Helcim Virtual Store - FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

our unique solutions for unique businesses

Who is the Virtual Store best suited for?

The Virtual Store is for small to medium sized online retailers working with a web designer to create a custom store front-end on their own website while avoiding the security mandates of hosting their own secured checkout.

What part of the Virtual Store is hosted?

The Virtual Store's shopping cart is hosted by Helcim's PCI-Level 1 compliant environment. Outside of the shopping cart checkout, there is no hosted store front-end.

If you are looking for a completely hosted front-end store solution, the Virtual Store is not ideal for your business as it is designed to be accessed remotely. To use Helcim's payment services with another shopping cart provider, please review our list of compatible shopping carts.

How do I display my products on my website?

The Virtual Store provides you with two options. If you have basic html skills and are managing your own website, you can simply generate "Buy Now" buttons that can be copied and pasted on your own website. A customer clicks on a "Buy Now" button, they will be directed to the hosted shopping cart where they will complete their orders.

With the help of a web designer proficient in a server side scripting language and XML, you can display all of your store's products directly on your website. Any adjustments to your product catalogue made in the Virtual Store, including categories, pictures and specifications, will be automatically updated on your website. To learn more about the XML API, visit the Virtual Store support section.

Do I need to get a separate merchant account to accept credit card payments?

No. The Virtual Store is backed by Helcim's merchant services and comes built-in with a Visa and MasterCard merchant account linked to your bank account.