Payment gateways allow transactions to be processed despite not having the card physically.

1. Step Up your Business with an E-Commerce Merchant Account
The competitiveness of businesses is now mainly dependent on the way they cater to
their customers. If you have a business and you are serious about moving your
business a step forward, you need to be able to adjust to what brings convenience to
your clients or customers. One of the most effective ways to do so is the capability of
your business to accept several payment options online, especially these days that
people are more inclined to using their credit or debit cards instead of bringing cash.
There are different ways to process transactions which are being offered by
providers. A merchant will be given the option to select which payment method he or
she is more comfortable with and which method is more suitable for his or her
business needs.
One of the most common and most popular ways to accept credit and debit cards
online is by using a payment gateway. Payment gateways allow transactions to be
processed despite not having the card physically. The customer simply enters his or
her card information and the transaction will start to process. Usually, payment
gateways work in two ways: either via a shopping cart wherein the cart connects to
the payment gateway for real-time processing or via a virtual terminal where a
customer can access through a secure login to enter his or her card information.
Another option to process online transactions is by using the Automated Response
Unit or ARU. In this type of credit card processing, a customer would have to hand
his or her information over the phone. The customer’s credit card will be imprinted to
create a receipt and the transaction would be processed immediately over the phone,
as well.
Setting up a reliable internet merchant account is relatively easy. First, you need to
apply for merchant account from the merchant account provider of your choice. To
enable the service, you need to have an order page set up on your website for you to
be able to make virtual shopping possible. An order page can be created by using
programming languages including HTML, Java, C++, ASP and PERL. This next step is
very important, you need to be able to secure your website and make sure that
every customer’s information is encrypted; therefore, you need to call your internet
service provider and request for SSL or Secure Sockets Layer for your website. This
will eliminate the worries of your customers and prevent them by being victimized by
online fraud and privacy issues.
Because of the desperate need of businesses for merchant accounts, there are lots of
merchant account providers nowadays that are offering their services as well.
However, as a business owner, you need to think about which provider will best work
with you and will help move your business forward. Therefore, always keep in mind
these things when looking for a merchant account provider: First, make sure that the
provider is very reliable and is able to transact in real-time. Second, check if they
comply with credit card industry standards. If they do, your business will gain an
advantage over others as customers will be assured that their information is secure.
Third, ask if they are flexible. The main concerns of online shoppers are fraud,

2. security issues and privacy breaches. Thus, you need to make sure that you put your
clients first by ensuring their security and privacy.
Being able to accept credit or debit cards via the phone or online can definitely move
your business forward and gain an edge over other competitors. Not only will you be
the one enjoying the benefits of having e-commerce credit card processing solutions,
but because of the convenience and flexible payment options that your business can
offer, you will be assured that your customers will enjoy it too.