Merchant accounts and gateways.
How to choose · Payment processing
Start with how you sell: in person, online, by phone or through invoices. Then compare pricing structure, settlement speed, reserve and hold policies, dispute handling, contract exit terms and how well the gateway connects to your accounting and ordering systems. Pricing is rarely the only difference; a cheap headline structure can hide holds, minimums and early termination clauses. This page covers how to evaluate, not which provider to pick.
Comparison · Payment processing
A merchant account is the arrangement that lets you receive card funds into a bank account; a payment gateway is the software link that securely passes card details from checkout to the processor. Bundled providers hide the split, while unbundled setups give you more control and more paperwork. The right structure depends on volume, technical ability and how much you want to negotiate separately.
Problems & fixes · Payment processing
Processing contracts often look simple on the first page and shift cost into minimums, statement and compliance fees, early termination charges, equipment leases and rate-change rights buried later. Review the schedule of fees, auto-renewal, liability for chargebacks and the provider's right to alter terms. Ask for everything in writing and have a professional adviser read the agreement before you commit.
Requirements · Payment processing
Any business accepting cards must protect cardholder data under the card network security standard, validated through a questionnaire or assessment that depends on how you take payments. The less card data touches your own systems, the lighter the effort. Hosted checkout, encrypted terminals and tokenization shrink scope. Your acquirer or processor tells you which validation applies.