Google vs. Amazon vs. PayPal: Which Online Payment Solution is Right For You?

Online retail will generate at least $330 billion for 2015, and that number is always growing, even to the point of eventually overtaking the conventional world of retail—that’s 330 billion reasons to optimize digital payments for your business. There are now quite a few digital payment providers to choose from, but among the front-runners are Google, Amazon, and of course, PayPal. Like any competing service providers, they all operate basically in the same way, while each one offers distinctive features that set them apart. We’ve given each service our own rating for overall performance. Let’s take a look at the Big 3, and you can decide for yourself which one may be right for your business.

Google Wallet/Android Pay

There are virtually no fees associated with setting up an account, but you will quickly find that going through the process of getting that “Buy with Google” button on your checkout page might take some time. In fact, support and infrastructure are definitely lacking for getting started with this service as a merchant, possibly due to how many times they’ve changed—from Google Checkout, to Google Wallet, and finally adding Android Pay for mobile and POS payments. Of course, Google is a household name that most of your customers will be familiar with; however, though most people have a Google account these days, not as many actually have Google Wallet.

PROS:
Ubiquitously familiar brand; Inexpensive for businesses; Wallet attracts subscribers with a variety of uses.

CONS:
Somewhat compromised security due to data being stored in the Cloud; Difficult setup navigation for merchants.

Best For:
Brick & Mortar Vendors (minimal infrastructure for online businesses)

Amazon Payments

Amazon knows the ecommerce game probably better than anyone. With 215 million active accounts, outstanding support for customers, as well as for businesses who use its “Login and Pay” service, the retail giant is in an excellent position to compete with even the most entrenched digital payment service providers. It would be a bold statement to say that it’s superior to PayPal, but it’s not too far off. If you open an account to start accepting Amazon Payments, you’ll see just how easy it is to set up, in addition to comprehensive, up-front information concerning every element of the process. They even offer a feature called “Sandbox”, basically a platform for beta-testing, to make sure everything is working perfectly before your new button goes live.

PROS:
Large existing customer base; Customer does not need a new payment account—Amazon credentials are used; Excellent customer service.

CONS:
Still not widely recognized for digital payments; Basic knowledge of code-writing necessary for setup.

Best For:
Online goods-sellers

PayPal

With 173 million customer accounts, PayPal has been the trusted name for online payments since it was created in 1998. At the end of the day, that’s all you really need to know. They know what they’re doing, and most of your customers probably already have a PayPal account. Ease of use for this provider is excellent, due to its simple interface, which is clear and coherent across mobile and website platforms. There is no cost for setup, with only a standard 2.9% + $0.30 per transaction fee, as well as free invoicing. And if you need a little extra, their premium “PayPal Payments Pro” edition gives you more control over the look and feel of your checkout page. There is something to be said for a company that does one thing very well, with more experience in the field than everyone else. The others are fair options for digital payments, but they have their fingers in many pies—PayPal is just payments.

PROS:
Trusted leader in digital payment technology; People expect to see a PayPal button; Exceptional support for merchants and customers; Clean, simple user interface.

CONS:
Mobile app not fully optimized for in-store transactions (requires mobile reception).

Best For:
Online vendors of all kinds

Another comparison for online sellers: Bigcommerce vs. Shopify. Read more here:
Compare Bigcommerce vs. Shopify: A Quick Overview

Stephanie

Stephanie is the Marketing Director at Talkroute and has been featured in Forbes, Inc, and Entrepreneur as a leading authority on business and telecommunications.

Stephanie is also the chief editor and contributing author for the Talkroute blog helping more than 100k entrepreneurs to start, run, and grow their businesses.

StephanieGoogle vs. Amazon vs. PayPal: Which Online Payment Solution is Right For You?