"How can I allow visitors to pay via credit card to become members and gain
access to password-protected sections of my website? What software would enable
me to manage member accounts?" -- Maher Moghrabi
Several lower-cost tools can manage site memberships:
SiteInteractive.com
Account Manager Pro (www.wilsonweb.com/afd/acctmgrpro.htm), US $149, is
a Perl CGI program that installs on a Unix or NT server. It provides automated
member signup, automatic addition or deletion to password files, sends a confirmation
e-mail, and allows you to search members by username, first name, or last name.
The program can use several payment gateways: Authorize.net, PayPal (without
the Instant Payment Notification feature), WorldPay, and ECX, and iBill.
Verotel
Billing Systems (www.wilsonweb.com/afd/verotel.htm) offers a hosted payment
system, manages passwords, and provides and affiliate program for sites that
want to sell content. Payment is made on Verotel's site, which contacts a Perl
script on your site that add a new member or expires a non-renewing member.
There is no start-up fee or monthly minimum and no merchant account is required.
Verotel charges 13.5% of the transaction for subscriptions and 15% for recurring
billing. Limited to a payment maximum of $75 per transaction.
