# - Once and For ALL ! - list of information needed to start an ecommerce store online



## JoeJon

It seems as though the basic information about EXACTLY what is needed to start a t-shirt biz online (ecommerce) is spread out over hundreds of posts, with no central guide to what is required. There is also a lot of confusion and disagreement about the langauge associated with an ecommerce site. 

The administrators of this site would save hundreds of hours answering the same basic questions 50 times each week, if they took some time to put together a post or .pdf that goes over the basics.

I'll get things started. The following is my take on the elements needed, INDIVIDUALLY to start a site. Different "ecommerce solutions" bundle difference elements. 

If people could take a moment to comment on this and perhaps add corrections or additions if necessary - then we can start to build a guide! PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE ANYTHING REGARDING SHIPPING OR FULFILLMENT AT THIS TIME.



JoeJon said:


> ! UPDATED !


 
Domain name registration
- GoDaddy
- Pair

Hosting
- aPLus
- GoDaddy
- Lunarpages
- iPowerWeb


Shopping Cart ( Shopping cart software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

Free:
- Cube Cart
- Zen Cart
- Mal’s


Hosted:
- 3dCart
- Able Commerce

Not Hosted / Not Free
- X-Cart
- VP-ASP
- Clickcart

- Comprehensive list of carts: 
Shopping Cart Reviews: view all shopping carts + 2Checkout.com - Third party Shopping Carts



Merchant Account ( Merchant account - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )
- e-onlinedata



Payment Gateway (Could also be referred to as a "payment processor") ( Payment gateway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

- List: X-Cart: Recommended payment gateways, payment processing services
- List: Payment providers for shopping cart software


SSL security certificate ( eCommerce and SSL - Web Hosting FAQ )
- e-onlinedata



Offering Payment Gateway + Merchant Account + Shopping Cart (optional)
- Paypal


Ecommerce Solution (Varies, but usually OFFER to bundle all of the above elements. Sometimes referred to as Turnkey solutions because they offer everything except fulfillment.)

Comprised of:
- Hosting 
- Shopping Cart 
- Merchant Account 
- Payment Gateway 

Examples: 
MonsterCommerce
Volusion
Fortune3
GoECart
Yahoo! Merchant Services

-----------------------------------------------------------

I think people get confused because there a so many ways to configure your online store based on what you can handle. Also, different services will bundle different elements together, some of which are optional!

I think a lot of confusion comes from people identifying different services as belonging to different categories. We need to agree on a terminology. Obviously this does not help because as mentioned before, different services sometimes bundle different elements. For example, Paypal bundles a payment gateway with a merchant account and has optional shopping cart software to boot!

Also, I think people sometimes refer to a "hosted shopping cart" as an "ecommerce solution." I am still confused by the STRICT definition of what an ecommerce solution is. What has to be included for it to be considered an ecommerce solution?

*UPDATE by Rodney:* A great starting point for beginners that covers the basics for getting an ecommerce store up and running can be found here: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/ecommerce-site-design/t25617.html


----------



## Blacksheep 78

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



JoeJon said:


> It seems as though the basic information about EXACTLY what is needed to start a t-shirt biz online (ecommerce) is spread out over hundreds of posts, with no central guide to what is required. There is also a lot of confusion and disagreement about the language associated with an ecommerce site.



Yea, I agree, though people will still be asking in the forums anyhow, but should cut down on it quite a bit. All the same, a list is a great idea.

This will be a pretty large task, but I think we should start with a list and then have a brief description as to what the items on the list are/do. Otherwise it will spawn a whole new set of posts asking what the specific items do. Just a thought.

Here are some additions you may want to add to the list.

Hosting:
1. nexpoint.net 
This site offers nice e-commerce packages with shopping cart software as well. 

Merchant Account: 
(for people on a tighter budget)
1. Paypal (also keeps track of customers, transactions, shipping...)
2. Google


Shipping This is not so much e-commerce, but will be asked about in the process, so I figured I would include it.
1. usps.com
2. theupsstore.com
3. fedex.com
-Shipping Supplies
1. Shipping Lables onlinelabels.com
2. Shipping Bags pluspackaging.com
3. Postage Scale – Ebay


*Rodney/Admins* (Not sure if those links are acceptable or not. I know when someone asks where people get their shipping labels, someone will post onlinelabels.com. So would having this in a line list constitute more as an advertisement for that particular site or is that acceptable?)


