Online Payment Processing

One of the more confusing part of e-commerce development is the process of accepting credit cards and other forms of electronic payment.  How are credit card transactions processed?  What are a payment gateway service and an internet merchant account?

How Does Online Payment Processing Work?

A great description can be found here on Authorize.net’s website.  In basic terms, when an order is submitted on your website by your customer, your website will send the credit card information to Authorize.net, a Payment Gateway Service.  Authorize.net will then contact the credit card companies to determine if the charge is approved.  If it is approved, Authorize.net will reply back to your website to accept the order.  Authorize.net will then coordinate with the banks associated with the credit card to deposit the money into your Internet Merchant Account.  Your Internet Merchant Account can then be linked to your checking account giving you access to the revenue from your online sales.

Who is Authorize.net?

We are proud to offer online payments through our partner, Authorize.Net®, a leading provider of payment gateway services since 1996. Authorize.Net manages the complex routing of transaction data from your business to the credit card and electronic check payment processing networks, ensuring secure and reliable deposit of funds into your merchant account.

FEATURES

Online and Manual Payments

• Accept online payments via your website.
• Enter telephone and mail orders through the included Virtual Terminal.

Payment Types

• Visa®, MasterCard®, American Express®, Discover® and electronic checks.

Customer Checkout

• Customers pay on your website or on a custom Authorize.Net payment page, based on the integration method you choose.

Receive Payments Quickly

• Automated deposit into your merchant bank account, typically within two business days.

Online Account Management

• Log into your secure account for real-time reports showing transaction history and balances.

Technical Support

• Online Knowledge Base
• Free support via telephone, chat, and email five days a week.

Security

• Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard compliant.

Risk Management

• You never need to store sensitive data on your computer – Authorize.Net safeguards it in their secure data center.

Fraud Prevention

• Standard features, as well as optional Fraud Detection Suite™ (FDS), help you recognize suspicious transactions.

Billing Services

• Bill a repeat customer without storing their payment information or asking for it again. Optional Automated Recurring Billing™ (ARB) is also available.

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What are the Next Steps?

Step 1…

The next step is for you to apply online for a payment gateway and an Internet merchant account. Authorize.Net can provide you with both of these, or if you already have a merchant account, you can choose to apply for a payment gateway account only.

  Click here to learn more about Authorize.net’s fees.
  To apply for a payment gateway or internet merchant accounts please click the button below.

Step 2…

Once you have submitted your application, Authorize.net will have your payment gateway account set up within two business days. The average processing time for a merchant account application is five to seven business days. Please remember that in order to process payments, you must have both accounts set up and activated.

Step 3…

Once your payment gateway account is set up, you will receive an activation e-mail from Authorize.net with instructions on activating and getting started with your account. If you need assistance activating your account, please refer to this Account Activation tutorial found at http://www.authorize.net/videos/.

Step 4…

Once you have activated your payment gateway account, you will be able to log into the Merchant Interface.  Authorize.net has provided a New Merchant Tour, located at http://welcome.authorize.net, which is designed to assist you with managing your payment gateway accounts.

Step 5…

We will contact you to obtain the API Login ID and Transaction Key which can be found in the Account section of the Merchant Interface.  These two keys will enable us to finish connecting your website to your Authorize.net payment gateway account.

So…Let’s Get Started!

To apply for a payment gateway or an internet merchant account, please click the button below. This link will take you to the Authorize.Net online application where you can apply for your payment gateway and merchant accounts, as well as sign up for any value-adding services.

• After clicking the Sign Up Now button, you will be taken to the online application home page. Before you can access the application, you will need to create an account by clicking the Register button. Simply enter your email address and create a password. Once you are finished, click Submit. You will be taken back to the online application home page where you can then sign in and begin the application process.
• During the application process, you will need to either sign up for a merchant account, or provide specific information on your existing merchant account. If you need help finding this information, please call your assigned sales representative at the phone number listed below.
• If you have questions regarding any page or section of the application, please click the Help link located in the upper right hand corner of any application page. These help files are extremely useful and should answer any questions you have.

Once you have completed and submitted the application, Authorize.Net will review the provided information and contact you directly concerning your account. If at any time you have questions or need additional assistance, please call the assigned Authorize.Net sales representative, Lisa Millar at 801-492-6507 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . If for some reason your sales representative is unavailable, you can also call the Authorize.Net Sales Department at 866-437-0476, Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 5 PM Pacific Time.