Comments on: Which merchant account to use? http://findyourmerchantaccount.com/484 The Best Merchant Account Reviewed Sat, 24 Jul 2010 14:09:35 +0000 hourly 1 By: rebecca http://findyourmerchantaccount.com/484#comment-493 rebecca Fri, 08 May 2009 05:46:43 +0000 http://findyourmerchantaccount.com/484#comment-493 Authorize.Net is a a gateway which works with your merchant account. It's a US only solution. Worldpay is a merchant account and gateway combo. However, you don't really need a merchant account and gateway to accept credit cards, you can do so via PayPal (or Google Checkout too, if you are in US or UK). That way you can use any shopping cart that works with these services, like Authorize.Net is a a gateway which works with your merchant account. It’s a US only solution.

Worldpay is a merchant account and gateway combo.

However, you don’t really need a merchant account and gateway to accept credit cards, you can do so via PayPal (or Google Checkout too, if you are in US or UK).

That way you can use any shopping cart that works with these services, like

]]> By: merchantprof http://findyourmerchantaccount.com/484#comment-492 merchantprof Wed, 06 May 2009 01:48:23 +0000 http://findyourmerchantaccount.com/484#comment-492 This is all a little confusing... They are talking about two different services. You need an 'Internet merchant account' and a 'payment gateway'. You can get an internet merchant account from one of your local banks, or from someplace like WorldPay A lot of payment service providers will set you up with a merchant account and a payment gateway. BankDirect is WorldPay's payment gateway. Authorize.net is another brand of payment gateway, probably the most popular and well supported by shopping carts. The merchant account is a relationship that you arrange contractually between your business and the banks/Visa that says you can accept credit cards. The 'payment gateway' is the tool that you use to actually process payments. It's analogous to a credit card terminal. Your shopping cart will hook up to the payment gateway. Your Internet merchant account, and your ecommerce shopping cart will both have a selection of payment gateways they support. You will want to make sure they can both agree on a payment gateway. This is all a little confusing…
They are talking about two different services.

You need an ‘Internet merchant account’ and a ‘payment gateway’.

You can get an internet merchant account from one of your local banks, or from someplace like WorldPay

A lot of payment service providers will set you up with a merchant account and a payment gateway. BankDirect is WorldPay’s payment gateway. Authorize.net is another brand of payment gateway, probably the most popular and well supported by shopping carts.

The merchant account is a relationship that you arrange contractually between your business and the banks/Visa that says you can accept credit cards. The ‘payment gateway’ is the tool that you use to actually process payments. It’s analogous to a credit card terminal. Your shopping cart will hook up to the payment gateway.

Your Internet merchant account, and your ecommerce shopping cart will both have a selection of payment gateways they support. You will want to make sure they can both agree on a payment gateway.

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