How to Sell online with Alertpay

If you have an online business on a website and want to and sell online, one way you could start processing your payments is by using Alertpay.
Alertpay is an online payment service that allows users to send and receive money on the internet and the world over as long as they have an Alertpay account. It also allows merchants to start selling online to buyers without bothering much about the payment processing

Alertpay is a growing network and already has more than 5 million members signed up. It is accepted in most countries especially where other payment services may be unavailable.

Alertpay can be used for a variety of other options apart from selling online. It can also be used for accepting donations, subscriptions and jsut sending or receiving money from and to friends. There is this good example of an African charity website that is helping to distribute free solar lights to rural dwellers in Kenya and it uses Alertpay donation buttons to help its activities. See Sustainable Development for All pioneered by Evans Wadongo

How to start selling online with Alertpay:
If you are interested in using Alertpay for business and to be able to start receiving payments online and even via credit cards, you would need to consider doing the following things first:

1. Open an Alertpay account and select your preferred account type (Business is better).
2. Create your unique password (to login) and a Transaction PIN (to authorize transactions and account changes).
3. Validate your email address.
4. Submit your verification documents. (e.g. utility bill, passport)
5. Complete a Website Review. (Website where you intend to sell)
6. Add a bank account (if applicable).
7. Add a credit card (if necessary and applicable).
8. Enter secondary emails (if necessary).
9. Set up your Business profile(s) if you have a Business account.
10. Generate your payment or subscription buttons through integration (Standard or Advanced).
11. Then Integrate AlertPay web content into your checkout process (before AlertPay payment screen preferably, so the customer knows that they will be using Alertpay to pay for your product/service).
12. Get used to how to use your account tools such as making deposits and withdrawals.

Tips for Advanced users
Although Alertpay payment set up and integration is relatively easy to do if you follow the instructions. Here are other tips to consider when using a custom script to record Alertpay payments.

Alertpay IPN(Instant Payment Notification): Like some other payment processors, Alertpay payments you receive are normally notified to a url you will specify and it would be an IPN handler that can be easily decrypted, and recorded into you online database.
You can use IPN to send an email to your buyers or even deliver a digital item via an email that contains a web link for download.

Alertpay EPD(Encrypted Payment Details): This is a more encrypted version of the IPN and it is normally sent to the return url you specify after a successful payment has been made. There are examples on the Alertpay website that allows you to decrypt the codes. EPD is not exactly as reliable as IPN since the latter will always be sent to your Alert url. EPN would only be sent if the buy does not close the browser immediateley after payment or doesn't click on the return url after payment. You can also use EPD to deliver download links immediately after payment without having the buyer first check his email. However, when using EPD, try to also use it in combination with IPN so as to create a better customer experience.