Online Payments Made Easy for Bristol Businesses

In 2022, Bristol was voted the fourth-best place to start a business in the UK. Home to
innovation, strong communities, and local support for start-up businesses. With 90% of the
UK shopping online, many start-ups high street businesses now have online stores. Here is
how your business in Bristol can take online payments with UTP.

What is an eCommerce payment gateway?
You will need an eCommerce payment gateway to take payments online. A payment gateway
is the technology that authorises and processes card payments. It validates your card details
and ensures funds are available before the payment is made. The term ‘eCommerce’ refers to
buying goods and services online.

Who are UTP?
For over ten years, UTP has helped businesses succeed at taking debit and credit card
payments. They provide a range of physical card machines for business, virtual terminals, and
eCommerce payment gateways. On average, UTP saves their customers 33% on their
transaction rates. They are also one of the only card processing companies to fund businesses
after each transaction at no extra cost.

Does my business need an eCommerce payment gateway?
An eCommerce payment gateway removes many limitations that brick-and-mortar stores
experience. This includes location, opening hours, and customer loyalty. By having an online
shop for your business, your customers can shop 24/7/365. You can also expand your
customer base as people from other cities and even countries can view your site. These
features can increase your revenue. Many people prefer the ease of shopping online, with a
few clicks and products being delivered to their door. Online shops also mean that customers
can compare prices more easily, without having to go to different shops. Shopping online is
convenient, which is a huge selling point for many.

Are eCommerce payment gateways secure?
eCommerce payment gateways are a secure way to accept credit and debit card payments.
They encrypt sensitive information, such as your customers’ credit card numbers, during the
transaction. All payment processing companies must be PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry
Data Security Standard) compliant. This increases the security controls around cardholder
data and reduces fraud risk.

As well as these security features, UTP also provides their customers with UTP Shield. This
is a free anti-fraud protection software that helps keep businesses and their customers safe.
UTP Shield learns what the average transaction looks like, from average transaction value to
usual trading times and even to the type of payment taken. It then notifies business owners by
text or email if anything looks suspicious. Fraudulent chargebacks are a high risk for
businesses with an online store. A fraudulent chargeback is when a customer claims an item
hasn’t arrived to claim a refund. Businesses only have a 20% chance of winning a chargeback dispute. UTP will warn you if your order has a high chargeback risk; it is up to you to accept
or decline the order.

How do I get an eCommerce payment gateway?
To get an eCommerce payment gateway, you will need a business website. Once this is set
up, you can upload the products or services you sell. Your website will need to have a
shopping cart to enable customers to add and check out items in their basket. The most used
shopping cart solutions are WooCommerce, Magento, and OpenCart. UTP’s eCommerce
payment gateway is compatible with all major shopping cart solutions. You will then need to
find a card processing company that enables you to take payments online.

To set up an eCommerce payment gateway with UTP, you will first need a merchant account.
You can apply for this online or by calling their sales team. UTP will ask about your business,
your average transaction value, and what products and services you sell. They will then ask
what type of card payment solution you need. After you have sent across all the relevant
information, your merchant account with UTP will be live. Your eCommerce payment
gateway will then be ready to use within three to five working days.

Are you looking to open your eCommerce business? Or maybe you are looking to expand
your brick-and-mortar store to accept online payments? Contact UTP for your free quote
today on 0330 99 99 300.