How to use Alternative payment gateways with Squarespace
Squarespace's built-in payment options include Stripe and PayPal, which may not be suitable for all businesses. If you’re a high-risk merchant, Pay Pal or Stripe wont be friendly to you. Here are a few methods to expand your payment processing options on Squarespace:
1. Shopify Starter Integration
What it is: Shopify Starter gives you access to a wider range of payment gateways for a minimal monthly fee while still using Squarespace as your primary website builder.
How to integrate:
Create a Shopify Starter account.
Select your desired payment gateway within Shopify.
Generate "Buy Buttons" for your products in Shopify.
Embed these buttons on your Squarespace product pages.
Cost: $9/month for Shopify Lite + Your Squarespace plan cost ($18/month for Business and upwards)
2. Ecwid Integration
What it is: Ecwid is a flexible e-commerce platform that seamlessly integrates with Squarespace. It supports a wide variety of payment gateways.
How to integrate:
Create an Ecwid account.
Configure your desired payment gateways within Ecwid.
Embed your Ecwid store onto your Squarespace site.
Cost: Ecwid has free and paid plans. Paid plans generally range from $15/month to $99/month.
3. ThriveCart
What it is: ThriveCart is a powerful checkout platform with advanced features like upsells, downsells, and cart abandonment recovery. It supports numerous payment gateways.
How to integrate:
Create a ThriveCart account.
Design your checkout pages and select your payment gateway.
Embed ThriveCart checkout buttons or links on your Squarespace site.
Cost: ThriveCart has a one-time purchase option or a subscription model.
Important Notes:
High-risk business definition: Each payment gateway has its own policies regarding "high-risk" businesses.
Additional fees: Alternative payment gateways may charge higher transaction fees than Stripe or PayPal.
Choosing the right option: Consider your budget, the specific payment gateways you need, and the desired level of customization when selecting your strategy.