Debit / Credit Cards

Debit card
There are three main types of debit cards:

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Maestro

And when people opt to pay with one of these, the money they spend gets deducted straight from their bank balance.

All three varieties of debit card function in the same way: the customer pays with their card through a card machine (via chip & PIN, contactless, over the phone) or online and then the money’s withdrawn directly from their account – usually on the same day but in some cases, it can take 48-72 hours.

Debit cards can be a useful alternative to carrying cash, but research shows people typically spend more on impulse with plastic, as they’re less restricted.

 

Credit card
Credit cards are used in much the same way as a debit card but the key difference is customers are paying with credit i.e. money they’ll pay back at a later date.

When someone takes out a credit card they’ll be given a credit limit – how much they’re allowed to spend – and when they use it they’re agreeing to pay back the balance plus interest. The three most common credit card issuers are:

  • Visa
  • Mastercard
  • Maestro

With a credit card people can pay online, using chip & PIN, contactless or over the phone. Credit cards can be useful for splitting the cost of higher value purchases but come with the risk of people spending money they don’t have and might struggle to repay.

Google Pay

With hundreds of millions of users already saving their card information to their Google account, Google Pay could offer an extra layer of convenience for a significant number of your customers. Trusted worldwide, Google Pay lets shoppers choose from saved payment methods in their Google account in order to checkout quickly and smoothly on third-party sites. On top of this, your customers can also store branded gift cards, loyalty cards and offers with Google Pay, helping you to build brand affinity and provide a seamless shopping experience that is entirely online. What’s more, Google Pay is free for both you and your customers to use.

Apple Pay

Did you know that almost half the population of smartphone users own an iPhone in the UK alone? Apple’s huge popularity makes Apple Pay an online payment service worth considering. It offers your customers an easy, secure and faster alternative to traditional credit and debit card payments, as it skips the need to enter long card details and operates with a one-click payment process. That’s not all though. The service also allows customers to authenticate their purchase using Touch ID fingerprint sensor on Apple devices, it’s completely free for both merchants and customers to use.