For UK SMEs, accepting payments is no longer just about having a card machine at the till. Customers expect to be able to pay wherever and whenever they choose – whether that’s through an ecommerce website, a payment link sent by text, or a recurring subscription.
The challenge is finding an online payment solution that can support all these different ways of selling without adding unnecessary complexity or cost.
From security and integration to payment links and recurring payments, here are seven things UK SMEs should consider when choosing an online payments provider.
1. Your payment solution should support more than just your website
A modern payment solution needs to fit around the way your business actually sells.
For some SMEs, that means taking card payments through an ecommerce website. For others, it could mean accepting a payment remotely after speaking to a customer, sending a payment link via WhatsApp, or taking a recurring payment for a membership or subscription.
This is where an omnichannel approach can make a difference. Rather than using separate systems for different payment methods, businesses can look for a solution that brings multiple payment channels together.
What to look for:
- Website and ecommerce payments
- Remote and telephone payments
- Pay by link
- Payment options through email, SMS or messaging
- Support for in-person card payments
Create Commerce is designed to support website payments, payment links, remote payments and recurring payments, giving SMEs more flexibility as their business grows.
2. A smooth checkout can help reduce abandoned sales
Getting a customer to your checkout is only half the job. If the payment process is slow, confusing or difficult to use on mobile, customers may abandon their purchase before completing it.
For SMEs, the checkout experience should be simple and familiar. Customers should be able to pay using the methods they already trust, while the payment process should work smoothly across different devices.
Digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay can also make checkout quicker by reducing the amount of information customers need to enter manually.
When comparing online payment solutions, consider:
- Is the checkout mobile-friendly?
- How many payment methods can customers use?
- Can customers pay using digital wallets?
- Is the payment process quick and straightforward?
- Does the checkout experience fit your brand?
Create Commerce supports major debit and credit cards alongside Apple Pay and Google Pay, helping businesses offer customers familiar ways to pay online.
3. Security and compliance shouldn’t be an afterthought
Customers need to trust a business before they hand over their payment details. For SMEs, choosing a payment provider with appropriate security measures is therefore essential.
Your payment solution should help protect sensitive payment information while meeting the relevant payment security requirements.
When comparing providers, ask about:
- PCI DSS compliance
- Payment data security
- Fraud prevention measures
- Secure payment processing
- How customer payment information is handled
For an SME, choosing a provider that takes care of the technical side of payment security can also reduce the burden on your internal team.
4. Pay by link can turn conversations into payments
Not every sale starts with a customer clicking “buy now” on your website.
A customer might call your business to place an order, enquire through social media, respond to an email or speak to a member of your team. In these situations, pay by link can provide a simple way to turn that conversation into a completed payment.
Instead of asking customers to visit a website and find the right product or payment page, businesses can send a secure payment link directly to the customer.
This can be particularly useful for:
- Service businesses
- Quotes and deposits
- Remote orders
- Social media enquiries
- Telephone sales
- Businesses that don’t have a full ecommerce website
Create Commerce supports payment links that can be sent through channels such as email, SMS and WhatsApp, giving SMEs another way to accept online payments.
5. Integration matters – but it doesn’t have to be complicated
The best online payment solution isn’t necessarily the one with the longest list of technical features. It’s the one that works with your existing technology and can be implemented without creating unnecessary headaches.
Before choosing a provider, consider what your website or ecommerce platform is built on.
For example, Create Commerce supports integrations with ecommerce platforms including WooCommerce, Magento, OpenCart, PrestaShop and ZenCart. It also offers different integration approaches, including hosted payment pages and direct API integration.
For SMEs, it’s worth asking:
- Does it integrate with my current website?
- Does it support my ecommerce platform?
- How much development work is required?
- Is technical support available?
- Can the solution grow with my business?
A straightforward integration can mean less time spent managing payment technology and more time focused on running the business.
6. Don’t compare payment providers on transaction fees alone
Price will always be an important consideration when choosing card payments and online payments. But the cheapest headline transaction rate doesn’t necessarily mean the lowest overall cost.
SMEs should look at the complete payment package.
Consider:
- Transaction fees
- Monthly or platform fees
- Setup costs
- Contract terms
- Settlement times
- Integration costs
- Support
- Additional charges for payment methods or features
It’s also worth considering how quickly funds reach your business bank account. Faster settlement can make a meaningful difference to cash flow, particularly for smaller businesses.
Create Commerce highlights next-working-day settlement as one of its online payment features, subject to the applicable terms and acquiring arrangements.
The goal isn’t simply to find the lowest price. It’s to find a payment solution that provides good value while giving your business the features, reliability and support it actually needs.
Choosing the Right Online Payments Solution for Your SME
The right payment solution should make it easier for customers to pay – not make running your business more complicated.
For UK SMEs, the key questions are whether a provider can support the way you sell today and whether it can adapt as your business grows.
Look for a solution that offers:
- Multiple payment channels for omnichannel selling
- A smooth checkout experience across desktop and mobile
- Strong security and compliance
- Pay by link for remote and conversational sales
- Recurring payments for subscriptions and repeat customers
- Straightforward integrations with your existing technology
- Transparent overall costs rather than focusing solely on transaction rates
With the right combination of flexibility, security and usability, online payments can become more than a way to collect money — they can help SMEs create a smoother customer journey and support new ways of selling.
Explore Online Payments with CreatePay
Create Commerce is the online payment platform from CreatePay, designed to help UK businesses accept payments through their websites, payment links and remote channels, as well as supporting recurring payments.
If you’re looking to simplify card payments and online payments across your business, explore Create Commerce or visit CreatePay to find out more.