The Woo Commerce plug-in adds the shopping cart to any WordPress website. So if you already have a one, then adding the shop feature is easy. If not, then your online store will have to be designed from scratch.

Woo Commerce powers the majority of online stores in the world, and that’s because the majority of online stores worldwide are more ‘middle of the road’ than hardcore. Here in Trinidad & Tobago, the choice of platforms depends on your long term goals. WordPress can handle thousands of products just as Magento. But comparing the two platforms head to head is not a fair comparison, they’re really apples and oranges.

I recommend Woo Commerce if you prefer a robust but user friendly and affordable solution that won’t break the bank that you can ease yourself into.

Forward Multimedia offers the Shopify platform with both First Atlantic Commerce (FAC) and Scotiabank eCom+payment methods. The only issue is that there can be no integrated domestic delivery with local companies like CSF Couriers and Universal Packaging Systems (UPLS) which integrate with WooCommerce. . If you are operating out of Trinidad & Tobago, none of the major carriers like FedEx, UPS, DHL are possible either.

If you’re US based, then there are absolutely no limitations. You can also integrate your own major carrier shipping account, but it requires a more expensive monthly plan. You can use Shopify’s delivery service as well which is usually cheaper. So to Shopify Payments is typically cheaper than PayPal.

See live Shopify sites below.

Lightspeed is a popular cloud-based Point of Sale (POS) used in brick-and-mortar stores in Trinidad & Tobago. Like many other POS systems these days, it is easily integrated to their own E-Commerce module (Ecwid by Lightspeed), which allows inventory can be managed in real time when products are sold in the store and online. This avoids bad customer experiences when they have to be told that an item purchased online is not available.

Pricing $150 USD to $199 USD per month (POS + Ecom), which is inexpensive compared to other POS systems with native E-Commerce modules. What’s not attractive are the stores themselves. The default templates are very basic and the premium templates require a monthly subscription of around $50 USD. However, Lightspeed POS also integrates with WooCommerce if you don’t want to use the Ecwid shopping cart.

But if you’re looking for functionality, affordability and convenience, I would say it will suffice, it can get the job done. Both First Atlantic Commerce (FAC) and Scotiabank’s eCom+ payment gateways can be integrated. However, no integrated delivery is possible at this time.

Forward Multimedia is an Official Lightspeed Partner and we endorse this platform.

See live Lightspeed stores below.

Some Point of Sale (POS) systems being used by brick and mortar stores in Trinidad & Tobago have E-Commerce modules also available as add-ons. The benefit of this is that it would link to the already configured products being managed by the system. Many have ‘web’ options to enable specific products for the online store and inventory is obviously already synced.

If such is the case with your system, Forward Multimedia will evaluate and advise whether WiPay or FAC payment gateways can be integrated.

The majority of online stores designed by Forward Multimedia are of this type, and quite naturally so. It’s obviously easier to get off the ground design-wise, and then get going sales-wise because of the existing customer base. That’s in theory. In practice it doesn’t always work out that way. Let’s just say you still have an uphill battle with this route but the odds for success are more in your favor.

I’ll list some of the advantages of this type, the main being the aforementioned customer base which is by far the best advantage.

This requires some more work but not impossible. Once you’re business savvy and driven it’s by no means a stretch, very doable. In some ways you may actually have some advantages over the physical store. One of the main one would be the cost to get it off the ground as physical store owners have other expenses competing for their dollars.

If you’re selling services like online courses, counseling or taking bookings for appointments, facilities etc., the set-up is essentially same, except that the product is intangible so there would be no delivery. Bookings for example require additional plug-ins to set up a calendar to to reserve spots— after all, there are so many hours available in a day. Other applications are directory type websites and real estate.

This is Scotiabank’s own payment gateway introduced in 2022. It works same way as FAC, requiring a merchant account. Forward Multimedia has integrated this gateway on WooCommerce and Shopify. Of course, It’s only available at Scotiabank.

First Atlantic Commerce is a Bermuda based payment gateway provider and has been working in Trinidad & Tobago for more than 15 years. It was only in 2013 though, that they contacted Forward Multimedia for a partnership to offer their gateway to clients. At that time Scotiabank was the only bank in the country to offer it, but only to their commercial clients.

E-Commerce in T&T was at its infancy at that time, so it was not that the market was being left out, it was basically non-existent anyway.

Fast forward to today, and FAC is offered at all local banks:

WiPay Caribbean is a payment aggregator very similar to PayPal in terms of functionality and in my opinion works fine in the areas that matter. It’s actually very easy to set up and like PayPal only takes minutes. If you already have a WordPress website, because WiPay already has a WordPress plug-in, your online store can be up and running also in minutes.

See a detailed write up about WiPay in this blog article: Move Over PayPal, We Have a Trini Version Now

PayWise Limited has been around since 2014. On August 10, 2022 the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago issued a provisional registration to PayWise Limited as an electronic money (e-money) issuer, which means the company has been growing.

PayWise is a payment aggregator, similar to PayPal, and offers a free WordPress plug-in to connect your PayWise account to your WooCommerce online store,

CSF Domestic Delivery and get access to CSF’s delivery fleet to deliver your package anywhere in Trinidad and Tobago at a low price. Their CSF Connect API allows for seamless integration between online stores and their CSF Domestic Delivery Service. This is optional of course, but for merchants who want a high level shopping experience, then such an integration would be a good investment.

The UPSL module can be integrated on both WordPress/Woo Commerce platform at an additional cost via their API plug-in, which can merge with your website to automatically process shipping costs and times, notify UPSL that an order is placed.

UPSL also does COD where the customer can pay via linx or credit card upon delivery. It’s a great advantage for companies with customers without credit cards or for those that are hesitant to use their cards online.

See such a UPSL integration on this client’s live store: A. Moses & Sons.

Universal Package Systems Limited (UPSL) has operated as the sole authorized contractor for UPS, United Parcel Service, in Trinidad and Tobago. However, it’s their Domestic Delivery Service that’s important, being the ONLY online store integrated delivery service in the country. With Universal Package Systems Limited, you can now ship your packages anywhere within Trinidad, and metro areas of Tobago.

The UPSL module can be integrated on both WordPress/Woo Commerce platform at an additional cost via their API plug-in, which can merge with your website to automatically process shipping costs and times, notify UPSL that an order is placed.

UPSL also does COD where the customer can pay via linx or credit card upon delivery. It’s a great advantage for companies with customers without credit cards or for those that are hesitant to use their cards online.

See such a UPSL integration on this client’s live store: A. Moses & Sons.

The ‘Big 3’ major carriers do not come pre-integrated as shipping methods on the Woo Commerce platform. Pre-integrated means is that once you have an account with them, configuring your online store to connect it is as easy as filling out the required fields in the shipping settings in the back-end of your store.

The sticking point however is that shipping rates from these international carriers are fetched in USD which means your online store’s base currency also has to be USD.

With the absence of shipping carriers, predetermined rates can be set via what’s called Table Rates. They are usually based on price or item weight. Which means that if you’re using a weight based rate, your product weights need to be set in the back-end.