a little bit of help starting out

[tommuk]

Hi guys, I'm new around here and have a few questions as I'm considering starting up a website and hope someone can provide some guidance.

1. Payment processing
looking around it looks like CCbill is the best option for someone starting out in the UK. Is this correct? Would it be advisable to move away from them if you got higher transaction rates? Would I need credit card processing and the merchant account option?

2. Hosting
being a Web designer/developer I know there are lots of hosting options but from experience referral from some one who has similar needs goes a long way. I'm guessing it's best to keep your hosting outside UK so what can you guys recommend?

3. Law
it's my understanding that in the UK the only laws you have to abide by are the decency laws so basically if you do something that is like top shelf magazine and not anything to extreme you would be okay. Does the location of the hosting and physical servers have any bearing on what law should be complied to?

Thanks for any help, much appreciated

[psl]

Welcome tommuk enjoy your stay here at :bandb:

I will defer giving advice and let the guys that own sites advise.

[Geezer]

You don't need to move CCBill, they are quite capable of dealing with very large volumes. You don't need a credit card processor cos thats what CCBill do.

Better to host outside the UK cos its cheaper.

You can have very hardcore anal fucking if you like.

[SGS]

Welcome :)

[tommuk]

thanks for the info

You have any recommendations for hosting providers?

My question about billing was really more about charges, would be right in thinking that charges can decrease if high volumes of transactions occur

[SGS]

thanks for the info

You have any recommendations for hosting providers?

My question about billing was really more about charges, would be right in thinking that charges can decrease if high volumes of transactions occur

Hosting = Webair or Nationalnet and you charges do decrease but just turn over money first and then worry about that later.

[Damian]

www.mojohost.com

Used them for years, and the support is the best I have encountered.

I would always use more than one processor.

a) if they go down (like so many have) you dom't have all your eggs in one basket so won't lose everything

b) all processors have a propiertary scrub (the algo they use to determine if they reject a card). So the best solution is to use cascading billing. So, the punter hits the sign up and puts in his details, the first processor declines, but then it automatically goes to the next processor, with all the card details parsed over so the surfer has to do nothing.

CCBill and Paycom/Epoch both offer free cascading billing.

Welcome.

[wertham]

Hi guys, I'm new around here and have a few questions as I'm considering starting up a website and hope someone can provide some guidance.


3. Law
it's my understanding that in the UK the only laws you have to abide by are the decency laws so basically if you do something that is like top shelf magazine and not anything to extreme you would be okay. Does the location of the hosting and physical servers have any bearing on what law should be complied to?


Hi tommuk. These are all good questions and I'm looking forward to reading the responses.

But as far as the law is concerned, you raise the very dodgy subject of WHAT the law permits... and WHERE. For example, if you're designing for customers in... say the Netherlands, and they send you pics to work with - and it turns out that their model is underage where you reside (so you have to do your research), and you get busted (and this does happen here in Canada quite often), then it is my understanding that you are most definitely and royally fucked.

Or maybe I'm wrong. (Damn! KNEW I should've taken up the bar...

[MMemmer]

Hello Tommuk and welcome to the board.

CCBill is a very reputable processor and you may also want to check on Epassporte as they seem to also be used by a lot of our clients.

As to hosting the three names mentioned above are all reputable competitors by I would certainly like to earn your business for Caro.Net Hosting! (http://www.Caro.Net) Our network has been in service since 1995 and host to AEBN since they started. We also host a few notables that I can mention, such as NakedSword, BUBBARAW.com, and handle a significant portion of Playboys heavy lifting for their VOD traffic.

Hit me up and lets chat as I would certainly like to see you over here with us.

Thanks in advance and good luck with your search.

[Damian]

you may also want to check on Epassporte as they seem to also be used by a lot of our clients.

Do they do credit card processing for paysites then?

[tommuk]

thanks for all the information

MMemmer, your Web site says that you're based in the US so based on your experience of hosting other adult sites what legal elements do I need to be aware of?

[Damian]

thanks for all the information

MMemmer, your Web site says that you're based in the US so based on your experience of hosting other adult sites what legal elements do I need to be aware of?

If your company is in the UK, it is UK law you need to worry about. Server location is not relevant. As far as I understand it.

[MMemmer]

If your company is in the UK, it is UK law you need to worry about. Server location is not relevant. As far as I understand it.

I double check this with an attorney, as I believe that if you your hosting were to be US based, then you would fall under the laws of the US, of course unless you were traveling to the states that would probably not matter anyway.

[tommuk]

hi, I was just browsing Wikipedia (I know it's not 100% accurate) but it states that if hosting was located within a particular state in the US then that states law governs the website and not the location of the site's owner. However if some one browsing this site is in a different state or country then the law there applies to the individual. does this make sense?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_pornography#Legal_status

[SICKBOY]

i was told that my server is based in holland, our own server. we are govenrend by the laws in holland.