I've actually been planning on making a guide myself that shares my experience from start to finish. I have done everything (minus programming done by a coworker) from ecommerce research, design, screen printing, the whole nine yards. It’ll just be more of an overview, but I think this line list you proposed is a great idea. I’ll be launching my site in a month or two, once everything is up and running I’ll share my journey/experience with everyone. It’s been a heck of a time putting all of this together from scratch with just a couple of books and sifting through the user groups which have been EXTREEMLY helpful. Thanks guys and gals!

-Tim


----------



## JoeJon

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



Blacksheep 78 said:


> Merchant Account:
> (for people on a tighter budget)
> 1. Paypal (also keeps track of customers, transactions, shipping...)
> 2. Google


Tim, thanks for being the only one so far to reply about this.

Anyway, I noticed that you listed paypal under "Merchant account" - it actually is a merchant account and payment gateway rolled into one, and also has a shopping cart service if elected. So in that sense it is more than just a merchant account. I think having strict definitions and identifications is essential to sorting this all out.


----------



## Blacksheep 78

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



JoeJon said:


> I noticed that you listed paypal under "Merchant account" - it actually is a merchant account and payment gateway rolled into one, and also has a shopping cart service if elected. So in that sense it is more than just a merchant account. I think having strict definitions and identifications is essential to sorting this all out.




Yea, I didn’t want to put it under all those headings, that’s why I suggested the descriptions (which I should have followed through more on myself). If people participate and we can collect all of the information, I guess it could then be organized. But people really have to participate first.


----------



## Rodney

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



> The administrators of this site would save hundreds of hours answering the same basic questions 50 times each week, if they took some time to put together a post or .pdf that goes over the basics.


Thanks for the suggestion. Something like that is already being worked on, but there's only so much time in the day  You're welcome to put together a list here if you feel it will help.

Questions will still be asked over and over again, because that's just the nature of forums. 

All the answers are out there, and as you come to each step in the process of setting up your company, you can search for that info and find it in the forums or post a question about how to get past that step.

Part of the challenge is that not everyone here falls under the same "type" of t-shirt company. Some are designers, some are screen printers, some are marketing gurus, some are heat transfer folks, some use DTG, some don't want to do any printing, some want to do it all, some sell directly to customers at retail, some only do wholesale, some want to sell online, some are face to face sellers. There's no real way to make a list that will take care of everyone.



> Rodney/Admins (Not sure if those links are acceptable or not. I know when someone asks where people get their shipping labels, someone will post onlinelabels.com. So would having this in a line list constitute more as an advertisement for that particular site or is that acceptable?)


As long as you're not advertising or promoting your own business, then it's fine. Recommendations are a natural part of networking, but we just don't want them to turn into self promotion or spam, which is why we stay away from printer or designer recommendations.

In general, forums are better for "discussion based learning", where you can read past information or ask questions based on what you want to know.

If you need a step by step guide, a book like "how to print t-shirts for fun and profit" (screen printing) or "i made that" (heat transfers) is a great way to get a good "overview" of the whole process.

But again, we're working on a resource that has a different organizational structure for people that prefer more of a "guide" than a discussion


----------



## JoeJon

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



Rodney said:


> Part of the challenge is that not everyone here falls under the same "type" of t-shirt company. Some are designers, some are screen printers, some are marketing gurus, some are heat transfer folks, some use DTG, some don't want to do any printing, some want to do it all, some sell directly to customers at retail, some only do wholesale, some want to sell online, some are face to face sellers. There's no real way to make a list that will take care of everyone.


I mentioned the fact that this list is for establishing an online store - ecommerce. It's obvious from the list I tried to produce, that that is the focus. All other concerns won't apply.




Rodney said:


> If you need a step by step guide, a book like "how to print t-shirts for fun and profit" (screen printing) or "i made that" (heat transfers) is a great way to get a good "overview" of the whole process.


 
I am not asking for a guide to (screen printing) or (heat transfer) - I am asking for a guide that concerns ecommerce applications for t-shirts.... it is by far the most convoluted aspect of the whole process.


