CC Payment Gateways vs Internet Merchant Account Services
Most businesses can no longer survive without an online component. Internet merchant accounts provide storefronts optimized for multiple payment methods, efficient and encrypted transaction services, and other software and hardware solutions. Credit card (CC) payment gateways are a part of these services. Knowing the differences and the overlap can help a small business shop for a store interface and get the services that they need.
With so many products and services now being purchased online, businesses that don’t offer online payment options are increasingly shuttering forever while those who prioritize those aspects are more likely to be thriving. Any knowledge of how merchant services work and how this can include credit card payment gateways can help a growing business stay afloat during the quarantine and stay ahead once it’s lifted.
Internet merchant account
Internet merchant accounts provide businesses with credit card merchant services. These are required for businesses to accept payments from customers (other than cash or checks), which is an essential service nowadays. Internet merchant account providers can offer more than merely the ability to accept payments, however.
They may also offer infrastructure for a business’s online point of sale system in the form of software. They enable encrypted transactions, and may even provide online shopping carts. Many providers even work on the advertising and lead generation marketing of a business’s website.
Not only do they allow businesses to accept credit and debit cards, but most offer services for echecks, ACH transactions, mobile payments, and other forms of eCommerce.
Versatility is important to customers in the modern market. The ability to offer these various forms of eCommerce payments is a huge advantage for a business of any size.
CC payment gateway
A CC payment gateway provides the connection between a website and the traditional banking network. This is why it is called a “gateway.” The transaction information is collected online, and the gateway sends the information through the traditional banking network to the cardholder’s issuing bank to verify their card information and to make sure they have adequate credit available for the transaction without hitting their limit. The gateway then returns the results of the transaction, letting the participants know whether it was completed successfully or if it was declined.
The Takeaway
The services offered by CC payment gateways and internet merchant accounts are complementary, and neither is much good for accepting payments online without the other.
Visit Charge.com or call (888) 924-2743 for information on how to obtain an internet merchant account that can equip any business to run smooth transactions with diverse payment options from their online store.