Breadcrumb

Top 6 List of Alternative Payment Methods

Written by

The GoCardless content team comprises a group of subject-matter experts in multiple fields from across GoCardless. The authors and reviewers work in the sales, marketing, legal, and finance departments. All have in-depth knowledge and experience in various aspects of payment scheme technology and the operating rules applicable to each. The team holds expertise in the well-established payment schemes such as UK Direct Debit, the European SEPA scheme, and the US ACH scheme, as well as in schemes operating in Scandinavia, Australia, and New Zealand. See full bio

Last editedMar 20232 min read

Online shoppers’ payment preferences are diverse and are generally dependent on their approach to security and convenience. In order to attract as broad a customer base as possible, you need to offer a variety of online payment options to suit your particular customers’ preferences. In this post we’ll look at some top alternative payment methods to consider.

Popular top alternative payment methods

PayPal

PayPal is one of the most popular top alternative payment methods due to its convenience. Shoppers can either keep a cash balance in their account, or draw funds from another source, to pay for items. They can also use PayPal Credit to finance transactions. PayPal can be used to receive funds, for example, eBay sales, and customers can also send money instantly to friends and family.

PayPal is quick, convenient, and safe, since there’s no need to enter credit card numbers on unfamiliar ecommerce sites.

Amazon Pay

Amazon Pay allows customers to pay via payment methods they’ve already saved in their Amazon account. This eliminates any requirement to enter card information, whilst allowing customers to pay through a gateway known for its high level of security.

Most of your customers probably have Amazon accounts. By aligning yourself with the Amazon brand, you can create an extra layer of trust around your own store.

Google Pay

Google Pay has to make it onto our list of alternative payment methods, since it’s another highly convenient and popular payment method for online shoppers. Google Pay allows customers to checkout securely on third party sites, using their saved information. Customers can also store branded gift cards and loyalty cards with Google Pay, offering them an even more seamless shopping experience online.

Direct debit payments

Direct debit payments offer users an easy way to set up recurring automated payments, with payments made almost instantly. Direct debits offer a high level of convenience to customers, since they don’t have to remember to make payments, with the money taken out of their account automatically once the DD is set up.

How to collect payments with GoCardless

1.

Create your free GoCardless account, access your user-friendly payments dashboard & connect your accounting software (if you use one).

2.

Easily set up & schedule one-off or recurring payments via payment pages on your website checkout or secure payment links.

3.

From now on you'll get paid on time, every time, as GoCardless automatically collects payment on the scheduled date. Simple.

Get started in minutes Learn more

Secure top alternative payment methods

Apple Pay

Apple Pay is a secure alternative payment method for iOS devices, so it’s become one of the top alternative payment methods for mobile shoppers. Apple Pay keeps customer data stored in the cloud, so even if a smartphone is missing, or stolen, details stay safe. Transactions are made via tokenization, so retailers don’t see any sensitive customer information.

Apple Pay is also quick and convenient, with the option to authenticate purchases with the Touch ID fingerprint sensor on Apple devices. It’s easy for users to set up Apple Pay only on appropriate devices and not on others, keeping things even more secure.

Bitcoin

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency and one of the top alternative payment methods to exist solely online. It’s growing in popularity due to the fact that it’s entirely anonymous, with the risk of personal data being compromised extremely low. The value of Bitcoin fluctuates, so many people choose both to use it and invest in it.

Bitcoin is more accepted by a more technically minded customer base, and so worth considering if this is the type of market you cater towards. It can also be a valuable alternative payment method for shoppers located in a country where more popular payment methods are difficult to use. The fact that Bitcoin’s value is the same across borders is another reason international shoppers may prefer to use it.

Which of our list of alternative payment methods should you use?

Before you decide on the top alternative payment methods for your business, make sure you’re up to speed with the payment preferences of your target customers. Where are they located, and how adaptable are they to new payment technologies? Don’t rush into providing payment options that your customers don’t trust or dislike, or they’ll switch to a business that offers them methods they’re more comfortable with.

We can help

GoCardless helps you automate payment collection, cutting down on the amount of admin your team needs to deal with when chasing invoices. Find out how GoCardless can help you with ad hoc payments or recurring payments.