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Why Use ZeaMarket Instead of Installing Shopping Cart Software on Your Web Site?

It comes down to whether you want to rent or buy.
You can purchase shopping cart software that your web designer installs on your web site, or you can use a shopping cart service with a monthly fee like ZeaMarket which you connect to your web site.

Most people prefer to rent rather than buy. The hidden costs and distractions for a rented service are much lower so you get to focus on running your business.

Because we are actively involved in your e-commerce operation we can give you a level of support and advice that is not available when you use shopping cart software or a service that focuses on the software. We can help you to anticipate and avoid problems our existing clients have already faced.

Monthly fees consist of your web hosting monthly fee ($30) plus the shopping cart monthly fee.
The monthly shopping cart fee is $95, but we start you on a 5% commission on sales (capped at $95 per month) so that your online sales always cover your shopping cart costs, i.e. if your sales are $0 then your costs are $0.
The last thing you need in a new business while your sales are low is more overheads.
This fee covers hosting the shopping cart, managing the database and security, the secure server, helping you with problem orders, 24x7 monitoring of the shopping cart and generic improvements to the shopping cart (some new features).

Key Differences

This table shows you the main differences between using ZeaMarket and buying shopping cart software.

ZeaMarket Shopping Cart Shopping Cart Software

Order Processing

Email confirmation sent to merchant. Email confirmation sent to merchant.

Email confirmation sent to customer. Email confirmation sent to customer.

Merchant can send order delivery confirmation email with 3 clicks. If you're smart you'll set up a template email.

Weight based freight calculations. Might have weight based freight calculations.

Automatic system for changing freight cost for an order and getting approval from customer. You'll have to manage this kind of issue yourself.

Advanced Features

No manual feature to load products - we do it for you! Manual feature to load products.

Update your shopping cart products from a spreadsheet (ideal for frequent updates). You'll probably have to update products manually.

New features often built for no cost. For urgent changes there is a fee, but it's always below cost. Most will charge full development prices for custom features.

Service

Help is always available for unusual or problem orders. Helping you process orders will not be a priority for your web designer. You purchased software, not a service.

Want a new feature? Ask for it! That's how we got many of the great features. Ask for new features and they may be included in the next version.

Is the cart's freight calculation slightly off? Tell us the weight and actual freight cost of an order and we'll fix it. You'll pay an hourly rate for this kind of service.

Fraudulent orders - we can help you identify fraud attempts before they cost you money. You'll need to manage this yourself (and possibly learn the hard way).

Costs

Purchase price - $0. Cheap carts start from around $400. An equivalent cart is likely to cost you from $2600 to $9,000.

Installation cost - $0. This is a service - it's already installed and running. Installation of the software is usually charged by the hour, so find someone who knows the software well.

Fixed set up cost - $400. Includes loading products and setting up your shopping cart. Unusual requirements may require further customisation. Set up cost is usually charged by the hour. This will vary depending on your needs.

Technical support - $0. We look after our own system, including database maintenance, performance tuning and managing security. Ongoing technical support is usually charged by the hour. A busy shopping cart always requires technical support - please ensure you understand the costs.

Monthly Fee - 5% commission on sales up to $95 per month*. No monthly fee.

New features available immediately on completion. You'll have to upgrade to get new features. There's usually a cost for the upgrade and/or to install it.

No cost for hosting shopping cart.
(You probably have your own web site though.) Your shopping cart software is usually hosted on the same server as your web site.

Secure certificate not required. The shopping cart uses ZeaMarkets secure server. You will need a secure server to protect credit card numbers. $250 - $500 per year for certificate, plus technical support costs.

ZeaMarket Shopping Cart		Shopping Cart Software
	Order Processing
Email confirmation sent to merchant.		Email confirmation sent to merchant.
Email confirmation sent to customer.		Email confirmation sent to customer.
Merchant can send order delivery confirmation email with 3 clicks.		If you're smart you'll set up a template email.
Weight based freight calculations.		Might have weight based freight calculations.
Automatic system for changing freight cost for an order and getting approval from customer.		You'll have to manage this kind of issue yourself.
	Advanced Features
No manual feature to load products - we do it for you!		Manual feature to load products.
Update your shopping cart products from a spreadsheet (ideal for frequent updates).		You'll probably have to update products manually.
New features often built for no cost. For urgent changes there is a fee, but it's always below cost.		Most will charge full development prices for custom features.
	Service
Help is always available for unusual or problem orders.		Helping you process orders will not be a priority for your web designer. You purchased software, not a service.
Want a new feature? Ask for it! That's how we got many of the great features.		Ask for new features and they may be included in the next version.
Is the cart's freight calculation slightly off? Tell us the weight and actual freight cost of an order and we'll fix it.		You'll pay an hourly rate for this kind of service.
Fraudulent orders - we can help you identify fraud attempts before they cost you money.		You'll need to manage this yourself (and possibly learn the hard way).
	Costs
Purchase price - $0.		Cheap carts start from around $400. An equivalent cart is likely to cost you from $2600 to $9,000.
Installation cost - $0. This is a service - it's already installed and running.		Installation of the software is usually charged by the hour, so find someone who knows the software well.
Fixed set up cost - $400. Includes loading products and setting up your shopping cart. Unusual requirements may require further customisation.		Set up cost is usually charged by the hour. This will vary depending on your needs.
Technical support - $0. We look after our own system, including database maintenance, performance tuning and managing security.		Ongoing technical support is usually charged by the hour. A busy shopping cart always requires technical support - please ensure you understand the costs.
Monthly Fee - 5% commission on sales up to $95 per month*.		No monthly fee.
New features available immediately on completion.		You'll have to upgrade to get new features. There's usually a cost for the upgrade and/or to install it.
No cost for hosting shopping cart. (You probably have your own web site though.)		Your shopping cart software is usually hosted on the same server as your web site.
Secure certificate not required. The shopping cart uses ZeaMarkets secure server.		You will need a secure server to protect credit card numbers. $250 - $500 per year for certificate, plus technical support costs.

* The fixed monthly fee of $95 increases slightly with the number of transactions when the monthly turnover exceeds $80,000 or number of transactions per month exceeds 800. High volumes require more support and increase the cost of running ZeaMarket.