How to Let Customers Choose a Payment Method

One of the best ways to reduce eCommerce abandonment is by letting customers choose a payment method at checkout.

Offering multiple payment options enhances the shopping experience and boosts conversion rates.

But what’s the best way to go about it? If you’re a WordPress user, you can do it in a few simple steps! Easy Digital Downloads makes it easy to set up multiple payment methods to streamline your checkout process.

🔎 In this article, I’ll cover:

Why Offer Multiple Payment Methods?

Imagine walking into a store and being told you can only pay with one specific type of credit card. Frustrating, right? The same principle applies to online shopping.

Customers have diverse preferences when it comes to remote transactions and contactless payments. Limiting their choices can lead to shopping cart abandonment and lost sales.

Let’s look at some of the top reasons to incorporate multiple popular payment methods.

Increase Conversion Rates

Catering to diverse customer payment preferences removes potential barriers to purchase. This translates to higher conversion rates, as customers are more likely to complete a purchase when they can use their top payment choice.

Enhance the Customer Experience

Providing a smooth and convenient checkout process boosts customer satisfaction and loyalty. It creates a positive impression and encourages repeat business.

Expand Global Reach

Accepting global payments unlocks the potential of your online store to tap into an international market. Supporting multiple currencies and payment preferences can attract customers from around the world.

Build Trust and Credibility

Offering secure and recognized payment options instills trust in your online store. Customers are more likely to feel confident making purchases when they see familiar and reputable processors available.

Meet Evolving Customer Expectations

As technology advances and customer preferences shift, payment trends are constantly evolving. Letting customers choose a payment method demonstrates adaptability and a commitment to meeting their ever-changing needs.

Deciding Which Payment Methods to Offer

To provide a seamless customer experience, offer a variety of options to help customers choose a payment method with ease.

This includes supporting popular methods like credit and debit cards, as well as alternative payment methods such as bank transfers and ACH payments, digital wallets and mobile payments, and buy now, pay later options.

A Survey by Aquired.com found that nearly 70% of online shoppers name Apple Pay or Google Pay as the preferred method. Payments via debit card and credit card payments came in second.

Mobile and digital wallets are increasingly popular. Statista research found that mobile wallets accounted for approximately half of global eCommerce payment transactions in 2023 alone. This makes it the most popular online payment method worldwide.

It also highlights the importance of providing customers with frictionless checkout experiences.

When determining which methods to provide your eCommerce customers, consider several key factors.

First, ensure that your online payment gateways are reliable and secure. Customers’ personal and financial information must be protected. Any payment processor you choose must have a strong reputation for security.

Additionally, consider the payment processing fees associated with each gateway. Select options that are cost-effective for both you and your customers.

Add Multiple Payment Methods With EDD

If you sell digital products, the best way to add multiple payment options in WordPress is with the Easy Digital Downloads plugin and Stripe payment gateway.

With Stripe and EDD, you can:

• Save payment details for faster checkout
• Monitor early fraud warnings to prevent chargebacks
• Approve or decline refunds within WordPress
• Much more

Below, I’ll walk you through the step-by-step process and show you how to easily let customers choose a payment method on your WordPress site. If you’re already an Easy Digital Downloads and Stripe user, feel free to skip ahead to Step 3.

1. Install Easy Digital Downloads

Easy Digital Downloads (EDD) is a powerful and user-friendly WordPress plugin designed to sell digital products.

While the free version includes the standard Stripe payment gateway, I highly recommend upgrading to an EDD Pro plan. This eliminates Stripe transaction fees and gives you access to more payment options. 

Once you choose your plan and download the EDD plugin, install it on your WordPress site. Go to Plugins » Add New Plugin » Upload Plugin » Choose File.

Then click on Install Now followed by Activate Plugin. This enables the plugin on your WordPress site and adds a new Downloads menu item to your admin area.

Click Get Started to run the EDD Setup Wizard. This wizard guides you through some basic configuration steps. 

For instance, you’ll be asked to provide your store’s name, base country, and currency. You can also choose the appropriate settings for your business.

The wizard prompts you to connect with and set up the Stripe payment gateway. You can do this now or configure it later in the EDD settings. I’ll cover this in more detail in the next step.

2. Connect Stripe Payment Gateway

EDD has Stripe built in as a payment gateway. You can set it as your Default and Active Gateways under Downloads » Settings » Payments.

