
I want to charge for my service. Should I take the time to integrate with Authorize .NET or should I just use RightCart? - dawie

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zaidf
Integrating Authorize.net shouldn't be that much work. Usually getting the
account approved and setup is as much work as the integration. Without knowing
too much about RightCart, I'd say go with Auth.net if you want to do it for
the long haul and want more control.

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dawie
My gut feels the same. But its also easy not to worry about ssl and
certificates and stuff

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zaidf
Yeah the methodology I use to decide between Auth.net and PayPal is if the
stuff I am doing is for part-time or longhaul. For parttime thing PayPal or
some 3rd party is cool.

But for longhaul, you might as well spend the extra week and learn the art
that you will eventually have to. And dealing with merchant account is indeed
an art and study of its own.

Another thing - when you have an intermediary like PayPal you are more at risk
at your money being frozen for some stupid reason, This can happen with
merchant account too but never as often as I have come across torturous PayPal
or 2checkout stories.

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vlad
Go with RightCart so you can release sooner and charge as soon as you can. (I
don't know anything about the product.)

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dawie
Thats all good, but I can't move paying customers from RightCart to another
platform. I will have to get them to re-enter their billing information when I
swop to the new billing system. I guess I could run two concurrent billing
systems and just stop using the one the first one for new customers and keep
billing old customers using rightcart.

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vlad
Why not ask them to re-enter their billing information?

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dawie
I think this could cause me to loose customers

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vlad
Remember, there is no reason to feel guilty about having future expansion
plans above and beyond what you are offering right now. You absolutely do not
have to tell them ahead of time, "by signing up, you may have to switch
billing systems by the end of summer" in the sign-up application. There is no
need.

Instead, just mass e-mail them the link and directions to do so when the need
comes (if ever.) People are used to typing in their name, address, and e-mail
into forms.

Remember, the second time around, you are no longer asking a new customer to
commit to you. Your customers already know you and your service, so 100% of
them will gladly follow simple directions to update their address information.
Trust me.

I would spend the extra few days working on the main product or service
instead, until you need to use the more complex shopping cart.

Please let me know what you think!

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dawie
I am going fo RightCart. I argree that I can change later. Thanks for your
feedback and ideas.

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vlad
No problem! Focus on creating value, not on maintaining an ordering system.
It's time consuming enough to do #1. (Easier said than done.)

Plus, if you become really big--and saving 50 cents in processing fees per
order will start to add up--the other shopping cart / payment processors will
be knocking at your door, writing their own API for you, and giving you better
deals. Or, if the problem is that they don't have enough features for you
right now, just e-mail them your suggestions. By the time you go live, they
will probably have a lot of the features you requested. Again, I don't know
anything about any shopping cart.

If you spend time on the more difficult and complicated method when there is
no urgency for it right now, when you know there's a faster and easier method
available that lets you go back to working on the main product, you will just
HATE your entire project.

Instead, take the easier/faster option, as you will be able to go back to
working on the actual product or service sooner, so there will be less
boredom. When the situation actually arises that it DOES matter which shopping
cart you have, the urgency of the need will motivate you to make the switch,
and you will be excited about succeeding. On the other hand, if you take the
harder method right now, you will not be excited--at the end of it all, you
will be angry it has taken so much time when there was an easier method. Plus,
3-6 months from now, you'll probably have to modify the ordering system no
matter which shopping cart you started with. Or, what if you decide to stay in
beta for the next year (not accepting any payments)?

As you can see, I've made that mistake before... This is a motivational speech
for me as much as it is for you. ;)

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dawie
Using RightCart will allow me to release sooner, but I will be locked into
RightCart

