Most Popular Online Payment Gateways
What is a Payment Gateway?A payment gateway is an e-commerce application service provider that authorizes payments for e-businesses, online retailers, and ‘bricks and clicks’. Payment gateways allow you to list your merchandise or services online and automatically process credit cards, debit cards or other forms of payment without so much as lifting a finger.
Choosing a payment gateway can be difficult, there's a lot of competition, a lot of confusion and a lot of data to figure out before you can work out which payment gateway to choose. Most online businesses use a solution known as an “Online payment gateway”. If you want to provide the best buying experience for your customers, you will definitely need one that is good, reliable more secure.
1. Flagship Merchant Service
Flagship Merchant Services can maximize your profit potential and save you many of the headaches involved in setting up a payment gateway. In contrast to other online credit card processing solutions that have convoluted service contracts and require IT professionals to institute properly, Flagship allows entrepreneurs to start accepting payments online with minimal hassle. When you consider that Flagship Merchant Services can get a typical, midsized company set up with a payment gateway solution without hefty setup fees, it’s easy to see why so many people choose this vendor as their provided very low transaction fees.
Flagship uses the First Data Global Gateway to process credit cards and checks online. All you need is a merchant account and computer access to manage incoming payments and ensure that your clients receive the services or goods they’ve paid for. After successfully implementing a virtual terminal and gateway for your site, Flagship will automate Visa, MasterCard, Discover and other card payments at a .99-2.04% discount rate.
o ensure that sensitive customer data is safe, every credit card transaction, regardless of your chosen method of implementation, occurs over an encrypted, secure channel. The billing address and credit card info (including the CCV on the reverse of the card) provided by a customer are verified to prevent fraud. A Flagship merchant account enables you to set up recurring billing for your clients and even setup a pay wall on your site for premium content. For sites that provide valuable cloud and web-based services, this is a particularly valuable service.
Pros: Flagship has competitive transaction fees and low setup costs.
Cons: High-risk businesses in multinational markets may not be approved for merchant accounts.
Rating: 9.75 out of 10
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2. Intuit Payment Processing
Intuit is a familiar name to businesspeople, finance professionals and entrepreneurs. Intuit Merchant Services for web stores is an extension of its payment processing services that allows clients to process, automate and manage transactions online. Whether you’re new to eCommerce or simply want to update your old PayPal buy buttons, Intuit offers an effective and easy-to-implement online payment gateway. For web merchants without a team of programmers on hand, Intuit makes setting up a payment gateway easy and affordable. Intuit Merchant Services wins the TopTenREVIEWS Silver Award for payment gateway services.
If you already have a website and want to implement a payment gateway, Intuit bundles its services with shopping cart software so you can quickly start accepting credit card payments online with a minimum of programming and site redesign. Users with multiple websites will want to consider an Intuit merchant account in particular, because it’s possible to manage multiple sales channels and use uniform software across an entire network of ecommerce sites.
Before you decide to go with Intuit Merchant Service for Web Stores, its team will help you find out exactly what compatibility issues to expect and which shopping-cart software to use. After you’re an established client, Intuit continues to provide customer assistance via telephone, chat and email.
Intuit Merchant Services provides an excellent payment gateway for online businesses. You will be impressed with Intuit's prebuilt web stores and compatibility with common shopping cart software. For the small-to-medium business entering the eCommerce arena, Intuit has what you need to process credit cards online.
Pros: Low set up fees, fair transaction fees and easy integration with websites and QuickBooks make Intuit Merchant Service ideal for startups and web retailers.
Cons: Users without other Intuit software such as QuickBooks will miss out on some useful features.
Rating: 9.25 out of 10
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3. Authorize.Net
Authorize.Net operates its own successful payment gateway rather than contracting it out. If you already have a merchant account, a highly customized web store and feel comfortable with some of the technical aspects of configuration, the service is among the most economical and reliable.
Discount rates through Authorize.Net vary depending on what individual credit card companies charge and who you establish your merchant account with. In addition to any fees other services assess, Authorize.Net charges $0.10 per credit card transaction and a monthly $20 gateway fee. The service’s virtual terminal and fraud prevention tools are included free with other services.
