In this article you will get an overview of the topic of payment methods, payment providers, amount limits and security of the different payment methods. Depending on the clientele, risk and product, consider which payment methods you want to offer for a product and whether >> subscription or installment payments make sense here.
Overview
Amount limits per payment method
Automatic debiting for subscriptions & installment payments
Security of payment methods
For some payment methods, there are corresponding consumer protection provisions through which a fraudulent payment can be contested. Regulations may vary by payment provider and method.
Such a challenge (also called dispute, chargeback or return debit note) serves to protect consumers in the following cases:
- Product does not correspond to the product description
- Product has not been shipped
- Fraudulent activity
This right exists independently of the regular right of withdrawal for consumers and only in the above-mentioned data. Cases so that your customers cannot revoke a SEPA direct debit, credit card or PayPal payment because they want to withdraw from the purchase (after the expiry of the withdrawal period) for other reasons. If there is no amicable agreement here, you only have legal recourse.
Each payment provider has its own early warning system to detect possible fraudulent activity. With 3D-Secure Procedure (3DS), which came into force on 01.01.2021 in the EU, the risk of higher amounts for payments within the EU has been significantly reduced with 3DS.
| Payment method | Security | Return options | Possibility of seller intervention? |
| Prepayment & bank transfer | very high | Transfer recall can be initiated via the bank | Seller must agree. |
| Sofort transfer | very high | Transfer recall can be initiated via the bank | Seller must agree. |
| Credit & debit card with 3DS (within EU) | very high | None | Unnecessary |
| Credit & debit card without 3DS (especially outside the EU) | medium |
A chargeback due to fraudulent payment can usually be initiated for 120 days. In some cases, proofs of the sellers can be uploaded. The decision is ultimately made by the customer's bank or credit card provider. |
Only partially possible |
| PayPal | medium |
Customers can submit a conflict to PayPal 180 days after payment . If this is not resolved amicably within 20 days, the customer can submit an >> application for buyer protection. Then PayPal takes over the decision. |
Clarification between the customer and provider necessary. Proof can be uploaded to PayPal. The final decision is made by PayPal. |
| SEPA direct debit | low |
Customers can revoke SEPA direct debits via online banking or their bank up to 8 weeks after payment (provided that no cancellation is visible on the customer's bank account). You can find out more about this in the support article >> Risks of SEPA Direct Debit. |
None |
Payment methods
The seller model
| Payment method | Payment providers | More information |
| Credit & debit card (Visa, Mastercard & Maestro) |
|
|
|
PayPal |
|
|
|
SEPA |
|
Important >>risks of SEPA direct debit |
|
Sofort transfer |
|
>>Instant transfer |
|
Sofort & SEPA |
|
For "safer" subscription and installment payments. The first payment is made as an instant transfer, which your customer confirms from online banking. The follow-up debits are made via SEPA direct debit. |
|
Payment in advance |
|
>>Prepayment |
|
Przelewy24 |
|
|
|
Apple Pay & Google Pay |
|
Sale in the reseller model
In the reseller model, all of the above payment methods are possible. All payments go to the reseller's account and are paid to you monthly. The transfer costs for integrated payment providers such as PayPal and Stripe are included in the costs.
More information about payouts, etc. per contract model can be found in the article >>Selling in your own name or in the reseller model?
By default, automatic merchant debiting is not enabled for PayPal here. If you offer subscriptions and installment payments and would like to offer automatic merchant debiting, please apply to our support.
Amount limits per payment method
Depending on the payment provider, different amount limits apply to the corresponding payment method. If you have connected several payment providers, you decide in the >> payment matrix which payment method runs through which payment provider.
>>Amount limit depending on the payment method for elopage LITE
>>Amount limit depending on the payment method for elopage PLUS
Automatic debiting for subscriptions & installment payments
Payments are automatically debited for the payment methods
- Credit card
- SEPA direct debit
With the other payment methods, the payment is made manually by your customers. One week before the due date, your customers will receive an email with the payment management link.
If your customers know their login information, they can also go to the payment manage page in their payer account and pay the installments. You can find out more in >>Order Overview & Payment Management and >> Change payment method and pay
PayPal payments
If you are a seller in your own name and your business account with PayPal is activated for subscription and installment payments (via reference transactions for the express checkout), you can activate the automatic debiting of installments for payments via elopage. The prerequisite for the activation are monthly earnings via PayPal in the amount of EUR 25,000. You can find out more in >>Link your PayPal business account
If you are selling in the reseller model and would like to offer automatic debiting of subscription and installment payments via PayPal, please contact us at >>help.elopage.com
Incoming payments
If you have linked your own PayPal account and Stripe account, these will be transferred in full to your PayPal or Stripe account. The service and transfer fees for elopage as well as any applicable >>publisher fees will be invoiced separately on the 1st of a month.
Info
You can find out how to legitimize your elopage PLUS account in >> Activate elopage PLUS
Payment options for customers
Your customers can choose their payment method directly at the time of purchase:
- via the >> product link
- when purchasing on account via the link in the invoice
- via a manual invoice created by you
You can either direct your customers to your elopage shop or integrate the product or payment page link on your landing page. You can find out more about your elopage pages in >> Sales pages: shop page, product page & checkout page
For your quickstart