Best Credit Card Checkout Practices – Guide to Online Payments

While online payment concepts have straightforward elements, there are many tips businesses can take advantage of when it comes to the best credit card checkout UX practices. The checkout is the most important part of your selling process. It is the place where all of your company’s hard work is converted into revenue. Knowing how to best set up your credit card checkout is essential if you run an online business.

Industry must also keep pace with rapid changes and evolutions of online gaming services, both mobile and otherwise. Innovation has continued, and it has been rapid. When it comes to online gaming payments, faster deposits, faster withdrawals, one-click features, and built-in biometrics are essential.

By optimizing your credit card checkout UX and designing a payment process that encourages users to complete a purchase, your business will be more successful.

The credit card payment form you create should have a design that works for your website. This design affects abandonment rates, so it is essential to avoid designs that make red flags go up in a customer’s mind. If they have gone to the last stop of the selling process, and decide not to make the purchase because of your checkout, all of the effort put into attracting the customer will be for naught.

This article dives deeper into payment form UI and UX practices, helping prevent companies from designing a credit card checkout that could scare customers away.

Avoid Multi-Column Forms And Complex Systems When Possible

Based on testing, multi-column forms can get misinterpreted often, with users sometimes skipping important fields or inputting data into the wrong fields. Customers can be frustrated if they cannot easily get to the next step of the payment process, which can lead to cart abandonment. They can also interpret forms incorrectly if there are too many of them, creating confusion.

Single-column forms are easier to understand, moving a customer’s eyes in a more natural direction. Eliminate the risk that users will misinterpret your checkout form by using a single-column layout. Take note that there are some exceptions where several fields can be put in the same row without creating confusion. One example is asking for credit card details in a linear form. People are already used to this, so it does not create the same confusion than using a multi-column form in other ways. That said, when the field sequence resembles what is printed on the physical credit card, the process has a higher success rate.

Another way that your business can lower the chance consumers will misinterpret your payment form is by reducing the number of forms to the minimum number possible. This simplifies the system and eliminates unnecessary fields. Non-registered users should have a maximum of 6 to 8 fields for physically shipped products, but many websites have twice as many fields as they need. Having too many fields can lead to abandonment.

Paying attention to what is required in the countries you ship to is essential. For example, in most countries, a second line does not need to be utilized in the address input field. Some companies do choose to indicate optional fields with the word “optional” in the appropriate places, so there is some flexibility here. The name field can also often be simplified. Creating a single field for “Full Name” is better than having a separate field for “First Name” and “Last Name.”

Pay Attention To How Your Form Flows

It is good practice to arrange fields from the easiest fields to the hardest ones. By starting with the easier fields, people gain early confidence in the billing process as they get to the more difficult ones. Auto completed and auto-filled form options can also create a better flow. Many merchants ask for information that they can deduce, which can be filled in automatically. Making the process easier for customers through geo-targeting and pre-filling fields can increase efficiency.

Indicating required or optional fields also has many benefits. There may be increased abandonment when customers feel they have to fill out every field, including the optional ones. Avoid making these distinctions in pale gray or low contrast colors, as your target audience may consist of some elderly people who may miss the information.

Radio buttons can be a great choice. They can be more practical when there are less than six options in a form, as it allows users to scan them and select much faster than opening a drop-down menu. Users can see if your company offers various options quickly, providing convenience and efficiency. Have a drop-down menu can be used when there is a recommended option to choose, as there is a smaller chance that users will change from the default option.

Another way to make the flow more efficient is using input masks. Masks are designed to ignore invalid inputs and encourage the proper entry of information. Unlike placeholders, the proper format is displayed automatically, and the user types in their information with the dashes, slashes or other elements being added in.

Direct Customers Efficiently

Many businesses have inefficient shopping carts that do not flow well when it comes to directing customers. If there is a spotlight on the coupon field, for example, customers can assume there’s a special offer somewhere off-site and start searching for the offer. When they leave your site to find it, there’s a chance that they will never return. This could be because they do not find a deal and decide to wait and find one later or perhaps they find a better deal on a competitor’s website. Invalid codes can also cause issues. Consider showing the coupon code box for your target audience only, when they come to your website via a promotional email or a landing page. Hiding the box or using a text link is another option.

Also, note that people process information more quickly when there are clickable images. There is a greater chance that a person will check a box rather than choosing an option from the drop-down menu, as an example. Graphic elements can also make forms more engaging and are easier to notice when skimming.

Progress bars can also have benefits to them, particularly when the forms are longer. Knowing where they are in the process can increase patience and keep them filling out fields until they reach the end and complete their purchase. These progress indicators often increase the customer’s motivation to complete the purchase. If they know the process will be completed, they feel more in control and continue through the form. In addition, form validation should alert users of errors and direct them to the appropriate places to make changes. Make sure the messages notifying them are short and clear to lower the chances of abandoning the checkout process.

Using a clear call to action is also essential. Make sure the call to action is clear and avoid button text that is harder to understand, such as “OK” or “Go.” Instead, use terms like “Pay,” “Buy,” “Give Me Access,” or other straightforward terms.

On mobile payment pages, screen wide buttons can help make your mobile website easier to use, as people use both their left-hands and right-hands to operate smartphones. Making it easy to tap the button from both sides of the screen prevents frustration and increases sales.

Your Checkout Design Matters

In addition to creating a fast and efficient checkout form, it should also have a beautiful design that matches the layout of your website. Centrobill excels in efficiency, convenience, design, and the team here is ready to assist you in creating the ideal forms for your site. If you are running a website with a vintage design, the checkout should look more vintage too. Sites that are more modern in their design should have modern and elegant designs on the payment page.

Your checkout design should also keep your customer informed. They should know the final price, including shipping and other extra costs. Hiding the price on payment pages makes people go back to find the overall cost of their purchase, adding steps to the process. Customers may not return to complete the checkout process after they leave to do this.

More people than ever use mobile devices to make purchases, so having a mobile-optimized cart is essential. Whether they are clicking from websites, messages they received, or social media links, mobile platforms continue to increase in importance. Keep the text to a minimum and avoid extra steps. Centrobill has top features for mobile-optimized forms, bringing intuitive designs to the table.

Additionally, add clear labels to each field. This increases the chances users will complete the form. Clear and concise messaging can also make it easier for them to understand what information is required when they are skimming. Labels placed above the fields, rather than in them, are easier to scan. Floating labels can also be an excellent option for your business, making the form look shorter and more clear. These are often used when creating forms for mobile devices. Adjusting the font size for mobile platforms can also increase performance. Choose a font size where mobile users will not have to zoom in to read the information. Also, mobile elements must be large enough to easily click with one hand.

Final Notes

In addition to the tips above, make sure to utilize the security and trust badges. One of the largest concerns of online shoppers is payment security, particularly if they are on sites they are not familiar with. Customers need to know that the merchant they are purchasing from is reputable and that their personal information is protected.

Using the word secure on the checkout page, as well as on other pages, can put them at ease, as can displaying trust badges. In addition, add recognizable logos to your site for the best results. Optimized checkouts can help you generate more sales. The easier the checkout process is for your customers, the more likely they are to buy from you and to return to your website regularly. Find an excellent balance between functionality, efficiency, and speed using Centrobill. The Centrobill team is here to assist, reach out today.