It’s only been over a week and a bit since I did a review, then another comes along, a bit like buses I suppose. You wait for one, then two show up at once.
Anyway, I’m waffling. Today I’m taking a look at a plugin from the team at We are AG, First Data Connect for WooCommerce.
Payment gateway plugins, not exactly the most interesting of topics, right? Well, without them, you wouldn’t be able to sell anything online, so they’re of paramount importance.
So there you go.
Review setup
I’ll do the usual, create an instance of WooCommerce using my now favourite tool InstaWP (check it out), create a blank install save for WooCommerce and of course the First Data Connect plugin.
The developer has given me a copy of the plugin for testing, and they’re keen to get my thoughts and experience.
Disclosure
For the record, this is a paid review, and crossing my palm with silver, will not assuage my opinion, if the product has a fault, I’m going to mention it.
The review may contain affiliate links, these help me keep on keeping on, and will not affect you in anyway. I make a small commission if you purchase through any of the links.
Sounds good?
Let’s get cracking then.
About First Data
First Data has been in the Fintech (Financial Technology) space since 1986, servicing merchants the world over. With over six million merchants globally, they’re a massive company with a huge customer base.
If you’d like to find out more about First Data, please do so here.
About We are AG
We are AG offer a range of payment processing solutions specifically for WooCommerce, they’ve been around for a while now, and have plugins for Barclaycard, Ingenico, Authipay, Tyl, Viveum Opayo, and 2Checkout to name but a few.
Payment processing plugins don’t get enough air time, truth be told, especially when you have the likes of PayPal, Stripe et al. Here’s the thing, though, not everybody uses the aforementioned or wants to use them.
Having a company specialising in alternate payment processors is a good thing, it opens up choices for the store owner.
In this review, I’m not evaluating First Data Connect, I’m reviewing the plugin itself. So don’t expect lots of complicated words about payment rules, PCI compliance and such. Hell, I’d be lying if I said I knew anything about that.
This review is for people who are thinking of using the First Data Connect plugin and currently use WooCommerce, you need to know if it works, and how easy it is to use.
Payment plugins can be a pain
There’s no two ways about it, sometimes setting up a payment plugin can be a royal pain in the rear, all you want to do is start selling. So let’s see how easy all this is, and remember this is a blow-by-blow, AKA real time review.
I’ll list things as I see them and document them as I go. The best way to do a review (in my opinion) helps you make a more informed choice whether a product is right for your needs.
How much does First Data Connect cost?
The plugin is available in three different pricing options, excluding local sales tax:
- Single site license: $59.00 per year
- Five sites: $139.00 per year
- Ten sites: $199.00 per year
So, clean and clear pricing from the outset (minus the sales tax based on your Country of origin). All pricing entitles you to updates and support for one year, so if you have issues, they’ll be on hand to help.
Purchasing First Data Connect
As mentioned, I’ve gone ahead and installed WooCommerce, jumped through some hoops, and got an installation ready to go.
We are AG are using Freemius as their sales solution for all their plugins. Weirdly two reviews of late and both using the same platform! I digress.
Visiting their website, and clicking the buy button will give you some options, to choose the relevant license type, fill in the details, card details and such.
After that you’ll receive an email with instructions on how to download the plugin, grab the license code.
Review navigation
👉 – Installing First Data Connect
👉 – Payment settings overview
👉 – Test product, and issuing refunds
👉 – Documentation, findings and verdict
