IAuthorizer from Atomic Software offers a trio of payment solutions that would appeal to e-commerce storefronts of all levels. The payment solutions span different levels depending on merchant needs. Options range from smaller merchants who need localized credit card processing to larger firms that want a full-fledged storefront. However, the prices for these services tend to be on the high side, especially for the storefront offering.
Payment Solutions
For Web sites that merely need payment capabilities, iAuthorizer offers Pay Button, a service that allows vendors to place a form and a Pay Button on a payment page. When a customer is ready to pay, the information is transmitted to secure iAuthorizer servers, where all communications are secured via SSL.
For vendors that want the ability to handle credit-card transactions but don''t necessarily want to offer this capability over the Net, iAuthorizer offers Web Terminal, a desktop applet that provides a virtual credit-card terminal for entering transactions. Ideal for storefronts that have a low volume of transactions, merchants can use it to manually enter transactions off-line and process the sales in a batch.
Web Store
The iAuthorizer Web Store service is configured for online stores that sell up to 100 items. The service includes a shopping cart, catalog, and payment processing. There''s little flexibility associated with Web Store: customers are expected to fill in the blanks regarding products, and the system is automatically configured to handle payments via the shopping cart. Judging by the examples we saw, a storefront owner doesn''t have a lot of flexibility when it comes to the look and feel of the storefront; except for a logo on the corner of the page, the storefronts managed by iAuthorizer tend to look the same. For companies that want a more distinctive look and feel - which they probably should expect given the amount of money they''ll be spending - another solution offering a wider range of templates or a more customizable interface should be considered.
Fees
There are three different pricing structures for the three different services. Initial setup fees are $199 for Web Terminal, $349 for Pay Button, and $595 for Web Store. Minimum monthly charges are added, depending on each service: $19.95 for Web Terminal and $29.95 for the Pay Button and Web Store. In addition, there''s a $.09 per-item transaction fee, and the monthly fee for hosting a store is $39.95. (As with most credit-card authorization services, this doesn''t include any fees you''ll need to pay a bank for a merchant account.) The fees for the Web Store - $595 to set it up and $40 per month - are on the steep side when you consider the high level of inflexibility in the interface and design.
For those firms that want to incorporate the iAuthorizer service into their existing or new storefront, the API Developer''s Kit is $569. The development kit includes various scripts and tags that can be used to integrate iAuthorizer with Cold Fusion servers, Microsoft Site Server Commerce Edition, Perl scripts, Java scripts, redirect scripts, and sample order forms.
Much of your work will occur through the Merchant Control Console, where you can download sales reports and view system usage. Access to the Merchant Control Console is protected with a secured password login. In addition, all iAuthorizer customers have access to a Virtual Terminal, where a merchant can enter different payment types such as pre-authorized payments, forces, voids, and returns that are not possible via a Web interface. When a transaction has been consummated, both the merchant and the Web customer receive an e-mail message detailing the transaction.
At the end of the day, iAuthorizer automatically settles a merchant''s batches, closes the batches and sends responses to merchants.
For merchants who need a pure credit-card authorization system, iAuthorizer''s Pay Button or Web Terminal systems are worth investigating, as they both offer a decent level of service for the dollar, and the iAuthorizer tools are suited for small businesses. However, for businesses that want an actual online storefront and want a distinctive and unique interface at an affordable price, the iAuthorizer Web Store service is expensive - and doesn''t stand out in the increasingly crowded e-commerce arena.
Pros: Automatic daily batch settling; easy to incorporate on existing Web site.
Cons: Web Store is expensive; the look and feel of the Web Store interface is inflexible.
Web sites using iAuthorizer: Harringtons Speed and Auto, CyberPOS, ShopBiz
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