wholistic website design
by earth spirit creations
about merchant accounts and payment processing

what is an internet merchant account?

To accept payments by credit card on your website, you must have an Internet merchant account set up with a payment processor. Your merchant account provider automatically deposits payments taken on your website to your bank account.

what is manual processing?

Orders are taken through a shopping cart or other store, and payment information is stored on a secure server. An email advises you to log in to your store administration and retreive the payment information. You then process the order using your POS machine or telephone, depending on the arrangements you've made with your processor.

what is a gateway?

A gateway is a service that allows real-time payment processing, so you do not have to manually process the order. Some common gateway services are Moneris eSelect or Global Payments.

how do I get a merchant account or gateway service?

We recommend visiting a website such as merchant-accounts.com or merchant-accounts.ca, or search online to gain more information about how they work and how to get one.

feel like you could use some help?

Does this information sound like mumbo-jumbo to you? If it still isn't clear, a consultation might be the answer. We'd love to devote some time with you on the phone to help you understand and clarify e-commerce, and to help determine what the best options are for your specfic website.


© 2007 Renée Deakin. All rights reserved. Copying of this article in any form by any means, mechanical or electric, is strictly prohibited without express permission from Earth Spirit Creations. You may link back to this webpage, as long as full credit is given to author. Contact us for more information.

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