Credit card merchant accounts have been created as an outgrowth of the constantly increasing volume of online e commerce. They serve a necessary function, that of protecting and facilitating the safe transfer of money from point of origin to point of completion of the transaction. They have several purposes:

All the steps in processing credit card transactions can be streamlined into a gateway, or payment, path. The seller can then focus on customer satisfaction and growing his e commerce presence without having to attend to the details of managing the paperwork. Gateway transactions are completed quickly, so that neither buyer nor seller has to delay. All information is secure; that is, there is no third party risk of your personal information being stolen.

Next, let’s look at what actually goes on when you make an internet purchase:

First, your credit card transaction is passed on to an internet, or gateway, payment service. It is then sent via a secure connection to the processor; his job is to send it next to a credit card interchange system center, and from there to your bank or other financial institution.

Your bank processes your transaction in the same way they would if you were there in person; that is, they accept or reject it on the basis of the funds available in your account. The bank will then send the transaction results and money involved back to the credit card interchange system.

The interchange center then lets the credit card processor know the transaction outcome. They in turn give these results back to the online payment gateway service, which will make a record of the transaction outcome and then send it to both customer and merchant. The transaction is complete.

Such a process! But your information is still safe, in spite of the fact that identity thieves are as alive and well in the virtual world as in the real one. These scary folk would be happy to use your information for their own purposes, buying what they want and leaving you to pay for it. Their threat is real. Social networks are also a minefield for the loss of personal information; be aware that anything you publish online just keeps on being there, waiting. You can see how credit card merchant accounts can fill an important need.

Put your online transactions in the hands of a secure online gateway. You won’t have to worry about your personal information. Both merchant and customer can feel secure if there is a viable credit card merchant account in place.

Learn more about superior credit card processing. Stop by PayLeap where you can find out all about our credit card processing fees and how we can help your Internet business.

Leave a Reply