When you’re done, click on Save Changes.

If you didn’t connect Stripe to your site with the setup wizard, go to the Stripe tab within the Settings » Payments menu.

Next, select Connect with Stripe.

If you already have a Stripe account, you’ll be prompted to log in. If you don’t have an account, you’ll be guided through the free signup process.

After logging in or signing up, Stripe will ask you to authorize the connection between your Stripe account and your WordPress website. Review the permissions and click Connect.

Once the connection is authorized, you’ll be automatically redirected back to your EDD payment settings.

You should see a confirmation message indicating that your Stripe account is connected. Under Connection Status, select the option to Automatically set up webhooks.

You can manually add them. But this method is generally for more advanced users or if you encounter issues with the automatic connection option.

On this page, you’ll also find a handful of other settings and customization options.

For instance, you can restrict Stripe assets, change the statement descriptor, and include purchase summary.

⚙️ Check out our Stripe setup documentation for more info.

3. Configure Preferred Payment Methods

Using Stripe as your EDD payment gateway lets you accept bank transfers and ACH payments, debit cards and credit cards, and Apple/Google Pay.

However, the latest version (EDD v3.3.5) lets connected accounts using the Stripe Payment Element access additional payment options. This includes:

Cards	Link
Affirm	Bancontact
AliPay	EPS
Amazon Pay	giropay
Apple Pay	iDEAL
CashApp Pay	Przelewy2
Google Pay	WeChat Pay

To view and add enabled payment methods in EDD, go to Downloads » Settings » Payments » Stripe. Then manage which are turned on under Payment Methods.

The options available for you to offer customers may vary depending on factors such as currency, country, and what’s in their shopping cart.

Some providers require additional steps, such as requesting access, to configure and enable. You can do this from your Stripe dashboard. Go to Settings ⚙︎ followed by Payments.

Under the Payment Methods tab, click Turn on next to the one you want to add. It will then say Pending until approved.

4. Customize Your Payment Form and Checkout Page

Once you’re done configuring the payment settings, you can also customize the look and layout of your payment form and checkout page.

Under the same Settings » Payments » Stripe tab, there’s a Payment Methods Style dropdown menu.

You can choose Tabs or Accordion as the checkout form layout style. This is how they will appear on the checkout form to your customers.

On this page, you can also customize the Billing Address Display settings. More checkout settings are under Settings » Payments » Checkout and Settings » Misc » Purchase Buttons.

I highlighy recommend using the Checkout Fields Manager add-on (included with EDD Pro plans). It helps create a more intuitive and personalized checkout form. For instance, you can include conditional logic fields.

Easy Digital Downloads automatically creates a WordPress checkout page for you. It’s located under Pages » Checkout and uses the EDD Checkout block.

Keep in mind that the overall design and appearance of your checkout page is based on your WordPress theme. You can find the design customization settings under Appearance » Customize.

💡Learn more ways to optimize your checkout.

5. Test Your Payment Methods and Setup

Before going live, preview your online store from the front end of your site. In addition to making sure everything looks how it should, perform multiple test transactions to verify that the payment methods you set up work correctly.

To do this, you’ll need to have a product in your store (real or a demo one). You’ll also need to turn on Enable Test Mode under Settings » Payments.

Save your changes.

From the front end of your site, add a product to your cart and proceed to the checkout. Complete the checkout process as a customer would.

Use Stripe’s test card numbers to perform the test transaction.

• Card number: 4242 4242 4242 4242
• Expiration date: Any future date
• CVC: Any three-digit number

If the purchase was ‘successful’, you’ll see a purchase confirmation page.

That’s it!

FAQs on WordPress Payment Methods

Let’s wrap up with some frequently asked questions about letting customers choose a payment method in WordPress.

Let Customers Choose a Payment Method

Providing customers with different types of payment methods is a crucial aspect of running a successful online business. By letting customers choose a payment method from a variety of reliable options, you can enhance customer satisfaction, increase conversions, and expand your market reach.

With Easy Digital Downloads and Stripe, setting up multiple payment options on your WordPress website is a breeze. Grab an EDD pass and connect your site with Stripe in no time.

What’s next? Learn how to use Stripe Early Fraud Warnings to prevent chargebacks.

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