Every British Web Design website can take card payments and run a small online shop, with the money paid into the business's own Stripe account. British Web Design never holds the money. Payments and the shop are part of the monthly price, and are only switched on for a business that wants them.
How payments work
British Web Design is a Stripe Connect platform. When the owner presses Take payments on the British Web Design dashboard, Stripe's own sign-up asks for the business details and the bank account to pay into, and the owner ends up with a Stripe account of their own, with Stripe's full dashboard. No Stripe account is needed beforehand.
- The money goes to the business. Each payment is made on the owner's own Stripe account and paid out by Stripe to the owner's bank. British Web Design never holds customers' money.
- The site never sees a card number. Customers pay on Stripe's own secure checkout page, which shows Apple Pay and Google Pay where the customer's device has them.
- Refunds are made from the site's admin panel.
- Test first. The staging copy of every British Web Design site takes test payments through British Web Design's own Stripe test account, so the owner can book or buy with Stripe's test cards and no money moves.
Until Stripe is linked, the live site still shows the shop, and its checkout says online payment is not set up yet. A site transferred to a new owner leaves the Stripe account with its previous owner, and its live payments stop until the new owner links their own.
Fees
Stripe charges its standard fees on each payment, taken before the money reaches the bank: see Stripe's pricing. The owner's Stripe account pays those fees to Stripe directly. British Web Design adds no booking fee or payment fee of its own, and taking payments is part of the €11.99/month for each website.
The shop
The shop on a British Web Design site is part of the site, in the site's own colours.
- Products and options. Each product has its own page with all its pictures. Options such as size or scent can be shown as pictures, colours, buttons or a list, each with its own price and stock if wanted.
- The basket slides out without the page reloading and shows the real total before payment, with delivery, any discount and VAT.
- Discount codes for a percentage off, an amount off or free delivery, limited to some products, a minimum spend, dates or a number of uses if wanted.
- Delivery and collection. Delivery options with their own prices, free delivery over a set amount, and collection in person. For anything made to order, customers can choose a collection or delivery time, with a cut-off such as "order by 2pm for tomorrow" and a limit on orders for each time.
- Downloads. A product can be a file, such as sheet music as a PDF, or a file offered beside a posted version. After paying, the customer gets a download link that works for 30 days unless the owner changes it. Files of up to 500 MB can be uploaded, and stay private to customers who have paid.
- Food labels such as V, VG or GF, and allergen information.
- Orders are emailed to the owner and listed in the admin panel. Marking an order as sent with a tracking number emails the customer, and orders can be refunded in full or in part. Stock is counted down only when an order is paid for.
Prices are entered as the price the customer pays, with VAT included if the business is registered. British Web Design does not give tax advice.
Who the shop suits, and who it does not
The shop suits a small business that sells a few things alongside what it does: a candle maker with a couple of dozen scents, a café taking celebration cake orders, a salon with its own aftercare products. British Web Design sets no limit on the number of products, but the shop is not built for thousands of products kept in step with a stock system, or for trade accounts. Recurring payments, such as memberships or subscriptions, are not available.
Questions
Can a British Web Design website take card payments?
Yes. Every British Web Design website can take card, Apple Pay and Google Pay payments through Stripe, for bookings and for a shop. The owner switches it on with the Take payments button on the dashboard, and the money goes into their own Stripe account.
Does British Web Design hold my customers' money?
No. Payments are made on the business's own Stripe account and paid out by Stripe to the business's bank. British Web Design never holds the money, and a British Web Design website never sees a card number.
What fees are there on payments taken through a British Web Design site?
Stripe charges its standard fees on each payment, as listed on Stripe's pricing page. British Web Design adds no fee of its own, and taking payments is part of the €11.99/month per website.