Use Amazon Payments for Your Mobile Commerce Site

By Janine Warner, David LaFontaine, and Lee Andron from iPhone and iPad Web Design For Dummies

Amazon's powerful and flexible payment engine allows users who are already familiar with, and trust, the Amazon brand to purchase goods from your website by using their Amazon customer ID. The advantage is that Amazon has established itself as one of the biggest retailers on the web, and its technological backbone is very strong.

The downside, however, is that your customers have to already have an account with Amazon; otherwise, they're forced to create one when they make their first payment.

As you can see in the figure, the Amazon brand is all over every page (on the buttons, in the colors, and in the typography), which helps your customers know they’re dealing with a reputable firm — but that also means Amazon promotes itself all over your site.

Still, if you sell digital downloads, such as ringtones, MP3s, videos, or pictures, Amazon’s payment and pricing system is innovative and robust. And if you already sell your stuff on Amazon, it’s very easy to integrate the links and payment system on your website because customers who have already paid with Amazon at your m-commerce store can buy with just one click.

The Amazon site has detailed instructions for both amateurs looking for the simplest solution and seasoned developers looking to customize.