In a world where online is no longer a good to have but a must-have option, e-payments rule the roost. Today, you will rarely see people, especially the younger generation carrying a lot of cash. In fact, many businesses stand to lose their market share if they are not in a position to offer the option of e-payments.

Cheques, demand drafts, pay orders, and other such payment instruments seem to have lost their usefulness in today’s world. The younger generation may not even know such an option exists.

What are Electronic Payments (E-payment)?

Electronic payments, or e-payments, refer to the payment transactions made by users with the help of electronic systems or the Internet. Such payments permit individuals and entities to remit money or make financial payments without either the need for hard cash or the traditional ways of settling accounts such as checks and demand drafts. E-payments take place over the Internet using gadgets like mobile devices, personal computers, or tablets.

Key Points:

• Digital transaction: It includes the digital transfer of funds between two or more parties.
• No physical currency: There is no need for cash to be carried or the use of traditional banking services like cheques. 

Some of the well-known online payment modes include credit, debit, and virtual cards, internet banking, e-wallets, direct debit, standing instructions, UPI payments, etc.

Why are E-payments Important?

In this age of high-speed, technology-driven environment, e-wallets are essential for all people and businesses. The importance of e-payments goes beyond providing people with easier ways to transact business. Electronic payments are important for the following reasons: They are secure, efficient, and global.

Key Points: 

• Faster Transactions: E-payments facilitate the transfer of funds without delays thus enhancing the pace of business. 
• Global Reach: Businesses can easily serve international clients, no matter where the payments are made. 
• Security: E-payments are better than cash because improved cash handling controls the risk of loss during a cash transfer.
• Cost-Effective: Less or no paperwork, less or no handling charges, and less or no high costs associated with operating a traditional payment system. 
• Customer Convenience: Customers have also been satisfied with the ability to make payments at any time and anywhere.

Features of an Electronic Payment System

There are several features that a good electronic payment must possess for it to function smoothly, securely, and effectively. Below is a list of the most critical features that one should look at when finding an electronic payment system:

Security

Ways to ensure secure e-payments include:

• High-end Data Encryption: Transmitting sensitive banking information should be shielded against intercepting third parties using top payment systems that use high-end data encryption.
• Two-Step Authentication: This is an additional step for the user’s protection where two different credentials are provided by the user at separate instances (for example bulk SMS security codes and normal passwords) thus minimizing the chances of unauthorized access.
• Fraud Prevention Services: Such useful technologies as real-time transaction monitoring are able to prevent or mitigate a fraudulent effort to a great extent minimizing losses to both merchants and customers.

User Interface

• User Friendly: An ideal payment system should have a simple, user-friendly interface. This allows the implementation of the system by both the customers and the business itself comfortably.
• Fast Checkout: Be it for a business or consumer, the mechanism should work effectively and efficiently, minimizing the time needed for each transaction.

Integration

The payment system must not replace the existing business processes but rather work in conjunction with the existing systems such as the accounting package, CRM, inventory system, etc. This decreases the degree of operational interruptions due to re-training of the staff and excessive changes in the processes.

Real-Time Processing

• Immediate Confirmation: Real-time processing ensures that businesses and consumers get immediate confirmation of successful payments, which helps businesses to track funds more accurately and streamline operations.
• Cash Flow Management: Similarly, processing transactions in real-time through automated systems helps businesses manage their cash flows by ensuring payments are made on time and minimizing the disturbance of delays that are found in traditional payment systems.

Scalability

• For Increased Transactional Workload: If a business expands and handles more transactions than before, the existing payment system must be able to process the same volume of transactions without delays and inefficiencies. A scalable system guarantees user satisfaction in the long run with much less frequent upgrades to the system.
• Ability to Expand: Whether entering other regions or assimilating new transaction types, a multi-channel electronic payment system can always keep up with a particular business’s changing stages.

Multi-Currency Support

• International Transactions: For companies with clients or suppliers from other countries, paying or getting paid in different currencies is extremely important. With a system, that has multi-currency support a company can operate without any fears of global operations concerning currency change and its associated costs.
• Automatic Conversion: Some payment systems also offer built-in currency conversion features at good rates making it more convenient for those who want to have transactions with foreign nations.
• Mobile Optimization: 24*7 Payment Processing: With the increased usage of mobile phones/electronic gadgets, even if a person goes on a trip far away from his or her country, any electronic payment system should be mobile-friendly, allowing users to make or receive payments anytime, anywhere.
• Responsive Design: Mobile-optimized systems automatically adjust to fit different screen sizes.

