Which online payment method is best?
ACH payments
The Automated Clearing House (ACH) is a federally-regulated electronic network that facilitates money transfers from one bank to another. All U.S. banks can use ACH, and all you need to receive a transfer this way is a bank account and routing number.
- PayPal. Safe and secure.
- Credit card. Well protected against fraudulent transactions.
- Debit card. Great for controlling your spending.
- Prepaid card. Provides a certain level of privacy.
- Digital wallets. ...
- Mobile payment apps. ...
- Cryptocurrencies.
- Google Pay. Google Pay is at the top of the list among the best UPI apps in India. ...
- PhonePe. It started in 2015 and is amongst the most widely used apps in the country. ...
- BHIM App. This app is a really useful one and supports 20 different languages. ...
- Paytm. ...
- CRED. ...
- Freecharge. ...
- iMobile App. ...
- Mobikwik.
ACH payments
The Automated Clearing House (ACH) is a federally-regulated electronic network that facilitates money transfers from one bank to another. All U.S. banks can use ACH, and all you need to receive a transfer this way is a bank account and routing number.
- Virtual credit cards. ...
- Digital wallets. ...
- Prepaid cards. ...
- ACH payments. ...
- Cryptocurrency.
Debit and credit cards
Not only are they quick and easy to use, but they offer a relatively high level of security and protection of your private data.
While debit cards and cash offer consumers limited benefits, using a credit card can help protect you against purchases that go awry. A credit card is guarded from fraudulent activity and some offer benefits like travel insurance and return protection.
While every type of payment method has some disadvantages, debit cards are probably the riskiest form of payment. Debit cards do offer the convenience of a card, since you don't have to carry cash around or write a check, but the funds you use are actually tied to your bank account.
ACH payments are more secure than card payments. A clearinghouse must clear all ACH transactions, and they typically have uncompromising regulations. All account numbers stay confidential, and ACH transfers go directly from one bank to the next.
Zelle® is a fast, safe and easy way to send and receive money with friends, family and others you trust - no matter where they bank1. It's important that you know and trust those you send money to. Because once you authorize a payment to be sent, you can't cancel it if the recipient is already enrolled in Zelle®.
Is it safer to use a credit card or PayPal?
If you're still wondering whether PayPal is safer than a credit card, you should know that both payment methods come with similar security protections and features, though PayPal may have the slight edge with its built-in purchase protections (which may not be available on specific credit cards).
Application | Best For | Charges |
---|---|---|
Google Pay | Payments and Record-keeping | Between ₹1 and ₹3 |
Paytm | Overall Best Platform | 2.5% of amount for adding money to wallet through credit card |
BHIM | UPI payments | No transaction charges |
Amazon Pay | Online Shopping payment | 1.95% plus taxes |
![Which online payment method is best? (2024)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/K3KwXRuQCiI/hq720.jpg?sqp=-oaymwEcCNAFEJQDSFXyq4qpAw4IARUAAIhCGAFwAcABBg==&rs=AOn4CLD-u62dJhUmgZJna5X4A5AJiwYavA)
Paytm is the largest in terms of users and transactions, however, PhonePe and Google Pay process more UPI payments. Apple Pay and Google Pay are the two global payment solutions, with Samsung Pay a distant third.
Fund your purchase with a credit card. A marketplace that has its own payment method or service may nonetheless let you choose where to draw the funds from to make your payments. Those options could include debit card, credit card, cryptocurrency, or cash stored on a prepaid card.
With cash-in-advance payment terms, an exporter can avoid credit risk because payment is received before the ownership of the goods is transferred. For international sales, wire transfers and credit cards are the most commonly used cash-in-advance options available to exporters.
Personal bank checks are less attractive to thieves than cash or cards. Personal checks cannot be cashed by just anyone, and that is too much of a hassle for a thief. Thieves want quick cash and forms of money that are untraceable, and checks are neither of those things.
- Pros.
- No convenience fees. ...
- The safe way to send money. ...
- Proof of payment. ...
- Cons.
- Younger generations are prone to scams. ...
- Checks aren't cheap. ...
- Processing takes longer.
Is Zelle Safe? Compared with handling cash and sending bills or checks in the mail, Zelle could be considered a safer option for moving money quickly. Because the funds never sit in a third-party location, your money is always insured.
Here are some cons of debit cards: They have limited fraud protection. According to the Federal Trade Commission, if your debit card is stolen and you notify your bank within two days, you could be responsible for up to $50 of any fraudulent charges.
Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments are popular because they're low-cost and accessible. But they come with risks, especially for returns. Often the result of fraud or insufficient funds, an ACH return is a rejected or incomplete payment. At scale, returns can eat into profits, counteracting ACH's low cost.
Is it safer to use debit card or bank account online?
Because debit cards withdraw money from your checking account, a criminal who gets your account information or PIN could empty your account. For this reason, credit cards are considered safer to use online because funds aren't directly taken out of your accounts.
Regulators say hundreds of millions of dollars are stolen through scams and fraud each year involving one of the most popular electronic options for making payments: Zelle. Now, the banks may be negotiating new ways to protect customers.
Disadvantages of using Zelle include the potential for fraud or theft. 10 Users can also face difficulties, such as not receiving their funds if the app or banks experience technical problems. Outages can affect money transfers.
Zelle transfers are similar to cash and funds are hard to recover once sent. Be cautious about unsolicited or urgent requests. If you're being rushed into sending payment or are told you'll face penalties, that's a sign to take a step back and verify your transaction. Be suspicious if someone demands you use Zelle.
1. Transaction fees. One of the most significant drawbacks of using PayPal for small businesses is its transaction fees. For online transactions, PayPal charges a fee of 2.9% plus a fixed fee based on the currency received.