Authorize.Net integrates perfectly with typical eCommerce software and can be used for any internally coded storefront you have. If you want to personalize your web store, Authorize.Net can refer you to certified developers who will do the integration. Clients with programmers of their own will want to look at the API (Application Programming Interface) option. It allows developers to fully customize a web store.
Authorize.Net has a huge number of resellers who can get you set up with a merchant account. While they don’t provide an account themselves, there are standards you can expect regardless of which of their partners you go through. Their Merchant Interface is a central point from which you can manage credit card transactions coming through your site, view your records, manually process payments and make any necessary adjustments.
The Authorize.Net payment gateway is one of the most widely used in eCommerce and for physical POS transactions. Whether you conduct your business solely online or just process a handful of online transactions per day, Authorize.Net can provide everything you need to automate, manage and process credit card payments.
Pros: Authorize.Net features competitive fees and rates, high compatibility with shopping carts, preconfigured “buy” buttons and solutions available for every type of online storefront.
Cons: The payment gateway stands alone, so you’ll have to manage implementation and merchant accounts elsewhere.
Rating: 8.88/10
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4. GoEmerchant
GoEmerchant will have the most appeal for business people entering eCommerce from scratch. The service provides everything a person needs to develop a web storefront, process credit card payments and manage customer accounts. From establishing a merchant account to configuring a payment gateway, GoEmerchant will guide you through the process and have you up and running.
Even if you don’t have web design experience or programmers available to help get your eCommerce site live, GoEmerchant’s Total Package includes preconfigured templates. Rather than the preconfigured web store packages, we think most merchants will want to consider GoEmerchant’s Gateway Package. It requires more technical work, but you can integrate the services with your shopping cart. For potential clients with programming knowledge, the API allows for easy tweaking and customization.
The GoEmerchant virtual terminal is included with all packages and allows you to manually process credit card numbers, review transaction histories, manage recurring transactions, configure invoice processes and interface with user accounts. Support staff can be reached via telephone, email and live chat. The website contains useful documentation and informational resources that assist you with configuration, implementation and trouble shooting.
GoEmerchant’s rates and fees are some of the most reasonable in the business. It has flexible contracts that don’t stick clients with hefty cancellation fees. The preconfigured web stores and payment solutions are reliable and with a bit of programming work can be retooled to fit your brand’s image.
Pros: GoEmerchant has everything necessary to process credit card payments online. The month-to-month service won’t stick you with any cancellation fees.
Cons: Preconfigured web stores are quite basic.
Rating: 8.65 out of 10
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5. CyberSource
CyberSource Essentials is easy to implement and designed for merchants doing moderate volume online sales. It includes everything necessary to process credit cards online. The pricing is reflective of industry standards, although if you’re doing large volume eCommerce you’ll be better off looking at other options. Discount rates for Visa and MasterCard are 2.39%, and each transaction is subject to a $0.35 fee. CyberSource Essentials is ready to accept e-checks, American Express, Diners Club and other means of payment. All credit card numbers run through your payment gateway are authorized after passing an AVS check and other anti-fraud measures.
Businesses with larger programming resources will be particularly pleased with CyberSource’s services. There are a number of APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that enable developers to completely customize web stores and payment processing procedures. Regardless of the level of sophistication required to implement your web store’s payment gateway, CyberSource is compatible with most popular shopping carts.
With a virtual terminal, you can process credit cards as a batch, manually process credit card numbers and manage customer info. For additional fees, you can automate chargeback handling to reduce the headache and costs associated with them. For technical assistance, troubleshooting and general assistance, CyberSource help staff are available via telephone from 6 AM to 6 PM Pacific time. Online queries can be submitted 24/7. For technical assistance with coding and programming, merchants will want to consider investing in an implementation package.
CyberSource’s payment gateway is effective and secure. It has safeguards against fraud, so you can be sure customer data is safe. The transaction fees and discount rates are fair, but perhaps a bit high for e-businesses with large sales volumes. For the small-to-medium-sized outfit however, CyberSource Essentials is an ideal package for accepting credit card payments online.
Pros: CyberSource Essentials is a start-to-finish solution that is considerably easier to implement and automate than many competitors.
Cons: Binding contracts, larger setup fees and inflated transaction fees could be a problem for merchants doing large volumes of sales.
