Payments 101: Your ultimate guide to hosted payment pages

To maximise sales and drive repeat business, merchants have to deliver a slick customer experience – particularly at the online checkout. This is why hosted payment pages are becoming more and more popular – because they prioritise security, speed, simplicity and consistency for merchants and their customers.

So, what exactly is a hosted payment page, what benefits do they bring, how do they compare to a self-hosted (merchant built) checkout and how do choose the right third-party provider for your ecommerce site?

What is a Hosted Payment Page?

A hosted payment page is a secure webpage hosted by a trustworthy third-party. Also known as an external checkout, these pages are provided and maintained by an acquirer, payment service provider (PSP) or a payment gateway facility to enable merchants to accept online payments. Unlike building and maintaining your own checkout page, a third-party payment page can be seamlessly integrated into your existing website, providing a consistent and reliable checkout experience for your customers.

Benefits of Using a Hosted Payment Page

Research suggests 70% of all online shopping carts are abandoned. While multiple factors contribute to this, it is crucial to prioritise a fast, simple and comprehensive checkout experience. Whether you're a small online retailer or a large enterprise, a hosted payment page offers several benefits.

• Security - Hosted payment pages often come equipped with robust security measures, including encryption protocols, to safeguard sensitive customer information. They also adhere to industry compliance standards such as PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), ensuring a high level of security for online transactions. Payment security and compliance regulations can seem overwhelming for merchants, but implementing an external checkout mitigates these concerns by processing transactions on a secure, external server, removing the burden for merchants. This visible commitment to security also helps build trust among customers, reassuring them that their payment details are handled correctly. This is especially important considering 18% of customers abandon carts due to hesitations about sharing payment information on an ecommerce site they feel might not be trustworthy.

• Multiple Payment Options – The choice of payment methods makes a huge difference, with 44% of UK consumers saying they would stop a purchase if their favourite payment method wasn't available. This can be done with ease via a hosted payment page, enhancing convenience for customers. Whether it's credit/debit cards, digital wallets or alternative payment methods, (APMs) this flexibility enables you to cater to diverse customer preferences and choices.

• Global Scalability - Hosted payment pages can be configured to support local payment methods, multiple currencies and languages, facilitating transactions with customers worldwide. By removing geographical barriers, businesses can tap into international markets, reach a broader audience and maximise checkout conversion rates.

• Seamless Integration – External checkout pages can be easily integrated into your website without requiring extensive technical knowledge. This ensures a smooth and hassle-free experience for both the merchant and customer. Since 62% of customers who receive a failed payment notice abandon their purchase, it’s essential to ensure your website is providing convenience, trust and a smooth transaction experience for your customers. By offloading the responsibility of transaction security and data protection to a specialised third-party service, customers can navigate a secure payment environment with confidence. Merchants also benefit from significant time savings, eliminating the need for extensive hours spent integrating the hosted payment page into their existing website.

• Customisation – Implementing a hosted payment page also enables merchants to seamlessly customise and optimise the customer journey while maintaining a consistent brand identity. From colour schemes to logos, merchants can effortlessly customise the page to ensure it looks and feels like an integral part of their brand experience. By striking a balance between flexibility and brand consistency, external checkouts allow merchants to deliver a personalised and professional transaction experience that builds trust and loyalty with their customers.

How to Choose a Hosted Payment Page Provider

Selecting the right provider is crucial for reaping the full benefits of a hosted payment page. Consider the following key factors:

• Ease of Integration: Choose a hosted payment page provider that seamlessly integrates with your existing website infrastructure. This integration should be straightforward, requiring minimal technical expertise. It is also useful to evaluate the provider's application programming interface (API) and documentation. A well-documented API simplifies the integration process, allowing developers to quickly understand and implement the necessary steps.

• Customisation Options: Opt for a hosted payment page solution that offers a high degree of customisation. This enables you to tailor the appearance of the payment page to align with your brand's visual identity, to ensure consistency throughout the customer journey.

• Multi-Currency Support: Ensure your hosted payment page provider supports multiple currencies. This feature is crucial for merchants aiming to operate on a global scale. You should also consider providers that offer language localisation features. Providing payment pages in the preferred language of your customers contributes to a more inclusive and customer-centric experience.

• Diverse Payment Methods: Choose a provider that supports a wide range of payment options to accommodate diverse customer preferences. This includes traditional methods like credit and debit cards, as well as modern alternatives such as digital wallets (e.g., PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay) and ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ (BNPL) options.

How BR-DGE's Hosted Payment Pages Can Help

At BR-DGE, we understand how important it is to deliver a smooth checkout experience for your customers. When choosing between a hosted payment page and a non-hosted payment gateway, merchants often face a difficult decision. Opting for an onsite checkout offers complete customisation and control but also means shouldering the responsibility for transaction security and data protection as well as technical support issues. These challenges often require substantial time and resources that merchants may not have, so an external checkout can alleviate these pressures.

Utilising BR-DGE to seamlessly integrate a hosted payment page into your website can ensure minimal disruption to your business. This option can place the strain of payment security and compliance on us as the third-party provider, giving you more time to focus on your business.

For more on the benefits payment orchestration can bring, get in touch with BR-DGE today.