What is an ‘online payment’?

An online payment refers to a transaction between your bank and Soviet’s bank, that’s made electronically, over the internet. You are using our Soviet website or app, with either your computer or smartphone, to tell your bank to pay us for a product that you want to buy from our digital, ‘online’ shop.

 

How does an online payment work?

 

In a retail store, you would buy a product by handing money to the cashier. The cashier gets the cash, and you get your fashion item. Straightforward. If you pay with a card in a store, the cashier will use a card machine to help your card to communicate with the shop’s bank. That is, the card machine is the middleman, go-between, or ‘broker’. It helps the parties involved in the transaction to verify that your card is legit, and tells your bank to pay money for the products that you purchased over to the store’s bank. The card machine is a messenger, but also a little cash-in-transit vehicle, in a way.

 

In each case, there is something happening between your bank and the Soviet shop’s bank. This work is being done by the card machine, which handles the communication and works behind the scenes to make sure the transaction is legitimate and safe.

 

With online payments there is no card machine but there is a card. Instead, the role of the card machine is replaced by two other pieces of technology: firstly, a ‘payment gateway’ and secondly a ‘payment processor’. Examples of payment gateways you will recognise are: PayFast, Peach Payments, Pay Stack and PayPal.

 

So, when you buy your favourite Soviet jeans or footwear online, you place an order and need to submit your card information, if you are using a card. This information is handled by the payment gateway, which does three things:

1. First, it verifies that your information is correct;
2. Secondly, it authenticates the money for your chosen payment method.
3. Thirdly, it approves your request to pay Soviet, which allows us to issue a confirmation number. The payment gateway then also encrypts all this data to keep it private before sending it to the payment processor, for the next step.

 

The payment processor does the hard work. It asks your bank for the money to pay for the jeans and shoes you just ordered. After your bank accepts the request it then moves your money from your bank to Soviet’s bank. When a payment is successfully done in this way, the payment processor also tells Soviet that the payment was successful so that we can get your order ready for you as soon as possible.

 

While the payment is accepted, it does not mean that Soviet has received the money yet. But don’t worry. As long as our bank tells us that your payment is approved, then we’ll dispatch your order. What happens in the background is that your bank actually transfers the funds to Soviet’s bank.

 

It’s really that simple. And all this technology around online payments is improving by the day. It’s only getting safer to shop online. 

 E.g: 

 

Safe Online Shopping with Soviet

Why is shopping online so popular? The short answer is that retail is no longer about “brick and mortar,” but about “click and order”. However, shopping online can still be scary and daunting if you have never before purchased something online. There’s no sales assistant, no fitting room, and no manager to look in the eye and talk to, if needed. You no longer have that experience of physically reaching for your wallet and paying for the fashion item that you just fitted, giving the cashier a smile after they carefully packed your new purchase into a branded Soviet bag, and being greeted as you walk out the store. And yet, online shopping is booming and shows no sign of slowing down. Why is that? And how can you become more comfortable in this digital retail world? 

 

The simple answer: It’s about convenience and security. Let’s explain.

 

Firstly, there’s the ease of finding the product you want. On the Internet you don’t have to jostle, squeeze, and jog through a mall’s chaos to find the right product or size. You can order your shopping online and have it delivered to a convenient pickup point (Click and Collect), to a Collect-in-Store counter, or directly to your door, at home or at the office.

 

It’s also normally cheaper. Some products are much cheaper online, since the online stores don’t need to pay for the same regular, overhead expenses that traditional stores in a mall do. There are also many convenient ways to browse products online and compare prices before you make a purchase. Your options for finding something that you really want are more likely online than that of a traditional store.

 

Privacy. When you shop in-store, what you have purchased becomes visible to all those around you. There are eyes on your wallet. Eyes on your bags. By shopping online, what you purchase is private and potential moments of embarrassment or inconvenience are avoided.

 

No pressure. You always want to get the best deals when shopping. We understand that. There’s no sales pressure you will experience if you decide to shop online. There are no pushy salespeople to confuse you and no forced purchases. Online, you pay for what you want.

 

Safety. Yes, that’s right, it’s safer. There’s no need to walk around with a handbag, wallet or purse and the risk of it being stolen. No risk of cash being stolen. There’s no need to walk around with shopping bags that can be misplaced or grabbed when you occasionally need to take a rest or put them down. Online shops, banks, and online payment gateways provide a safe environment with multiple layers of security checks to ensure that your shopping experience is safe and convenient, creating an experience that you can trust.

 

It saves you time and energy. There’s no need to waste your limited time by waiting, searching, queuing, and navigating your way through crowded aisles, just to be disappointed that the item you’ve been saving for is already sold out. Ordering online allows for more convenience, having your fashionable items delivered to you. You can avoid the hassle and shop online.

 

Product options are much broader if you shop online, so you have more freedom of choice. A store won’t always have the correct sizes, style or colours, but chances are the online shop will. And if it doesn’t, then you can simply request to be notified when the item you want is back in stock.

 

Online shopping has become increasingly reliable, and so it’s no surprise that there’s an ever-increasing level of satisfaction associated with online stores. As we continually refine the shopping experience, it will only become more intuitive and trustworthy.

 

If you have any suggestions or comments to make your Soviet online shopping experience as enjoyable as possible, please send us an email and share with us how we can improve the experience for you: online@sovietdenim.co.za.