Rating: 8.58 out of 10
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6. E-Commerce Exchange
If you are looking for payment gateway services so that your customers can pay you online, you might consider opening merchant and gateway accounts with a registered reseller for Wells Fargo Bank: E-Commerce Exchange. Unlike some of its competitors, this service does not force you to use it for both a merchant account and payment gateway. If you already have a merchant account, you can use this service as your gateway. If you need a merchant account and a gateway service, this vendor can provide you with both.
The service supports virtual terminals, which means that you can accept credit cards from any remote location because the virtual terminal lives online. In order to ensure security, this provider uses Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificates and an Address Verification System (AVS) that protects customers if their credit cards are stolen. Another security feature that all payment gateway services provide is the ability to validate a credit card via Card Code Verification (CCV), the three- or four-digit number that appears on the card, separate from the actual credit card number.
E-Commerce Exchange is no different from other high quality payment gateway services in that it allows your business to take payments by credit or debit cards. Merchant accounts, by definition, also include an agreement between your business, a merchant bank and a payment processor to settle credit and debit card purchases.
We recommend E-Commerce Exchange as a competitive and full-featured provider of payment gateway services. It authorizes and transmits credit card numbers reliably and does not charge too much for discount rates or transaction fees. It integrates smoothly with shopping cart software and securely tracks customer information and transaction histories. There is no charge to apply and no setup fee. Training is free and the 24/7 help desk is based in the United States.
Pros: E-Commerce Exchange does not force you to get its merchant account if you use its payment gateway.
Cons: Online chat is not part of the customer support system.
Rating: 8.48 out of 10
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7. Chase Paymentech
For web stores and eCommerce sites with a need to process credit cards, debit cards and e-checks online, Chase Paymentech has a number of options suitable for charities, small businesses and companies handling a large volume of transactions. Apart from some steep cancellation fees and rigid contract agreements, it’s hard to find a payment gateway that’s easier to implement or operate.
Chase Paymentech uses a proprietary Orbital Payment Gateway to authorize and process credit card charges. Every time a customer submits credit card data, it is securely transmitted and processed in seconds. The discount rates and transaction fees associated with use of Orbital vary according to what credit card companies charge and depending on the individual plan you select. The setup fees, transaction charges and rates reflect industry standards. In addition to a 2.19% discount rate on Visa and MasterCard, expect to pay $0.24 per transaction. Setup fees vary depending on which services you go with.
Chase Paymentech provides clients with a virtual terminal to manually manage credit card transactions from any computer with an internet connection for standard authorization and processing. By logging onto the virtual terminal, you can view reports, manage accounts and manually process or reject transactions. Subscription-based businesses will benefit from Orbital’s recurring billing options and customer data storage features.
If you don’t have a merchant account already, Chase can get you set up with one in as little as two days. Depending on your business type, you can also arrange for seasonal downtime to save on merchant fees. Established customers have access to help staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The help staff can be contacted via telephone or email. On the website, you’ll find useful educational and instructional resources that will help you get up and processing credit cards online.
Apart from rigid contracts with steep cancellation fees, Chase’s rates and fees match industry standards. As a payment gateway solution for eCommerce, Chase Paymentech warrants serious consideration.
Pros: With prebuilt web stores, integrated shopping carts and hosting services available, Paymentech is one of the easiest payment gateways to implement.
Cons: Steep cancellation fees that aren’t clearly stated before you sign on with Paymentech can cause unexpected headaches down the road.
Rating: 8.38 out of 10
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8. Paypal Website Payments Pro
For nearly a decade, independent ecommerce sites have been using PayPal for payment processing because it avoids the hassles associated with merchant accounts, online credit card transactions and returned charges. PayPal also offers merchant accounts to go with the Payflow payment gateway. Website Payments Pro clients get set up with a merchant account and can begin processing credit cards online. PayPal Website Payments Pro offers everything a merchant needs to do business online.
While a $30 monthly fee is fairly typical, Website Payments Pro has higher transaction fees and discount rates than many. At $0.30 cents per transaction and 2.9% for Visa, MasterCard and Discover charges, they are substantially more expensive than Flagship Merchant Services or Intuit Merchant Services.
PayPal Website Payments Pro works well for small hobby shops or niche market web stores that don’t have huge financial or IT resources. Regardless of the degree of sophistication you require for your web store, Payflow is compatible with the majority of popular shopping carts.