----------



## simpleskim

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*

I just wanted to say that I was so excited to find this forum. I joined 2 days ago. Ive been on other forums that have a good positive community like t-shirtforums seems to have. 

joejon- i think you have great idea for an guide/overview of tshirt ecommerce IMO. I look forward to the forum. 

cgc


----------



## feilong

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*

awesome thread rthis is exactly what I needed since I'm heading down this path!! Thanks a lot!


----------



## Rodney

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



> I mentioned the fact that this list is for establishing an online store - ecommerce. It's obvious from the list I tried to produce, that that is the focus. All other concerns won't apply.


I understand completely  I'm sure others will find the list useful once completed.
*
edit: *I also wanted to add that my goal is to add one "sticky thread" per forum subject that provides sort of an "overview" of that forum and ways to find some of the commonly asked questions.

I think ecommerce solution might be better named "total ecommerce solution" or "all in one" solution just so people understand that the other parts are "ecommerce" as well.

Merchant accounts (like eonlinedata) often include a payment gateway (such as authorizenet) as part of their services.

I would consider PayPal, 2checkout, CCNOW to be "3rd Party Payment Processors". I don't think they would qualify as a "merchant account", with the exception of PayPal's $20 a month service called PayPal Website Payments Pro (which is an actual merchant account).

Otherwise, I think your list above is a good break down of the "necessities" for starting an online store.

I'm sure more can be added as necessary.


----------



## JoeJon

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



JoeJon said:


> ! UPDATED !


 
Domain name registration
- GoDaddy
- Pair

Hosting
- aPLus
- GoDaddy
- Lunarpages
- iPowerWeb


Shopping Cart ( Shopping cart software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

Free:
- Cube Cart
- Zen Cart
- Mal’s


Hosted:
- 3dCart
- Able Commerce

Not Hosted / Not Free
- X-Cart
- VP-ASP
- Clickcart

- Comprehensive list of carts: 
Shopping Cart Reviews: view all shopping carts + 2Checkout.com - Third party Shopping Carts



Merchant Account ( Merchant account - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )
- e-onlinedata



Payment Gateway (Could also be referred to as a "payment processor") ( Payment gateway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

- List: X-Cart: Recommended payment gateways, payment processing services
- List: Payment providers for shopping cart software


SSL security certificate ( eCommerce and SSL - Web Hosting FAQ )
- e-onlinedata



Offering Payment Gateway + Merchant Account + Shopping Cart (optional)
- Paypal


Ecommerce Solution (Varies, but usually OFFER to bundle all of the above elements. Sometimes referred to as Turnkey solutions because they offer everything except fulfillment.)

Comprised of:
- Hosting 
- Shopping Cart 
- Merchant Account 
- Payment Gateway 

Examples: 
MonsterCommerce
Volusion
Fortune3
GoECart
Yahoo! Merchant Services


----------



## T2

Thanks JoeJohn 
Just what I was looking for


----------



## CypherNinja

I love threads like this.  

I'm using PrintMojo right now, but I may want to expand/customize my site later on, and this helps a lot.


----------



## swissarmour

wow this is AWSOME!!! id just like to also help out since ive been looking for the same.. woulda helped me alot to c this!

*1and1 *offers awsome 5.99 registration specials... 
i have a link for 1.99 reg. thru *yahoo *but u need to call and tell them if u ONLY want thee registration and not hosting
PICK A WELL KNOWN REG. ULL APPRECIATE THE TOOLS prices are awsome for the big names anyway

for hosting.. 

im with one based in dallas 

2.95 mo. dst internet
unmetered space and bandwidth 2 domains oscom yes zencart no 100mysql ssl

still trying to figure out mysql but everyones got em, also remember PHP its like a special language to run a cart they got to have it... if it alraedy comes in the package free id just go with that

theres also...
ix hosting... very pop. not as cheap.

netfirms... dont remember but i wrote em down 4.95 netfirms 10gb 500gb trfk 1sql 10pop email 100mb

and asmall orange ... kinda small space-traffic but ive heard excellent things from them

and commerce ALL FREE... id pick

OSCOMMERCE its the most FREE forum open source out there
ZENcart its nice, more limited but i think easier... id rather just learn osc tho
AGORAcart seemed nice when i looked at it

ps OSC builds ur like whole website... havent actually used it looking for some free webhost where i could test it out see how it works..

now as far as merchant accounts im not too sure if someone could help out here id appreciate it im stumped here...

