have only a few items, and later you can connect the same service to your website.
Do I need a business account?
It depends on your legal form. If you work under an individual activity certificate or a business licence, a business account is not required – the money can go to your personal account. A company must have an account in its own name.
How soon can I accept my first payment?
Integrating a plugin takes a few minutes, while a custom website takes longer. Submit your shop for approval before your planned first sale – that way, you will avoid a rush.
What happens when a buyer disputes a card payment?
The dispute is initiated by the buyer's bank. You will need to provide evidence (order details, the tracking number, correspondence with the buyer) that the item was shipped or the service was provided. With Paysera, handling a dispute costs a one-off fee of 30 EUR. That is why it is better to avoid disputes: an accurate description, a realistic delivery time, and saved correspondence cost far less.
Conclusions
Accepting payments online is not a one-button job but a combination of several things: a registered business activity, a place to sell, a payment gateway, and shop terms and conditions with a privacy policy.
The order matters more than the choice. First, sort out what could hold you back: registering your activity and the pages required by law. Choose payment methods based on how your buyers pay – to start with, banks in their country and cards with Apple Pay and Google Pay are enough. When comparing prices, look beyond the base rate: the reserve and the refund and dispute fees determine the real cost of a transaction.
A sale happens not when you have every payment method, but when the first buyer clicks "Pay" and completes the payment without any obstacles. When you are ready to start, compare several providers against the criteria discussed: the reserve, refund and dispute fees, and the supported payment methods.