Merchant Accounts

A merchant account is basically the method by which any business, online or offline, conducts their credit card processing. They verify credit cards, check for fraud, approve or deny transactions, and transfer money to your account. And it's all automated. If you want to accept credit cards, which is by far the best way to do business online, then you will need some information about merchant accounts. They can be expensive to start up, but they are worth it in the end. Merchant accounts are not the same as shopping carts. To properly run your business you will need both. To find out more about shopping carts click here.

1. PayPal
If you're just starting out and don't have a merchant account yet, then allow me to recommend using PayPal. You can start using their service right away without spending a lot of time and money on set-up. Eventually, if you're serious about your business, you will want to get your own merchant account to process credit card transactions, because it will seem more professional to most of your site's visitors. Even if you have a merchant account, often it is best to offer a PayPal payment option as well. Some customers prefer it, and you don't want to turn anyone away.

2. ClickBank
Clickbank is a great place to go to help you process your sales if you are selling a downloadable item, such as an ebook or software. In fact, ClickBank only allows downloadable items, but they do a great job with it because they're basically a shopping cart and merchant account all in one. Plus, they also have a complete affiliate marketplace with thousands of people willing to sell your products for you. If you don't have a merchant account, or don't necessarily want one, then allow me to recommend trying out ClickBank to process your orders.

3. Cardservice International
Cardservice International is one of the industry leaders both online and offline. They are an award winning and well respected company, and can handle all of your merchant account needs for you. If you are not opting for an all-in-one hosting solution, then allow me to recommend Cardservice International as the merchant account to handle your online transactions.

4. Merchant Service Group
Merchant Service Group provides an array of electronic processing options to retail, restaurant, mail order, telephone order, and internet businesses. Their services include credit, debit and EBT card processing, check conversion and a satisfaction guarantee. A very professional and well respected service.

5. GoEmerchant
GoEmerchant is another great credit card processing service. They claim to have the best prices in the industry, and it's hard to dispute that claim. They have a few different ecommerce options for you to choose from, and their customer service is top notch.