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Checking Out with Google's New "Checkout" Service
By Merle http://MCPromotionsPress.com (c) 2006

After months of "buzz" online about Google's proposed "PayPal
Killer," they've finally launched their new service, "Google
Checkout." After all the hype that was floating around, you'd
have thought this new creation would be the death of Paypal, but
I don't see that happening anytime soon.

Online payment options are important, so it's always nice to
have another way to accept payments from your web site. But
Google's new service is also good news for consumers who are
concerned about their privacy when shopping online.

We all know Google likes to do things their own way and put a
little "Google Twist" on their work, so it comes as no surprise
that they've added some integration with their Adwords program.
You don't need to use Adwords to utilize Google Checkout, but
if you do, Google gives you some other nice benefits.

If you are a seller who also uses Adwords, you'll love this: For
every $1.00 you spend with Adwords, Google will allow you to
process $10.00 in "Google Checkout" sales for free. So if you're
already using Adwords and start using Checkout you'll save money
on your transaction fees. What are the fees, you say? 2% and $.20
per transaction, which does beat Paypal's current fees of 2.9%
and $.30 per transaction.

Another advantage to offering Checkout on your web site is that
your Adwords ads will display a small graphic of a shopping cart
next to them. This is called a "Google Checkout Badge," and will
identify your site quickly to searchers as one who will take
"Google Checkout" payments from shoppers. Some are wondering if
this may help your Adwords ranking. This is something that still
remains to be seen.

To sign up, you'll first need to have a Google account, which
you can get at no charge by going to http://google.com/accounts.
At this time, you must live in the U.S. and have a bank account
if you wish to process payments as a merchant. If you're a
merchant you'll also need to specify your return and shipping
policies.

Merchants can accept payments by Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and
American Express. If you have an Adwords account you'll want to
link it to your new Checkout account during the registration
process in order to earn your free transaction credits.

Before you get too excited, be aware there are some things not
allowed to be sold using this new service. They include:

Adult Goods
Alcohol
Body Parts (don't you need to keep those?)
Buyers Clubs offering goods at wholesale
Credit and Collection Services
Drugs
MLM and
Gambling

For a complete list, see http://tinyurl.com/hmujh

There are three ways for sellers to accept payments:

1) Buy/Now Buttons: These are similar to Paypal buttons. You
   just copy and paste some HTML code and you're done.

2) E-Commerce Partners: For use with Google's approved partners'
   shopping cart systems.Some of them are: Channell/Advision,
   Infopedia, Mercantec, Monster Commerce, ShopSite, Volusion.

3) API: A more complex way to integrate more options. This
   involves a programmer to setup.

One disadvantage to the cut and paste button method is you
cannot specify tax or shipping rates. You'll need to use the
API checkout method in order to do that. Another shortcoming
is the inability to specify your own return page after a
customer completes the purchase process. They get taken back
to a "Google Thank You Page."

All orders are placed into Google's Merchant Center inside your
in box. To view your orders you'll need to log into Checkout and
go to the "orders tab." If the order can be fulfilled, you then
click the "charge button" that's located next to each order.
After the order is sent you'll need to let the buyer know by
clicking on the "ship button" next to it.

If you're worried about chargebacks, don't. They're all
evaluated by Google and Google will go to bat on your behalf. If
the transaction is covered by their "Payment Guarantee Policy"
and you supply Google with all of the documentation they request
within 10 days, they will reimburse you within one week.

If you sell on Ebay and want to use Checkout, you might want to
review their current approved payment types. There's been talk
on the Net that they are not currently allowing sellers to offer
this payment option. For more, see http://tinyurl.com/gowgy

Checkout's privacy features are great for your buyers. Google
handles all of their personal information -- instead of entering
a credit card with each transaction, all they have to supply is
a user name and password to complete a purchase. All credit card
details are maintained by Google with complete details of all
transactions.

With the rise in identity theft and people more nervous then
ever about sharing their personal information, this should make
everyone happy. There's also the added benefit of a faster check
out experience which is to be appreciated if you've ever been
put through page after page of a badly put together shopping
cart.

Buyers can also click a box during the purchase process to
specify if they would like to receive future promotional emails
from this seller. This should help some with their already "too
full" in boxes.

No matter if you're a merchant or a consumer there are
advantages on both sides when it comes to Google Checkout. I'm
sure with time Google will add more benefits and features that
will make their Checkout process even more impressive. And who
knows, maybe someday they will give PayPal a run for their
money. For more information see:

https://checkout.google.com/ and
https://checkout.google.com/sell
================================================================
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