PayPal can get you set up with a merchant account, but if you already have one, you’re free to implement the Payflow gateway without opting for its associated services. PayPal has a support network that you can contact with any questions by telephone or email. In addition to standard account support, clients can purchase development support packages to assist with programming and IT issues.
Managing your online payments with a proven player like PayPal has some great advantages. Your visitors stay on your site and payments go directly to your bank account. For less code-oriented, online businesspeople, we’re particularly impressed with how easy it is to configure or integrate a shopping cart or payment form.
Pros: Easy implementation and a month-to-month service agreement makes PayPal Website Payments Pro more flexible than most payment gateways.
Cons: Steeper individual transaction fees are a problem for large volume businesses using PayPal Website Payments Pro.
Rating: 8.23 out of 10
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9. MerchantPlus
MerchantPlus operates the NaviGate payment gateway, an effective and easy-to-implement payment processing service for online merchants and eCommerce businesses. If you’re planning to take your business online, MerchantPlus offers comprehensive credit card processing solutions that will integrate with most shopping cart software.
NaviGate works with a number of shopping carts and also includes an Authorize.Net emulator so you can configure it to work with an even larger number of shopping carts and payment forms. MerchantPlus won’t design your website for you, but the all-in-one packages require minimal hands-on programming. There are automatically recurring billing options. Many other merchant account services offer recurring billing plans, but they charge a monthly fee. With MerchantPlus, it’s included in the package.
NaviGate provides all the flexibility, security and accounting features we expect from more well-known services. The virtual terminal supports multiple users and audits processed transactions. NaviGate doesn’t have the same handy integration with QuickBooks, so you might consider using Authorize.Net.
Setting up a merchant account and taking your business online for the first time is intimidating because it exposes you to unscrupulous providers that hide restricting terms and conditions in contracts and drop off the face of the earth after you’re locked in. MerchantPlus understands this and responds with transparency and accessibility.
MerchantPlus is a good payment gateway provider for businesses venturing online. The virtual terminal can handle automated online transactions as well as manually entered credit card numbers. While NaviGate isn’t as customizable as some of the competition, it’s an effective service for the majority of small-to-medium eCommerce ventures.
Pros: Highly competitive fees, solid discount rates, support for major shopping carts and solid customer support are among MerchantPlus’s strengths.
Cons: The proprietary gateway, NaviGate, doesn’t offer the same accounting features as others.
Rating: 7.75 out of 10
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10. Merchant One
Merchant One offers solutions tailored for businesses processing payments in a variety of contexts. Whether you represent a physical retail space or a solely online eCommerce site, Merchant One can provide you with the equipment, software and credentials necessary to process credit cards. In terms of conducting business online, the Merchant One payment gateway integrates well with typical shopping cart software and gives merchants the flexibility necessary to operate a web store or subscription-based service effectively.
In terms of everyday fees, Merchant One is competitively priced. Accepting Visa and MasterCard payments online will cost you a 2.05% discount fee and $0.20 transaction fee. Setup fees vary depending on the type of merchant account and package you opt for. Merchant One routinely waives setup fees. Their monthly fees reflect industry standards, but keep an eye out for cancellation fees included in any contract you sign.
Sites that have premium content or that are subscription based will want to sign up for Merchant One’s Customer Information Manager. It costs $5 per month, but given that you have a secure, offsite location to store sensitive data, it’s worth the nominal fee.
You can contact Merchant One support staff 24 hours a day, seven days a week, via telephone or email. Be advised that while they will help you configure a payment gateway, long-term programming support is not a part of their included support package. Technical support and troubleshooting will be handled by the developers of your gateway and not through Merchant One directly.
Merchant One offers cost-effective payment processing solutions. Whether operating a traditional brick-and-mortar hobby shop with an online payment portal or developing a subscription-based online service, Merchant One can offer everything you need to process credit cards online.
Pros: Competitive fees, reliable services, merchant account setup and quick implementation options make Merchant One useful for web stores and eCommerce sites.
Cons: Cancellation fees are typically included in contracts, so be sure to read the fine print.
Rating: 7.4 out of 10
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list your merchandise or services online and automatically process credit cards, debit cards or other forms of payment without so much as lifting a finger. online business
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