basically im looking to go with paypal and GOOGLEcheckout
ps... google will b free all 2007 so thats a nice start

i think most of us will do this... and we should concentrate more on the cart software and google or paypal...

one thing im not sure of after some research here so ill post it hoping it answers others questions...

ssl is a little pricey, i know verisign has its own alternative to its costly ssl its the same brand just diff. name, if we go with paypal and google is it still necessary?

going with paypal n google what benefits are there? like what will it handle for us do we still need that merchant account?

say ud rather process thru email or phone, whats the best way to do this? can the checkout software offer something like this where the items are simply grouped billed totalled etc.. and not actuallydone but put as expected - pending, for a phone order etc? im just saying for customers who dont wanna opt the usual route

hope this was helpful, if anyone knows of a goodd free php host with oscommerce or zencart, let me know, i want to give it a try before going with a paid host... btw i raelly recommend dst they used to be compuserve or some other kinda known back in the day name... i went with them mainly for no traffic - storage limits, and omg cheap! but i think they are a little limited on applications for a webhost, thats mainly why i just wanna try the carts before paying dst...

and finally... i was checking out a host called razorlight, mainly cause theyre super cheap but on reviews nothing but hideous so dont go anywhere near them... also registerfly i think theyre like shut down so dont go with them either somehow in webhosting people can get ripped off etc remember... usually when u get a free domain name with a host, u gotta stick with them which is why id do em separate... i think theres a way to not pay transfer fees by routing dns or something but im not too sure about how and still b screwed unlike other services where u can actually complain.. get ur money back.. .remember most arent us based, one good thing about dst servers being close to my hometown right in dallas 

this is basically what i gathered in a whole week of researching im kinda broke so i did my homework dont wanna make a wrong choice but feel free to compare, i used alot of a forum called webhost talk or something like that its all out there they have a top ten of hosts which is from where i got these

and anyone familiar with carts google and paypal please help out here, this is where im stuck


----------



## NeoNiko

Ok, so I've added several to the list here. I am actually suprised they never made it. But as I have learned...research pays off and google helps a bunch. But I won't say that any that I have listed are good or bad, but they are what I have narrowed down in my seraches over the years. I hope the list does help everyone. I have also opted out on listing "add-ons/mods" to shopping carts as well as resources. Since the resources I have are nonsite building related, but are business/ecommerce related. But it looks like this list is more site building related. But if there are enough posts asking for this info, I can add it as well 

*Domain name registration*

- GoDaddy
- Pair
- Register


*Hosting*

- aPLus
- GoDaddy
- Lunarpages
- iPowerWeb
- ANHosts
- NationalNet
- PowWeb
- 1and1


*Shopping Cart* ( Shopping cart software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

_** Not Hosted / Free:*_

- Cube Cart
- Zen Cart
- Mal’s
- OSCommerce


_** Hosted / Not Free:*_

- 3dCart
- Able Commerce
- Chainreationweb (CRELoaded)
- RetailCart

** Not Hosted / Not Free:*

- X-Cart
- VP-ASP
- Clickcart
- CRELoaded
- ecommerce templates (Dreamweaver shopping cart software)
- Easy Cart ("Big boys" shopping cart)
- Quick Store
- Americart

_- Comprehensive list of carts:_ 
Shopping Cart Reviews: view all shopping carts + 2Checkout.com - Third party Shopping Carts



*Merchant Account* ( Merchant account - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

- e-onlinedata
- Merchant Systems (Online & offline)
- Total Merchant Services
- InfoMerchant (Online & offline)


*Payment Gateway* (Could also be referred to as a "payment processor") ( Payment gateway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )

- Authorize (Online & offline)
- Bank of America (Online & offline)
- Cardservice International (Online & offline)
- Echo (Online & offline)

- List: X-Cart: Recommended payment gateways, payment processing services
- List: Payment providers for shopping cart software


*SSL security certificate* ( eCommerce and SSL - Web Hosting FAQ )

- e-onlinedata
- Verisign
- GeoTrust
- Thawte


*Offering Payment Gateway + Merchant Account + Shopping Cart (optional)*

- Paypal


*Ecommerce Solution* (Varies, but usually OFFER to bundle all of the above elements. Sometimes referred to as Turnkey solutions because they offer everything except fulfillment.)

