As a global online merchant, expanding your business to new markets is an important step towards increasing revenue and reaching a wider audience. However, one of the biggest challenges when entering new markets is catering to the unique payment preferences of consumers in different regions. This is where offering local payment methods can make a big difference. In this article, we’ll discuss how local payment methods can help your business reach new customers and tap into new markets, why it’s important to offer payment options trusted by consumers in certain regions, and how you can combat potential challenges with optimized payments.

How Payment Methods Can Help Businesses Reach New Customers

Offering local payment methods can help your business reach new customers by making the payment process more convenient and trustworthy for them. For instance, in some regions, consumers may prefer using specific local payment methods such as iDEAL in the Netherlands or Alipay in China. By offering these payment options, you can provide a seamless checkout experience that caters to the preferences of local consumers, which can help increase customer loyalty and trust.

Moreover, offering local payment methods can also help you expand your reach and customer base by tapping into new markets. For instance, if you’re targeting the Chinese market, offering Alipay or WeChat Pay as a payment option can go a long way in making your business more accessible to Chinese consumers. By doing so, you’ll be able to take advantage of the growing cross-border e-commerce market, which is forecasted to have a CAGR of 15.5% from 2021 to 2027, according to MarketWatch.

How Payment Methods Can Help Businesses Tap Into New Markets

When it comes to expanding into new markets, offering local payment methods can help you tap into new markets by building trust and familiarity with local consumers. For instance, in some regions, consumers may prefer using bank transfers or digital wallets over credit cards. By offering these payment options, you can provide a sense of familiarity and trust that may help you break into new markets and establish a loyal customer base.

Furthermore, offering local payment methods can help you navigate the complex regulatory landscape of different regions. For example, in Europe, the Payment Services Directive 2 (PSD2) has introduced new requirements for Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) which can make it more challenging to process payments. However, by offering local payment methods that are already compliant with local regulations, you can streamline the payment process and ensure that your transactions are secure and compliant.

Why is it so Important to Offer Payment Options Trusted by Consumers in Certain Regions?

Offering payment options trusted by consumers in certain regions is important because it helps build trust and credibility with your target audience. For instance, in India, consumers may prefer using UPI or Paytm over credit cards or bank transfers. By offering these payment options, you can provide a more convenient and familiar payment experience that is likely to resonate with local consumers.

Moreover, offering local payment methods can help you avoid unnecessary friction in the payment process, which can lead to abandoned carts and lost sales. For instance, in Brazil, credit cards are the most popular payment method for e-commerce transactions, accounting for 52% of all online payments. By offering credit card payments in addition to other popular local payment methods like Boleto Bancário, you can cater to the diverse payment preferences of Brazilian consumers and boost your sales revenue.

How Can a Business Combat these Challenges with Optimized Payments?

Optimizing your payment process can help mitigate some of the challenges associated with international expansion. By offering local payment methods, you can reduce the impact of currency conversion fees and provide a seamless shopping experience for customers.

In addition, partnering with a payment orchestrator that has expertise in the region can help navigate regulatory and cultural differences, as well as provide support for local languages and currencies. A payment orchestrator can also offer fraud prevention and security measures to protect against payment-related risks.

Furthermore, implementing a flexible and scalable payment infrastructure can help manage the complexity of expanding internationally by offering a plethora of payment methods and ensuring that your payment system is compliant with local regulations and standards.

Key Takeaways

By tapping into new markets and offering local payment methods, businesses can increase their revenue, reach new customers, and grow their brand globally. Additionally, businesses that successfully expand internationally can establish themselves as industry leaders and improve their overall competitiveness.

To combat these challenges and optimize payments when expanding internationally, businesses need to partner with a reliable and experienced payment orchestrator that understands local regulations and can offer a wide range of payment methods. An optimized payments strategy will not only enable businesses to offer the most preferred payment options in specific regions, but also ensure a seamless and secure checkout experience for customers, leading to increased conversion rates and customer loyalty.

Local payment methods play a vital role in expanding businesses globally and tapping into new markets. By offering payment options that are trusted and preferred by consumers in specific regions, businesses can reach more customers, improve their checkout experience, and ultimately increase revenue. While there are potential challenges to expanding internationally, partnering with an experienced payment orchestrator can help businesses navigate these complexities and optimize their payments strategy for success.