Article Written By: Urbine Michael
Many assume that when purchasing or money making on the internet happens in one transaction. It is wrong. It is a tad bit more complex, but not so that it cannot be broken down into something more understandable. When making money through the internet or making payments of any kind that has a secure log in, it is important to know how your money is being processed. There are usually two types of transaction that take place. The first one is through your merchant account, and another through what is defined as a payment gateway. To most, both of these might seem similar, but they are not. There are small differences that can make a world of a difference. If there is any trouble that occurs, it is to your advantage to know where the problem is, and isolate it and resolve it. A customer, when purchasing a product from your website, goes through a number of windows before he or she gets to their cart. Once they have arrived on that page, they give the green light for the payment. The first thing that needs to happen is approval of their form of payment, which is most likely a credit card. This transfer of information will happen securely from third party software to the financial network in question. Once it has been approved, the funds will then be transferred from their account to your merchant account. Only then will you be able to withdraw the money and do as you wish with it. So to recap, a payment gateway is the transaction that occurs from the costumer to the financial institution via a secure third party that specializes in secure information exchange. There are numerous software choices available that offer a multitude of services that will enhance your business. The merchant accounts receive the funds that are, if approved, in the financial institution also known as your customer's credit card. That is the main distinction. From where and to where the transaction is made. If you know there is any trouble, it would be important to know from which end of the transaction it happens in order to solve it promptly.One cannot be without the other. In order for there to be a legitimate business for customers to trust, it is vital that a payment gateway be made. In addition, in order for you to receive these funds you will need a merchant account. Even in our everyday offline purchases and sale, when using a debit or credit card machine, the transaction goes through two processes, which minimize the risk of having a fraud in the midst. The consumer is reassured of a secure payment and the businesses are protected by loss of income. There are no disadvantages to having this setup. It is the ultimate way to ensure a quick and easy transaction that will surely be a win-win situation with both the customer and the business person.
Michael Urbine is the author of this article on Merchant Services. Find more information about Credit Card Processing here.
This Article Has Been Published on Thu, 25 Mar 2010 and Read 119 Times