_* Comprised of:_

- Hosting 
- Shopping Cart 
- Merchant Account 
- Payment Gateway 

_* Examples:_ 

MonsterCommerce
Volusion
Fortune3
GoECart
Yahoo! Merchant Services


----------



## TripleT

Great Thread, JoeJon - Thanks


----------



## relart

*Thanks for this comprehensive thread*

very very helpful.
thanks
henry


----------



## knight7th

For shipping, check out the PitneyBowes small business deal. They send you a USB scale and downloadable easy to use software that (unlike USPS.com) allows you to send 1st class mail or Priority with a tracking number. 

And for Priority, make sure to order tons of free supplies from the post office, they send you envelopes, boxes, you name it, for free!


----------



## Buechee

these are some good things to know. I'm just starting my site, well not really. Just moved and will be getting back into my site(s).


----------



## i55

Thanks JoeJohn for a great info.


----------



## Buechee

How do you put all of this together is also a good topic. We all might know what or some of what is needed, but how does it work together?


----------



## swissarmour

hi knight7th.. could u go further into what u posted? does it use USPS but with a tracking number thru them?? how much is the charge for this service over the USPS tipical charge? how does it work i figure u have to go to ur usps office anyway...is it only for canada and europe? is it easier than stamps.com?


----------



## Chani

I think you should add DreamHost (Web Hosting by DreamHost Web Hosting: Web Sites, Domain Registration, WordPress, Ruby on Rails, all on Debian Linux!) to your list.

They have EXCELLENT deals on hosting. You'll never run out of space, and you can host as many websites as you want on any of their plans.

You start out with over 100GB of space and it increases by at least 1GB/week. Your bandwidth also increases every week.

If you search their forums and look in people's signatures, you'll find deals up to $97 off your first bill for hosting.

They only downfall (which can also be a good thing for some people) is that they use their own proprietory software for hosting instead of cPanel, so it can take some getting used to. But then again, cPanel is fairly vulnerable because it's so popular.

They also offer one-click installs of Zen-Cart, but that's prolly not very useful for most t-shirt businesses.

Just to let you know, I now have over 200GB of space, and my friend who's been with them for years has over 800GB!

I've not had an outage yet.


----------



## UrbanEmpireBrand

I made my initial website using dreamweaver and getting hosted by Midphase.com 

I didnt like the complex cart system so I decided to just link my store to Big Cartel » Bringing the Art to the Cart 

Its super easy to use and is CSS based and also uses paypal. 

If your just starting out def. check out Big Cartel » Bringing the Art to the Cart


----------



## swissarmour

how good is the control panel compared to cpanel? does dreamhost offer fantastico? i hear this is better than cpanel


----------



## Chani

Dreamhost's control panel is a little confusing at first if you're used to cPanel, but I've basically got the hang of it now.

They don't offer Fantastico, but they do have one-click installs of several software packages. It's supposed to be better than fantastico, just not with as many programs. I don't know why it's supposed to be better, tho.


----------



## swissarmour

alright well im still not sure as far as carts go i want zen for now cause its easy but maybe later cube, so.. if it didnt offer cube does it still have option to upload ur own software? 

im really interested in it, i was checking out a provider called dst internet cause they offered unmetered hosting.. but after checking out webhosting talk... which after much reading have found its a forum very similar to this one and i think the most unbiased i decided not to, alot of stuff post top ten "rankings" that are buoght not cause they really are great... ive come to the conclusion the tried and true follks are the most trustworthy, theyll have bad news sure.. but atleast they also have a reputation and not an unknown company u dont know how theyll treat u...

from the biggest hosts i truly think dreamhost they have a reputation for being more "flexible" with cpu and ram usage which is the little known catch most of us fall victim to when thinking were the ones who are really outsmarting the big guys... seriously if the figures people throw around about "storage" and traffic" really were what its about, they wouldnt even offer u virtual private servers i mean theyd run myspace from godaddy if it was true, im just putting what ive found out out there cause i dont think most guys offer refunds and it seems its like picking a cell carrier... one last thing, ive read around dreamhost offers excellent discount coupons that knock the total 100 dollar yearly to like 20 bucks, if anyone knows where i can get one please tell me, im ready to jump in just i dont have so much money to throw around for a "test" run.. if it turns out good the first year i wont mind paying full price next


----------



## Chani

If you go to DreamHost's forums and look at people's signatures, you'll find a few that offer $97 discount codes. You also have 97 days to decide if you want to stay with them or not and still get a full refund.

