Accept Credit Cards!
Accept credit cards online and increase your small business sales. If you want to compete, you simply must offer direct credit card processing as a means of payment.
Even with the growing popularity of third-party processors such as PayPal®, current numbers show that if you do not accept credit cards on your site as well, you will only capture around 15 percent of your potential sales. Not only does accepting credit cards make it easy for your site’s visitors to buy your products, but it also gives your business credibility.
Merchant Accounts & Payment Gateways
Before you can start accepting credit cards online you will need to establish a secure server to process your credit card transactions, a small business merchant account and a payment gateway.
MERCHANT ACCOUNT & PAYMENT GATEWAY RATES
- $149 onetime license and set up fee
- $29.95 per month
- $0.35 per transaction
- 2.39% fixed discount rate
- $0.95 per eCheck transaction (optional service)
PAYMENT GATEWAY ONLY ACCOUNT RATES
(Requires an internet type merchant account to complete transactions)
- $149 onetime license and set up fee
- $20 monthly gateway fee
- $0.10 per transaction
Authorize.net® has several merchant account partners that can help you obtain a merchant account for your online ecommerce needs. Actual rates and fees will be presented to you and there is ABSOLUTELY NO FINANCIAL COMMITMENT until you agree to a merchant account with one of the Authorize.net® partners.
Apply for Your Merchant Account and/or Payment Gateway
To read and download the following applications for a Merchant Account and/or Payment Gateway, you will need the most recent version of Adobe Reader. Adobe Reader is FREE and Easy to use - just click here to update or download your FREE copy of Adobe Reader.
Whether you need to apply for both a merchant account and a payment gateway or you already have a merchant account, but need a payment gateway, the process is simple.
To apply for any of the above, PRINT THIS FORM.
On the form you will be asked to decide one of two things:
#1. “If You Have an Existing Merchant Account, complete and fax the following forms” and there will be check boxes for what is necessary if you ONLY WANT a Payment Gateway. You may already have a Merchant Account that you have used to run a credit card machine off-line, but now want to be able to accept credit cards online. This is when you would only need a Payment Gateway account.
OR
#2. “If You Need a Merchant Account, complete and fax the following forms.” and again gives you check boxes for what is required to apply for BOTH a Merchant Account AND a Payment Gateway
In both cases, follow the detailed instructions to complete the application for the particular account you are requesting.
Once you have completed the application, fax it in its entirety directly to Authorize.Net®, using the fax number listed on the form. Authorize.net® will work directly with you via e-mail to make sure that your account is set up as quickly as possible.
PLEASE NOTE: Authorize.net® will contact you via e-mail. On your application, please use an e-mail address that you check regularly. If they need any additional information they will request it via the e-mail address you write on the application. If they cannot reach you via that e-mail address it will hold up processing your account.
What is a Merchant Account?
Merchant Accounts are atypical bank accounts established with a payment processor for the settlement of credit card transactions. Any merchant who wants to take credit card orders must establish a merchant account. Internet merchant accounts do not hold funds for an extended period of time, but instead, transfer payments on a daily basis to a bank account designated by the internet merchant.
What is a Payment Gateway?
A payment gateway is a service that allows credit card information to be collected and passed securely over the internet. A payment gateway can be thought of as the digital equivalent to a credit card processing terminal you would see in a brick and mortar retail store. The payment gateway handles the verification and transfer requests. The term account when used with “payment gateway” is not a funds holding account but rather a “service account” that typically has a log-in where you can configure your payment gateway settings.
To process credit cards online, you will need both a merchant account and a payment gateway. Some startups have been known to get these two mixed up, meaning they carefully apply for a payment gateway, but haven’t got the merchant account to begin with. This is why we have partnered with Authorize.Net® to bundle both together to make things simpler for you.
