There is more than one way to take payment for products or services online. Your choice depends on your situation. Each choice has its pros and cons which you should consider carefully before you make your decision.
WordPress with WooCommerce
WooCommerce is a widely used e-commerce plugin that offers an impressive range of functionality. With the many add-ons that are available, we can create the store you need, with shipping options, discount coupons, bulk pricing, digital downloads and much more. There are many payment options, from PayPal to payment gateways through your bank. Call to discuss what is best for your situation. Here is an example of a website with a WooCommerce shopping cart.
Simple Buy or Donate buttons
If your needs are simple, PayPal offers relatively simple ways to allow people to pay with credit cards on your website. They do not need a PayPal account.
For example, if you want to give the members of your association the means to pay their fees online, or if you’re selling a CD that you ship yourself, PayPal buttons may be all you need.
It is even possible to set up recurring payments, which require the donor to have a PayPal account.
With PayPal’s basic Add to Cart, Buy or Donate buttons, or even with Basic PayPal integrated with WooCommerce or other cart, the customer is taken to the PayPal site to make the payment. You do not need to provide complex and costly PCI-compliant security features on your website.
X-Cart
TimberTools.com uses an X-Cart platform. X-Cart is open source software for fully-fledged shopping cart websites.
Using a payment provider and gateway that allows your customer to make payments without leaving your website requires more complex hosting and security features than simply using a third-party system such as PayPal.