There are many popular shopping cart software packages commercially available that will provide an ‘off-the-shelf’ solution when you require an online shopping cart. The cost in implementation of these is in setup, configuration and customisation of the design of the site. While these have many features and functions, these systems are designed to be generic to suit a multitude of product types and sales scenarios. There is an element of customisation available and many have a range of available plugins, modules and addons that provide additional functionality.

We have reviewed and tested the major shopping cart packages available and the choice of which ‘off-the-shelf’ shopping cart software to use would be made after we have identified your precise needs. The vast majority of new ecommerce shopping cart sites would use an ‘off-the-shelf’ shopping cart and the majority of our clients selling online would go down this route.

While, by far, the most expensive solution when it comes to initial investment, a bespoke solution means that your shopping cart site is designed from scratch, by our programmers, and hence any feature you require can be included, and any design or layout can be created for the shop without compromise. The customer shopping experience, product presentation and user interface can be tailored exactly for your product range, while an administration back-end can be created to match.

While a bespoke shopping cart and custom ecommerce development can cost cosiderably more than an ‘off-the-shelf’ shopping cart, the flexibility of having a cart designed to your exact needs can pay benefits in the longer term and generate a better return on investment. However, if we don’t feel your needs warrant or justify a bespoke shopping cart design, we’ll tell you!

If you have a shopping cart, then you will want to be able to take credit / debit card payments online and so you will need an Online Payment Solution. Even if you simply wish to take payments or donations online, Red Rhino can set-up a payment solution to suit your needs.

There two different types of payment providers for online payments – Payment Service Providers (those which require an Internet Merchant Account, like Sagepay) and the ‘All-in-One’ full service (where no Internet Merchant Account is required) like PayPal. We offer both of these options and can advise which would be best for your needs.

An Internet Merchant Account is a type of bank account that allows businesses to accept payments online by debit or credit cards. You can obtain an Internet Merchant Account from your current bank or Red Rhino can help you acquire one. If you are unable to obtain an Internet Merchant Account, you can opt for an ‘All-in-One’ provider which does not require an IMA.