5 Benefits of E-Payment

Faster collections

One of the significant e-payment advantages is the speed it offers for collections. How do e-payment options ensure quicker and more efficient collections? It’s simple. When you embed an online payment link onto the bill or invoice, it spurs the receiver to take action. In most cases, the delay in payment is because the customer or buyer has to switch from one device to another and in most cases go through a long process to make the payment. With the e-payment option, most of the actions take very little time, including entering the OTP, to make the payment.

Safe and secure

Imagine you had to make a huge payment to your utility provider or your supplier. If you had to carry the cash to make payments, it would make you vulnerable to losing it or getting robbed. Or if you had to write a check, get it signed, or sign it yourself, it would take time. What is more, errors like wrong dates, mismatched amounts, or incorrect signatures cause payment failures. But with online payments, not only do you have security in the virtual sense but also in the physical and timeline sense.

Action-oriented

With the more conventional methods of payment, the chance of not paying on time or missing out on time rebates becomes a possibility due to the longer process. It is a daunting process to get a physical payment instrument or cash ready but electronic payments are not like that. You have the option to check for the availability of funds, click on a link to authorize the payment, or get the authorization and proceed to make the payment without moving from the place you are working from. Online payments are more action-oriented, spur you on to the next steps, and help you close the loop.

Fully trackable

When you make cash payments or use drafts to make the payment, it becomes a longer process to track the expense. You either need a bank entry to be updated when the check is encashed or get a receipt for the cash payment. Among the many benefits of e payments, the ease of online payment tracking will be the most important. The payment request, the checking and authorization, the approval to pay, the payment received, and the reflection of the amount deducted from your account, takes place automatically.

Customer-centric

While electronic payment options offer many advantages, one key benefit is enhancing customer orientation. Imagine that you had a business where you dealt with many stakeholders like vendors, suppliers, customers, shareholders, employees, etc. but did not have provisions to receive or make e-payments. The sheer amount of paperwork would make it difficult for you to meet the requirements of external and internal customers.

E-payments are here to stay. Here’s what you need to do next

As a business owner in today’s competitive environment, you need to make sure that you reinforce the e-payment or online payment system that you have. You could consider a complete spend management platform like the one that EnKash offers. Our platform offers an AI-powered dashboard to help you keep track of expenses. Additionally, we also offer corporate credit cards, purpose-built cards, prepaid cards, and an easy credit line of up to INR 1 cr. Talk to customer support to learn more.

What are Common Types of Electronic Payments in Business Finance?

Various types of e-payment systems are as follows: 

1. Credit/Debit Cards: This is one of the most widely used e-payment methods in both private and business-oriented transactions. They allow funds to be drawn directly from a bank account or a line of credit.
2. Bank Transfers: These include wire transfers, ACH payments, and direct bank transfers. These facilitate payments made from one bank account to any other bank account.
3. E-Wallets: PayPal, Apple Pay, and Google Pay are examples of e-wallets that let individuals load money into their accounts and make fast transactions using their mobile devices.
4. UPI (Unified Payments Interface): A smartphone-based payment system allowing the transfer of money between two banks in real-time especially in India.
5. Cryptocurrency: A decentralized digital currency that is gaining traction in business finance for its potential to offer international transactions with low fees.
6. Direct Debit: It is a payment system allowing the payee to withdraw the money directly from the bank account of the payer at specified time intervals with the permission of the payer

Pros and Cons of Different Types of Electronic Payments

Various types of electronic payment systems are tailored towards meeting different needs and they all have their advantages and disadvantages. Below are some of the economic evaluations of the advantages and disadvantages of the most common electronic payments in business finance:

1. Credit/Debit Cards

Advantages:

• Global Usage: Credit and debit cards are universally accepted by various businesses whether physically or through online transactions therefore making it easy for both the customers and the businesses to access services.
• Instant Payments: Advances in technology ensure that payments are done almost instantaneously. 
• Incentives and Rewards: Many credit cards offer rewards, cashback, or points for usage, making them attractive to consumers who want to earn benefits from their spending.
• World Wide Applicability: Payment cards can be used anywhere to transact both locally and abroad. It is therefore more suited for companies with customers or suppliers in other countries.

Disadvantages:

• Service Charges: Most businesses pay additional service charges whenever they accept cards for payment, especially for credit cards which lowers the profit margins.
• Fraud: Card information is at risk of being compromised even when the best practices such as encryption, are implemented to guard transaction online data.
• High-interest Rates: For credit cards, if the balance is not paid off in full, high-interest rates can accumulate, leading to debt for consumers

2. Bank Transfers

Advantages:

• Dependable and Secure: One of the major merits of bank transfers is the security it offers. This makes it suitable for use by businesses that transact a lot of money or those that look at ensuring the safety of every transaction.
• Minimal Transaction Charges: Specifically ranked in unrelenting support of bank remittance, within the country, outflows using bankers reporting and instruments are less expensive than credit card remittances.
• Widely Available: Almost every business does bank transfers as long as the sender and recipient have a bank account since it requires no extra effort.
• Ideal for High-value Transactions: For obvious reasons such commercial transactions involve more risk and therefore legal providers do recognize bank transfers to facilitate within such thresholds.

