It can be time-consuming and expensive to implement a custom payment option in your ecommerce application. Payment providers are the best option because they have been thoroughly tested and offer multiple payment options. They also come with built-in security measures to ensure that you can accept payments securely.
You can use several payment providers in your React application, but the three most popular are PayPal, Stripe and Square.
Paypal
PayPal has become one of the most widely used payment gateways in e-commerce. This is because it can be used in 203 different countries and supports multiple currencies on one account. Its key features include:
- Multiple Payment Options: PayPal accepts all major credit and debit cards, including Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Some cards, however, are not accepted in all countries.
- PayPal’s Buyer Protection protects you from fraud. A buyer who receives an item that is damaged can submit a complaint to PayPal within 180-days and be eligible for a full refund. This policy does not apply to digital or service products.
- International Payments: PayPal accepts payments from over 200 countries.
- Simple setup There is no charge to start using PayPal. However, you will have to pay transaction fees. These fees vary depending on payment methods and country.
PayPal in React Applications
You can use the PayPal SDK to integrate PayPal into your React application or you can wrap it in a package such as react paypal-js. This package, provided by PayPal, abstracts the complexity of loading the PayPal script into your React app. It is a context provider which loads the SDK as well as components to create the UI. You can find out how to use the package in the document.
Stripe
Stripe is a payment processor that caters to developers. It has a simple-to-use interface, is compatible with most programming languages and comes with extensive documentation. Stripe is both a gateway and payment processor. Stripe has many key features, including:
- Multiple Payment Methods: Stripe accepts a wide range of payment options, including credit cards, debit cards, ACH, bank transfers and local payment methods. Buy Now Pay Later methods, such as After Pay, are also supported, along with wallets, like Apple Pay or Google Pay.
- Developer friendly documentation It is easy to integrate Stripe in an ecommerce application as a programmer because the documentation contains enough examples and tutorials.
- Customizable checkout You can customize Stripe’s checkout page according to your needs and brand. You can customize the checkout page to match your brand and needs.
- Strong Security Measures Stripe adheres to PCI standards, which protects your data. You can also customize your fraud protection settings. It allows you to create a list of clients and allow, block or review matching payment. You can also adjust the risk settings for blocking payments.
Stripe and React Applications
Stripe provides a library named Stripe.js that wraps Stripe Elements. This allows you to add Stripe elements to any React application. These prebuilt UI elements allow you to build your own checkout flow, which is consistent with your entire application. For detailed instructions and example, you can refer to the documentation. Or follow this tutorial to create a Stripe check-out flow using Next.js.
Square
Square is a payment platform with a wide range of features that can be used for both e-commerce and physical stores. Square, like Stripe allows you to build a checkout form within your application that includes the payment methods needed. Square has a number of key features, including:
- Multiple Payment Methods: Square accepts a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, debit card, digital wallets such as Google Pay and Apple Pay. It also supports Klarna, Apple Pay and other buy-now pay-later methods.
- Comprehensive documentation Square offers a wide range of tutorials and examples on how to integrate a payment form into your application. Square also offers templates to simplify the development process.
- PCI compliance Square ensures payments are processed safely. Square offers protection against fraud and chargebacks.
- Flexible Payment Methods Square is compatible with a point of sale hardware system, and allows for manual payments.
Use Square in React Applications
Square offers the Square Web Payments SDK. This is a JavaScript library that lets you create payment flows in your applications. For React applications, use the react-square-web-payments-sdk npm package. It’s a thin wrapper that simplifies building payment components.
What payment provider should you use?
PayPal is an excellent option for small applications. PayPal is a great option when you want to accept payments for a single item on your site, such as a digital product. PayPal allows customers to pay without entering their credit card details.
Stripe provides a wide range of ecommerce tools, which are ideal for large ecommerce applications that require a customized solution. You can create a customized checkout flow using the extensive documentation, an easy-to-use interface, customization options and detailed tutorials.
Square is a great option for e-commerce apps that have physical locations, as it offers a Point-of-Sale system that integrates seamlessly with its online system. Square does not have as many locations as PayPal and Stripe. Square only accepts credit card payments from the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan.
Other Payment Providers
There are many other payment providers available on the market. These include RazorPay Payoneer and Adyen. When selecting a payment provider for your ecommerce app, it’s important to consider transaction fees, security, integration ease, and different payment methods.