But if you decide to cancel, do so carefully. You'll never be able to host that domain or use that credit card again if you want to use a discount coupon again. You'll need to pay full price from the beginning if you decide to go back.

Yes, you can install your own software. But they actually support a few scripts, like Zen Cart. 

I'm really happy with them so far. My friend has been with them for several years without complaint. 

Good luck!


----------



## zbgf

Any information on optimization of the website once it is up and running?


----------



## reyna24

I really like Host Monster Dot com. they offer a lot of things at a very good price.


----------



## zbgf

could you be more specific, how much do they charge per month, is there any guarrantee for increased traffic, is there any way to monitor what you are paying for. In general how do you judge a good optimization company? I have gotten quotes from $300 per month to several thousand per month!
http://www.babyjay.com


----------



## reyna24

5.95 a month hostmonster[dot]com too many to list


----------



## FeelinIt

I've noticed you've mentioned godaddy for domain names and hosting but not shopping cart. It's one of their products...am I missing something?


----------



## camscam

What about paypal for prosessing orders? I've got a "merchent account" there but I havent set it up for use with an online store. Aparently its not hard though.


----------



## Rodney

camscam said:


> What about paypal for prosessing orders? I've got a "merchent account" there but I havent set it up for use with an online store. Aparently its not hard though.


If you do a forum search for PayPal, you'll find out about all the pros and cons of using them as your "only" processor for payments.


----------



## camscam

good threads on paypal this will be worth reading.


----------



## 2notch

Thanks a lot for the info guys!!! much appreciated


----------



## chrisf116

great thread - thanks!


----------



## Rodney

More good info on this is here: http://www.t-shirtforums.com/ecommerce-site-design/t25617.html


----------



## Kaine

For those in Australia looking to have a cheap and easy shopping cart on their website this one ain't to bad, easy to use.
Acorn-Solutions.com.au (siteNshop Ecommerce Builder)
When I used it was $10.00 AU per month.


----------



## johnner69

for those not based in the US, the payment process issue can be tricky if not using paypal since most merchant/payment solutions in the US are only for US customers. there are 2 based in canada which are great and do allow for some international customers as well

InternetSecure and PSiGate Merchant Services and Products

I've used both in the past and prefer psigate however IS is better priced for US accounts/transactions.

hth


----------



## lisanada

ok, please help with getting this straight.

purchase domain -- fee
web hosting -- fee [i'd rather pay]
cart --- fRee
merchant acct/SSL --- fee

<--- would this check list suffice for an online tshirt shop?

clarify merchant services & merchant account.
services -- all in one
account -- doesn't include SSL cert

ok, thanks a ton.


----------



## johnner69

lisanada,

basically there are 2 different ways to process a transaction, on your website (which requires you need a SSL cert) or on the merchant providers website (in which you do not necessarily need a certificate but one may still be recommended since the user will be filling out information on your website before going through to the payment processors site).

paypal is an example of a merchant provider where the transaction happens on THEIR website. 

Other providers will give you the option to do it on your site or on theirs (i believe internetsecure does this now) 

while some require that the transaction occur all on your site (psigate for example)

my references are with providers i have experience with only so it is important to check out the differences of the provider you choose to go with.

generally it appears more professional to have the transaction all occur within your design/framework as opposed to going through to a payment processor however some people sometimes feel more secure entering their payment information on a transaction providers site rather than yours (if your a small shop there may be some trust issues). It really is a toss up which one might be better for you. For example I personnally would not enter my credit card info on a site I am not familiar with but if they used paypal, i would have no problem ordering since i know my card # is safe.

your checklist is good but keep in mind for the hosting, if you do use an SSL cert, you will also need a dedicated IP address so be sure to include that when pricing your options.


----------



## LOVE

You said INDIVIDUALLY... Im in thr modle of a buisness plan there is a pro. writing it for me I wanted to know IS there quicker way like almost a one stop shop or just a few steps .... I think my biggest question is how do site like foreever21 or American Eagle do there online stores???????????


----------



## Rodney

> I wanted to know IS there quicker way like almost a one stop shop or just a few steps .... I think my biggest question is how do site like foreever21 or American Eagle do there online stores???????????


