How Payment Works on Each Platform

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How Payment Works on Each Platform

When you're setting up a website to sell digital products, it's important to think about how you'll take payments. Many website-building platforms have built-in payment systems that make this easier, but they also have their disadvantages. Let’s take a closer look at some popular website platforms and discuss the pros and cons of their payment systems.

Platforms with Built-In Payment Systems

These website-building platforms come with built-in payment systems. I picked from the ones we talked about in previous chapters:

1/ Shopify

2/ Wix

3/ Squarespace

4/ Stan.store

5/ Zaap.bio

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Also, Gumroad and Etsy have their own built-in payment systems, but I’m not going to talk about them because both are marketplaces. It's obvious that they will use their own system instead of any external third-party system. Their systems are usually integrated with PayPal and others.

Pros of Built-In Payment Systems

✅ Ease of Setup

  • Built-in payment systems integrate seamlessly, allowing you to quickly set up your store and start accepting payments.

🔒 Security

  • These systems offer advanced security measures like SSL encryption and fraud detection, ensuring safe transactions.

📊 Unified Dashboard

  • Manage sales, refunds, and customer payments all in one place, simplifying your operations.

🛡️ Customer Trust

  • Customers trust well-known platforms' payment systems, enhancing their confidence in your store.

Cons of Built-In Payment Systems

💸 Fees

  • Built-in payment systems often have transaction fees higher than external gateways. Over time, these fees can reduce your profit margins.

🔧 Limited Flexibility

  • While convenient, built-in systems may lack the customization and flexibility of third-party gateways. This can be limiting if you have specific payment needs.

🔗 Dependence on the Platform

  • Using a built-in payment system ties you closely to the platform. Switching platforms later can make transitioning your payment system more complex.

🔌 Limited Integrations

  • Built-in payment systems might not integrate with as many tools as options like Stripe. This limits your ability to use certain marketing or analytics tools.

🔄 Conversion Rates

  • Not all built-in checkouts are optimized for high conversion rates. A less efficient checkout process can deter potential customers and affect sales.
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Platform Overviews

Before we wrap up this chapter, let’s briefly look at the built-in payment systems of the main platforms mentioned so far:

1/ Shopify – Shopify Payments

Shopify has its own payment gateway called Shopify Payments, which is available in many countries. It supports major credit cards and integrates directly with your store. You can also enable PayPal, Apple Pay, and other options.

  • Fast setup and unified dashboard
  • Fraud analysis and chargeback protection
  • Additional fees if you use third-party gateways

Great for: Full e-commerce stores with global reach

2/ Wix – Wix Payments

Wix offers Wix Payments as its default gateway, letting you accept credit/debit cards and PayPal. It’s simple to activate and works well for small-to-medium businesses.

  • Connects to Wix Invoices and automations
  • Accepts multiple currencies and payment types
  • EU tax features still limited

Great for: Beginners or small businesses wanting a quick setup

3/ Squarespace – Squarespace Commerce

Squarespace lets you accept payments through its integrated system powered by Stripe and PayPal. It also supports Apple Pay at checkout.

  • Beautiful checkout design built into templates
  • Easy for selling physical or digital products
  • More limited tax and invoicing features for international sellers

Great for: Visual brands that want minimal setup and modern UX

4/ Stan.store – Stan Checkout

Stan offers its own checkout system built specifically for creators and digital products. It’s designed for simplicity and conversion—especially for selling through social media.

  • 1-tap checkout
  • Built-in upsells and lead capture
  • No need for third-party tools

Great for: Creators who want to start selling fast through Instagram or TikTok

5/ Zaap.bio – Zaap Checkout

Zaap.bio comes with a built-in checkout system that includes options like “Pay What You Want,” product delivery, and even built-in email automation. It works out of the box without connecting anything else.

  • Upload and deliver digital products directly
  • Built-in invoicing and CRM
  • Great for low-tech creators or minimalist setups

Great for: Digital sellers who want an all-in-one setup with no tech stack

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These platforms all make it easy to start selling—but if your business grows, their systems might feel limiting. That’s when you may want to explore external tools like Stripe, Paddle, or ThriveCart for more flexibility, better invoicing, and custom checkout flows.

Why We Switched To External Payment System?

I already mentioned that our first website, a couple of years ago, was built on Wix. We also used Wix's built-in payment system. But there were many reasons why we eventually decided to switch to the external payment system, Stripe.

❌ We couldn’t customize the checkout to our brand identity.

❌ Lack of customization options for the checkout (too many mandatory fields).

❌ As an EU-based company, it didn’t offer EU-friendly invoices (we couldn’t edit the information in every invoice).

❌ No automated TAX for B2B EU companies. (EU VAT).

❌ No options for upsells in checkout.

❌ Unsatisfactory UX design, which led to a lower conversion rate.

❌ Higher loading times and higher error rates.

Built-in checkouts are convenient and quick to set up—especially if you’re just starting. But if you plan to grow or need more flexibility, I highly recommend exploring external options. They offer more customization, advanced features, and better long-term scalability.

Also, consult this decision with your accounting company since every business has different requirements, and you will need certain features (for example, invoices) that a built-in payment system might not offer.