Building a website with online payment: guide and costs
A website with online payment integrates a payment provider (most often Stripe or PayPal) that securely handles the bank transaction, without you having to handle or store card data yourself. Transaction fees generally run around 1.5% plus 0.25 euro per payment in Europe, and integration into an existing site most often costs between 200 and 800 euros as a one-off service.
The real problem: confusing "accepting a payment" with "managing a payment"
Many professionals think they have to manage banking security themselves when they add online payment to their site. That's not the case. Providers like Stripe or PayPal collect the money for you, handle regulatory compliance (PCI-DSS, strong customer authentication), and pay you back, usually within a few days. Your site only displays the payment form provided by these providers, without ever touching card data.
The real work to do, then, isn't banking security itself, but the integration: which provider to choose, how to connect payment to your catalog or services, how to handle refunds, invoices, and special cases (recurring subscription, deposit, deferred payment).
The most common payment providers
| Provider | Typical fees | Strengths | Points of attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stripe | ~1.5% + €0.25 per transaction (European cards) | Smooth integration with no redirect, handles recurring subscriptions natively | Technical management interface, less known to the general public |
| PayPal | ~2.9% + €0.35 per transaction generally | Very well known, reassures part of the customer base | Frequent redirect away from the site during payment |
| Online checkout systems (SumUp, etc.) | Varies by plan | Good for linking online payment and in-store payment | Less suited to a full e-commerce site |
Fees change regularly and vary by the card's country, volume, and possible negotiations for high volumes: always check the current pricing before choosing.
Steps to integrate online payment
- Create an account with the payment provider (Stripe, PayPal) and provide your business's legal information (business registration number, bank details).
- Choose the integration mode: simple payment button for a single service, full cart for a product catalog, or recurring payment for a subscription.
- Connect the module to the site: via a plugin (WooCommerce for WordPress, for example) or an integration built directly into the code for a custom site.
- Configure confirmation emails and automatic invoicing, so each payment generates a clear trace for both the customer and your accounting.
- Test in sandbox mode (all providers offer a test environment) before going live.
- Check GDPR compliance and legal notices related to online sales (mandatory terms of sale, right of withdrawal where applicable).
Use cases and associated complexity
- Single payment for a service (consultation deposit, purchase of a simple product): fast integration, a few days of work on an existing site.
- Full e-commerce catalog (multiple products, stock management, shipping): requires a full e-commerce module like WooCommerce or Shopify, with a larger setup budget.
- Recurring subscription (SaaS, club, membership): requires managing billing cycles, failed-payment follow-ups, and often a client area so users can manage their own subscription.
- Split or deferred payment: more complex to set up, generally via specialized providers (Alma, Klarna) integrated alongside Stripe.
Legal obligations not to overlook
Selling online involves obligations that go beyond the technical side alone:
- Clear terms of sale, accessible before purchase.
- 14-day right of withdrawal for distance selling to individuals, except for exceptions provided by law (services already performed, personalized goods).
- Compliant invoicing, with applicable VAT stated.
- Transparency on shipping costs and processing time, shown before the order is confirmed.
Handling refunds and disputes
Online payment also means knowing how to handle after-sales issues. Both Stripe and PayPal allow full or partial refunds directly from their management interface, without a complex process. The point to plan for is the bank dispute ("chargeback"): a customer can dispute a payment directly with their bank, which triggers a process where you must provide proof of the service performed or the goods delivered (invoice, written exchange, proof of delivery). Consistently keeping this evidence for each sale reduces the risk of losing this type of dispute.
Online payment and visitor trust
Beyond the technical side, conversion at the payment stage also depends on visible trust signals: a recognized payment provider logo, a clear mention of transaction security, visible customer reviews, and full transparency on the final price before confirmation (no hidden fees appearing at the last step). A payment funnel that's too long, with too many steps or a mandatory account before even knowing the price, loses sales regardless of the system's technical reliability.
What to remember
- Stripe and PayPal handle the banking security of the transaction: your site never has to store card data.
- Transaction fees generally run around 1.5% to 3% plus a fixed amount per payment, depending on the provider.
- Integration into an existing site most often costs between 200 and 800 euros for a standard module, more for complex rules (subscription, split payment).
- Online payment comes with legal obligations (terms of sale, right of withdrawal, invoicing) independent of the technical side itself.
- The choice between Stripe and PayPal mainly depends on the desired experience (built into the site or redirect) and your customer profile.
Frequently asked questions
Stripe or PayPal: which should you choose for a professional website? Stripe integrates more smoothly into the site's design and offers generally competitive fees, around 1.5% plus 0.25 euro per transaction in Europe. PayPal is better known to the general public but often redirects away from the site during payment. Many sites offer both.
Do you need a special status to accept online payments? No, a standard status (sole proprietorship, company) is enough. These providers handle banking compliance and transaction security, with no need for a payment institution license.
Is online payment automatically secure if I go through Stripe or PayPal? These providers are PCI-DSS certified and handle the security of the transaction. Your responsibility remains to never store card numbers on your own site and to keep the site up to date.
How much does adding a payment module to an existing site cost? On a site already built with a common CMS, integrating a standard payment module generally costs between 200 and 800 euros as a one-off service. A system with complex rules can run to several thousand euros in custom work.
In summary
Most of the work for online payment lies in the integration and legal compliance, not in banking security itself, which is already covered by Stripe or PayPal. For a one-off payment need (deposit, single service) on a showcase site, this integration falls within the scope covered by the VeryAppi website plan; for a real e-commerce catalog, a custom project is better suited.
Frequently asked questions
›Stripe or PayPal: which should you choose for a professional website?
Stripe integrates more smoothly into the site's design (the customer pays without leaving your page) and offers generally competitive fees, around 1.5% plus 0.25 euro per transaction in Europe. PayPal is better known to the general public and reassures some customers, but often redirects to its own site during payment. Many sites offer both.
›Do you need a special status to accept online payments?
No, a standard status (sole proprietorship, company) is enough to use Stripe or PayPal. These providers handle banking compliance and transaction security. You don't need a payment institution license, which is reserved for businesses that manage funds themselves.
›Is online payment automatically secure if I go through Stripe or PayPal?
These providers are PCI-DSS certified and handle the security of the transaction itself. Your responsibility remains to never store card numbers on your own site and to keep the site up to date to prevent a flaw from hijacking the payment process before it reaches the provider.
›How much does adding a payment module to an existing site cost?
On a site already built with a common CMS (WordPress/WooCommerce), integrating a standard payment module generally costs between 200 and 800 euros as a one-off service. A payment system with complex rules (recurring subscriptions, split payments, multiple currencies) can run to several thousand euros in custom development.