In the last few weeks, I have had some clients call me in a panic over news of the Google Checkout shutdown. Google recently announced that Google Checkout will be retired on November 20, 2013. While this is certainly inconvenient for some online e-commerce sites, there are solutions to implement to keep an online store running. One easy alternative is using WooCommerce as a payment gateway for your WordPress site to continue to sell merchandise.
What is Google Checkout?
Google Checkout is an online process that Google created for paying for goods or services purchased online. Individuals enter their credit card information, as well as as shipping address, into their Google account, which enables them to easily purchase items on e-commerce sites. Google Checkout also provides fraud protection, and allows buyers to track their online purchases.
Google Checkout
On November 16, 2011, Google Checkout was renamed to Google Wallet. This service allows users to store their credit, debit, and even gift card, information on their mobile phone to pay for purchases made on the web or in stores where contactless payments are accepted. Google Wallet also allows users to use special store promotions; all one has to do is have the barcode on the phone be scanned at checkout for the discount or promotion to be applied.
How Does the Google Checkout Closure Affect You?
The Google Checkout closure will affect many online e-commerce sites as of November 20, 2013. Here is what Google has to say:
- Merchants selling digital goods may transition to Google Wallet for digital goods
- Merchants selling through Google-hosted marketplaces (e.g. Google Play) will be unaffected
- Merchants selling physical goods will need to switch to third-party alternatives
WooCommerce – a Google Checkout Alternative
WooCommerce
If you have a WordPress site where you sell physical goods and you have used Google Checkout as your online processing center, you will need to replace that method this November. A great alternative is WooCommerce, which is a free plugin that allows users to customize their selling and shipping options for an additional fee.
As I explained in my previous blog, “WooCommerce – The Best WordPress E commerce Plugin,” WooCommerce works by allowing customers to pick the items they want, add them to a cart, and then click purchase. Once they do that, they will be transferred to PayPal, which will take their credit or bank account information, process it, and then notify you once payment has been made. Once you know that payment has been secured, you can set up account updates for clients, so they can be alerted when their product ships, etc. WooCommerce has offsite checkout built-in, so you don’t need an an extension to connect to PayPal. It also allows for built-in shipping options, with national, international, and even local delivery options.
WooCommerce lets visitors easily scroll through your site and view photos and detailed information about products and their different attributes, such as sizes and colors. It also integrates with social media, therefore allowing customers to leave reviews and share the products you offer on sites like Facebook. WooCommerce allows owners to set up promotional discounts and coupon codes, even rewarding buyers with discounts for sharing your products on social media forums.
WooCommerce makes it easy for business owners to keep track of sales. You can view and edit order details, get update statuses, and add notes to orders. You get access to built-in reports, and can even manage your inventory with this plugin.”
To replace Google Checkout, you will need to uninstall it from your WordPress site, and then install the WooCommerce plugin. I always recommend WooCommerce to my clients, and believe it is one of the easiest plugins in to integrate into a WordPress site.
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