E-Commerce Payments: What They Are and How the Flow Works
E-commerce payments are the transactions that close an online order: the customer pays at checkout, the gateway authorizes the transaction under PSD2 authentication and the funds reach the merchant's account. In the RoxPay list, costs per 100 takings of €50 run from €18 (instant transfer) to €100 (SEE cards).
Real costs per 100 takings of €50 (€5,000 volume)
| Method | Cost per 100 takings of 50€ | Crediting times |
|---|---|---|
| RoxPay - Instant transfer (PIS) | 18€ (€0.13 + 0.10% per transaction) | Under 10 seconds, 24/7 |
| RoxPay - SEPA Direct Debit (SDD) | 25-31.50€ (€0.25 + 0-0.13%) | Scheme settlement |
| RoxPay - Cards (IC++) | 35-50€ (€0.15 + 0.35-0.85%) | Within 48 hours |
| SEE cards (blended rate) | 100€ (1.5% + €0.25, public Stripe list) | 1-3 days |
Sources: RoxPay price list, public Stripe price list for SEE cards, SEPA scheme rules (EPC). The RoxPay range depends on card type: the lower bound applies to European consumer debit cards.
What e-commerce payments are
E-commerce payments are the transactions that move money from customer to seller for a purchase completed online: the payment happens remotely, with no physical card presented at a terminal, and the seller sees neither the customer nor the card.
For this reason the technical flow is more layered than retail: identity checks (authentication), antifraud measures and a regulated chain of actors are needed. Under the European PSD2 rulebook, every online payment requires Strong Customer Authentication (SCA): two factors among knowledge, possession and inherence, in practice strong authentication with app confirmation or OTP code.
The operational definition is simple: checkout page → method chosen by the customer → authenticated authorization → credit to the merchant's account. Everything else (methods, fees, times, disputes) connects to these four steps.
Who sits in the flow of an online payment
Four actors intervene in an e-commerce payment:
- The customer, with card, wallet, transfer or direct debit.
- The merchant, offering the checkout on their site or marketplace.
- The payment gateway, the software that collects the data, protects them (PCI DSS), calls the acquirer and manages the response: in the RoxPay list it applies €0.15 + 0.35-0.85% (IC++).
- The acquirer and the scheme (Visa, Mastercard), routing the authorization to the issuing bank, which approves or declines.
The gateway is the operational point for the merchant: it is not a bank, does not open bank accounts and does not issue cards. The [payment gateway for SMEs guide](/en/resources/payment-gateway-for-smes-guide) details the choice among market offers.
The most used online payment methods
The Italian e-commerce checkout combines several methods, and their weight varies by segment:
- Cards: debit, credit and prepaid, the most widespread method, with interchange regulated by EU Regulation 2015/751.
- Digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay): they reduce checkout abandonment because no data entry is needed.
- Instant transfer via open banking (PIS): the customer authorizes a SEPA Instant transfer from their banking app, irrevocable and reconcilable with a unique reference.
- SEPA Direct Debit (SDD): for subscriptions and recurring billing, with mandate management.
- BNPL: deferred payment, where RoxPay offers it at 5% of the value in 17 European countries.
With RoxPay over 40 payment methods are available in a single contract, PCI DSS Level 1, as reported in the [online payments for business guide](/en/resources/online-payments-for-business).
How much e-commerce payments cost
The cost per transaction depends on the method and the card type. With blended rates the merchant pays an opaque single percentage; with IC++ they pay the actual interchange (0.2% debit, 0.3% consumer credit, EU Regulation 2015/751), the scheme fees and the declared markup.
On 100 takings of €50 (€5,000 of volume), the table numbers: €18 with the instant transfer PIS, €25-31.50 with SEPA Direct Debit, €100 with SEE cards at Stripe's public list (1.5% + €0.25).
The [IC++ fee calculation guide](/en/resources/payment-gateway-fees-comparison) rebuilds the effective cost by card mix and amounts, and the [e-commerce integration guide](/en/resources/payment-gateway-for-smes-guide) covers the API side.
Crediting times and disputes
After authorization the money does not reach the account immediately: crediting depends on the acquirer's settlement. With RoxPay e-commerce takings arrive within 48 hours on the business account, with VAT-number activation in 24 hours.
Disputes (chargebacks) exist only for card payments, with windows set by the scheme rules; transfers via open banking are irrevocable once executed, so they have no improper chargebacks. The [chargeback guide](/en/resources/payment-gateway-for-smes-guide) explains the defences.
The choice of method mix is the main lever on cost: the [B2B payments guide](/en/resources/b2b-payments-guide) compares the channels for business clientele.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are e-commerce payments?
They are the transactions that complete an online purchase: the customer pays at checkout, the payment gateway authenticates and authorizes the transaction (PSD2/SCA requirements) and the funds settle to the merchant's account. The gateway is the operational component linking site, schemes and banks.
What is the difference between payment gateway and merchant account?
The gateway processes the transaction; the merchant account (or the acquirer's sub-location) is where funds are channelled before crediting. RoxPay is a payment gateway: it is not a bank, does not open bank accounts and does not issue cards; it credits within 48 hours to the existing business account.
How much does an e-commerce payment cost?
It depends on method and pricing: on 100 takings of €50, RoxPay's instant transfer PIS costs €18 (€0.13 + 0.10%), SEPA Direct Debit €25-31.50 (€0.25 + 0-0.13%), SEE cards €100 at Stripe's public list (1.5% + €0.25). With IC++ every fee component is separated and verifiable.
Which payment methods should an e-commerce offer?
The effective minimum: card, digital wallets and at least one bank method (instant transfer via open banking or SEPA Direct Debit). With RoxPay over 40 payment methods are available in one contract, with VAT-number activation in 24 hours.
Why do online payments require authentication?
For PSD2: every online payment requires Strong Customer Authentication (SCA), with two of the three factors (knowledge, possession, biometrics). In practice the customer confirms from their banking app or with an OTP code: it is the measure that cut remote payment fraud.
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