Disadvantages:

• Slower Transactions: Bank transfers are typically slower, especially for international payments, as they may require several days to process.
• Additional Paperwork: Businesses may need to provide additional documentation when making or receiving transfers, which can be time-consuming.
• Limited for Small Transactions: Bank transfers may not be practical for smaller, everyday payments due to the fees involved and the time it takes to process them.

3. E-Wallets (Digital Wallets)

Advantages:

• Simple and Fast Transactions: With e-wallets, this is no longer an issue since payments can be made in a matter of seconds, sometimes with a press of a button making them useful to consumers and businesses who constantly make small payments.
• Economization of Space: E-wallets enable users to integrate various payment options such as credit cards, debit cards, and bank accounts into one tool which enhances the speed and ease of making payments.
• Cost-Efficient Transactions: Most e-wallets have very low or no charges at all for carrying out transactions particularly local remittances making these technologies affordable.

Disadvantages of E-Wallets (Digital Wallets)

• Security Issues: E-Wallets may undergo some level of security, but they remain susceptible to cyber threats such as phishing and hacking. If a user’s data is hacked, then they can suffer monetary loss.
• Technology Constraints: E-wallets are technology-dependent – they work only with a stable internet connection and compatible devices. This can be a drawback in countries with weak connectivity or for people who do not possess the requisite technology such as smartphones.
• Limited Availability: With the rising use of e-wallets, not all merchants accept digital transactions as some of them are area-based like in the rural or less ever-advancing technology regions restricting their usage.

4. Unified Payments Interface (UPI)

Advantages:

• Instantaneous Transfers: With UPI, transfers occur instantaneously in real-time, hence providing businesses with easy and quick access to cash which is critical in managing cash flow.
• No Transaction Costs: UPI payments are commonly free of charge to both businesses and customers, excluding the normal transaction costs of other payment types.
• Always on: UPI functions every day including weekends and public holidays enabling payments to be made and received at any time by both businesses and consumers.
• Easy to use: using UPI is a simple task since it requires only a mobile device with an internet connection to carry out the transactions.

Disadvantages:

• Geographical limitation: UPI is restricted to India and as such may not be used for foreign businesses and those with customers from other countries. 
• Requires Smartphone and Internet: Consumers must also possess a mobile phone and have access to the internet which may not be the case for every consumer. 
• Transaction Limits: UPI payment facilities impose transaction limitations on payments made which can be quite disturbing for business entities that make larger payments.

5. Cryptocurrency

Advantages:

• Fast and Borderless: Payments through Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum can easily allow for cross-border transactions without the need for any banks thus making the transactions very fast.
• Cross Border Payments At Low Cost: As opposed to the normal banking system, when making payments internationally through crypto-currencies, there are significantly fewer charges and therefore cheaper.
• Clarity and Safety: All transactions made are subject to the rules of the blockchain and thus cannot be altered. This is very safe and transparent, discouraging any criminal activities.

Disadvantages:

• Unstable Currency Fluctuations: The values of cryptocurrencies are subject to extreme variations and so pose risks for organizations that depend on the stability of currencies.  
• Limited Popularity: The use of cryptocurrencies has increased but most businesses still do not accept it, especially those in heavily regulated regions. 
• Legal and Regulatory Uncertainty: Countries have varying regulations regarding the legitimacy of cryptocurrencies and many are still in the process of devising ways to manage their activities which creates risks for people doing business.

FAQs

How can I ensure the security of my electronic payments? 

To ensure the security of online payment processing, the following considerations should be taken into account by businesses: choose services with advanced encryption, activate the two-step authentication, constantly upgrade the security system, and train employees on the protection of information from schemes including phishing and other fraudulent activities.

Are electronic payments cheaper than traditional payment methods? 

There are ways of paying like UPI and bank transfers that incur little or no costs while some like credit cards and international wire transfers attract high charges. It depends on the method of payment and the number of transactions whether it is cost effective or not.

What types of businesses benefit most from electronic payments?

E-commerce, service-based businesses, and startups that deal with frequent transactions or international customers benefit greatly from electronic payments due to the speed and efficiency they offer.

Can electronic payments be automated for recurring billing?

Of course, many e-billing services provide subscription management and automated billing for businesses needing regular payments.

Do electronic payments work for both online and offline businesses?

Yes, electronic payments apply to both types of businesses; online as well as physical ones. For physical businesses, they can accept card payments or mobile wallets such as Apple Pay via a card reader, while for online businesses, a payment gateway can be used to carry out the transactions.