I think the list is if you are doing it all YOURSELF.

If you outsource it, then I'm sure you can find a web designer or web developer to create your shopping cart and set it all up for you.


----------



## LOVE

Rodney said:


> I think the list is if you are doing it all YOURSELF.
> 
> If you outsource it, then I'm sure you can find a web designer or web developer to create your shopping cart and set it all up for you.


any good recomindations


----------



## Rodney

LOVE said:


> any good recomindations


Since we have many web designers on the board, we generally stay away from those type recommendations to avoid self promotion or spam posts.

But if you try many of the freelance type websites, you'll find many good companies. Sites like ifreelance.com, rentacoder.com, designoutpost.com, guru.com, elance.com, etc.


----------



## rusty

NeoNiko said:


> *Merchant Account* ( Merchant account - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia )
> 
> - e-onlinedata
> - Merchant Systems (Online & offline)
> - Total Merchant Services
> - InfoMerchant (Online & offline)


Hi,
I'm trying to decide which merchant account to use. According to e-onlinedata's website it appears it will cost an $80 setup fee plus the follow monthly charges: $10 statement Fee, $25 min processing fee, and a $15 access fee to use authorize.net. So that's a minimum of $50 month? That sounds like more than I was expecting. Am I understand this correctly?

I checked other 3 and they don't seem to give any prices on their websites which makes me very suspicious.

Does anybody have any other recommendations. Something cheaper than $50 a month? (Besides PayPal).


----------



## omegahappening

Nice thread. Very useful


----------



## peteVA

I've had a dozen or more merchant accounts over the years. I've sold them at one time. Here's a bit of knowledge from someone who's been there, etc.

Sam's Club or Costco have the best deals going. Simple as that.
.


----------



## karlking85

Pete, how do you go about setting up a merchant account with either of those two companies?


----------



## peteVA

I guess you can try doing it online. You have to be a member. Maybe on the phone. Check their websites. I don't have one, I'm happy with what I have, but if I had to change, that's where I go. I guit Costco a couple of years ago, Sam's i scloser, so for me it would be Sam's.
.


----------



## rusty

peteVA said:


> I've had a dozen or more merchant accounts over the years. I've sold them at one time. Here's a bit of knowledge from someone who's been there, etc.
> 
> Sam's Club or Costco have the best deals going. Simple as that.
> .


That was news to me. I had no idea that Costco even offered merchant account services. Costco doesn't even accept credit cards when you purchase stuff from them . I am a Costco member, and had no idea they did that, but I just checked their website and there programs sounds so good, that I'm suspicious. It's the cheapest I've seen anywhere so far. What is the drawback of using them???? Am I getting the same services I would get through other companies like e-onlinedata and banks?

Thanks for the info!


----------



## peteVA

Yes, I can't remember which they use, but the use one of the top processing networks, I think it's FirstData. It's the same thing you get anywhere else, they just have a large group rate.

The deals I always get in on are through groups, in some cases Chamber of commerce, or trade group. There could be a National Association of Tee Shirt Guys and get a group rate for all members. Much better than one person alone.

It's all in numbers.
.


----------



## rusty

peteVA said:


> There could be a National Association of Tee Shirt Guys and get a group rate for all members.


Where do I send my dues?


----------



## karlking85

Thanks Pete.


----------



## peteVA

If you've never belonged to a trade association, you have no idea what you are missing. In addition to the seminars and parties there are many benefits.

Including - 

Low cost merchant accounts.

Cheaper group insurance - business, medical, workers comp and more.

Low cost long distance / toll free services.

Discounts on car rentals.

Discounts on supplies - not so much goods for sale, but things like bags and boxes, etc.

Low cost forms for those using them.

Much more.....


----------



## rusty

Pete,
I'm about to open my merchant account with Costco. What payment gateway do you recommend? They have one, but said there was a $179 setup fee and was $8/month. Authorize.net, which many recommend says it's $99 setup and $20 per month. I didn't realize the gateways were this expensive. Authorize.net is more than my actual merchant account. Any recommendations?

Do I need to make sure Costco's gateway is compatible with CubeCart, or is that not a problem?
Thanks,
Rusty


----------



## peteVA

Yes, you do need to make sure the gateway is compatible. Authorizenet is.

