World pay and secure sites

Kai

Hello im in the process of setting a website that will use worldpay to handle online purchases the customers make, has anyone used them before as i havent and would like to know what they are like ??
Also the site is using a mySQL database and i need to know the best way to make it as secure as possible, Hosting has not been purchased yet, site is done its just these last 2 things i have to incorporate.
So anyone one have any ideas/advice on the whole matter ?

misterq

Hi Frugu

I'm a big fan of the Worldpay system.
How you integrate it into your site depends on your needs.

There are several integration methods:
- COM objects for windows based machines
- Java classes
- Select Junior

Select Junior is the easiest and involves sending form values such as the total, cart/sale id, customer name etc, to a secure Worldpay page which takes and processes the credit card details.

There is also a callback feature that will post the results back to a page that you have specified so you can mark the order as paid, return the shopper to your site etc.

It is quite straightforward and http://support.worldpay.com has all you need to get started.

Ronan

tomED

Worldpay is certainly one of the better ones. The irish ones continue to be too costly.

I use worldpay for my clients and as misterq mentioned the call back feature is perfect for the less intensive installation project.

for cheapness - another i would use is www.paysystems.com - take a little bit more from a purchase as the others but there are no monthly fees and the sign up fee seems to be the cheapest i have found.

anyone else know of any other good pay sites?

Kai

Thats great thanks for responding lads.
All i need to know now is some tips on Securing the DB, ive talked to hosting companies and read up about it all in various books but i want to know if anyone has any tips or problems that they have run into before.

mneylon

You could also look at 2checkout
They've finally introduced some support for the Euro

misterq

What sort of info are you trying to store in the DB?
What security concerns do you have?

You can encrypt data stored in the DB by various means.

You mentioned the use of a MySQL db for the project. Assuming you are using it in a shared hosting environment, there is little you can do to secure it further than your hosts already have.

You should ensure that your user only has access to the database from a specified IP address or localhost.

R

mneylon

Very true.
We only enable localhost access by default.

DJB

As a matter of interest... why did you choose WorldPay when you could use Bank of Ireland's Euroconex service (at a rate of 3.5% per transaction - www.euroconex.com) and Realex Payments (Payment Service Provider - www.realexpayments.com) for processing the payments.

You get a whole .5% cheaper rate and you funds are not held for 4 weeks!!

Just wondering...

steve-hosting36

I'm with DJB on that one, you can also accept Laser

misterq

Fair points DJB

Worldpay isn't for everyone.
What some have found is that WorldPay will provide an account where other banks are not interested.
I also know of quite a few sites that have chosen WorldPay because the turnover on the sites will be quite low.
The ClickPay system charges a minimum fee, which can work out more expensive.

Also Steve, WorldPay can process Laser cards and Switch/Delta for UK customers.

Realexpayments is good system from what I have seen also, but you will need to secure a merchant account separately,
so you need to factor in both the Merchant comission charges and the Realexpayments charges before figuring out if it's cheaper.

Also, Worldpay can provide the same processing only system, whereby you have your own Merchant Account with a bank.
This can work out cheaper for higher turnovers, and the money isn't held on a rolling reserve.

Like is said though, it's definitely worth doing your homework before deciding.

Ronan

DJB

Some very good points there. I did a bit of cost calculations at different levels of value and transactions and the results showed both options to be in and around the same cost overall. It actually worked out that the higher the total transaction value that goes through your merchant account, the more appealling it was to stay away from Worldpay. For smaller levels of transactions, worldpay came in that bit cheaper.

So where does that leave you?

Can your cash flow survive 4 weeks, waiting to receive money for sales you have already paid out for? If no, then don't choose Worldpay.

Do you want to deal with Irish based companies instead of outsourcing to a multinational payment service provider? If yes, then choose euroconex and realex.

Will the banks give you an Internet merchant account or are you a high risk merchant? If no, choose Worldpay.

The ClickPay system charges a minimum fee, which can work out more expensive.

This is only if you use their clikpay system. If you use realex, you don't get charged for clikpay. The min. charge is about 127 Euro I think.

You might want to check Ulster Banks services. They may take a few weeks to get you approved for a merchant account but I've seen them offer some of our startup clients a rate of 2-2.5% per transaction and you can use realex with them as well.

It's great to have options!!!!