You should also make sure they will allow you to use your own gateway.

I dropped out of Costco after Sams opened closer to me, so I am not up on all of it, but I can tell you that $ 8 a month for a gateway will probably save you money within a year or so, even with the setup fee.

And I'd double check all that, I thought the setup was all part of the deal. Of course, things change.

Wish I could do more, but that's about all I can suggest.


----------



## SeasonEnds

If you are interested in developing the code for your own shopping cart, check out the sitepoint book: Build your own database driven websites using php and mysql by Kevin Yank. This book also includes content management systems and other things that can take your website to the next level.

Before you buy this book... 
This is a serious task if you are unfimiliar with web development and should only be done if you are really into this idea. You need to know html and css before you start with this book (htmlgoodies.com). It could take you a month or longer to get everything down. In the long run it will be very worth your time and effort.


----------



## rusty

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



Rodney said:


> I would consider PayPal, 2checkout, CCNOW to be "3rd Party Payment Processors". I don't think they would qualify as a "merchant account", with the exception of PayPal's $20 a month service called PayPal Website Payments Pro (which is an actual merchant account).


If I use CCNow, do I need a separate merchant account? Or do they work by themselves?


----------



## peteVA

No, they have the merchant account. In theory, you sell to them and they sell to your customer.

But, you need to make sure they are compatible with whatever cart you choose.
.


----------



## Rodney

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



rusty said:


> If I use CCNow, do I need a separate merchant account? Or do they work by themselves?


I started out selling online using CCNOW. Back then it was no monthly fees and 9% per transaction. This was before ecommerce was as "accepted" as it is today.

The problem with CCNOW is it ties up your cash flow. You can sell 100 t-shirts today, but you only get paid twice a month (1st and 15th I think it is).

If you're just starting out and have no other options, it's a good way to accept credit cards.

But if you think you may need the money sooner, or if you can qualify for a merchant account, I'd go for the merchant account. Actually, I'd choose PayPal over CCNOW.


----------



## rusty

*Re: - Once and For ALL ! -*



Rodney said:


> But if you think you may need the money sooner, or if you can qualify for a merchant account, I'd go for the merchant account. Actually, I'd choose PayPal over CCNOW.


This is good to know. Can I ask why you'd choose PayPal over CCNow? Because people are more familiar with it? I was just told that CCNow is 5% plus a $10 setup fee. How does that compare to PayPal?

The cash flow is not a problem for me right now, at least not yet. I just want to be able to accept credit cards without paying and arm and leg. I can only assume my volume will probably start out pretty low, being realistic.


----------



## peteVA

Pay Pal is free setup and under 3%. You should check it out for yourself. 

Millions of people use PP, it is almost a web standard. You may want a regular merchant account down the road, but for first starting, PayPal is almost required.
.


----------



## Rodney

> Can I ask why you'd choose PayPal over CCNow? Because people are more familiar with it?


PayPal has more money fluidity. You can get your money instantly (spend it other places using the paypal debit card or places where they accept paypal) or you can get it in days (deposited to your bank account).

Although there are some customers that are specifically *anti* PayPal, I find that there are a good number of customers that are specifically looking for stores that accept PayPal. It's almost like another currency. Some people have money sitting in their PayPal accounts that they use for different types of shopping. 

The fees for PayPal are lower. Lots of shopping carts integrate with PayPal very easily.

Even though I have my own merchant account (2 of them actually), I still accept PayPal because a good amount of my customers still choose that method instead of paying directly via credit card. I think some consumers like the fact that they only share their credit card information with PayPal and not with the dozens of the merchants they may want to shop at.


----------



## peteVA

I also have 2 and have had as many as 4 merchant accounts, but have also accepted PayPal.

Now, much of my business is from out of the US and US merchant accounts will only accept payments from the US and Canada.

So, most of my income is now through PayPal and a bit through Moneybookers, a UK kind of PayPal.

Most of my buying is now done with a PayPal debit card, from Sam's Club to the local grocery and getting my hair cut, it's a PayPal card.

That's instant, even the merchant accounts take a couple of days to show in the bank.
.


----------



## Chani

I might need a credit card processor *quick*. I'm approved for PayPal Website Payments Pro, but I'm not sure it's what I need. Does anyone use that?

Thanks!


----------

