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payment-gateways:payment-gateways

Payments 101

Overview

To accept payments online two services are required:

  • Payment Gateway
  • Merchant Account

In Payments 101 we are going to touch on the basics of both services. However, if you're starting from scratch we recommend that you checkout our blog series Credit Card Processing Demystified for a more detailed overview.

As we mentioned above you'll need two services to accept credit cards online. The only exception is if you are using PayPal, which is a bundled, all-in-one solution. Let's talk about bundled solutions now.

Bundled Solutions (Gateway + Merchant Account)

If you choose PayPal you will get a merchant account and gateway in one. They make it pretty easy to sign-up and get going quickly. SubscriptionBridge works along side PayPal to provide dozens of additional and useful features. This is a good solution if want to get started quickly or do not have a US Bank Account.

If you are not going with PayPal you'll need to select the gateway and merchant account separately. For some that is a big plus. At this point we should note that while SubscriptionBridge has it's own gateway we do not offer a bundled solution. We make things simple and are here for you every step of the way. However, you will find our gateway right along side all of the other gateways below. Not only is this fair to our partners, but it is fully transparent to you. You can view each gateway free and clear, examine fees, and decide which one will work best for you.

Payment Gateways

Overview

A payment gateway is a service that acts as an interface between your customers and your merchant account provider. To put it simply, you can think of it as a card swipe machine (like the one at your grocery store or gas station)… but instead of being a physical machine, it is a service. Everyone needs a payment gateway to accept credit cards.

If you have any questions about the gateways…

Supported Payment Gateways

Test Payment Gateways

SubscriptionBridge includes a test payment gateway that allows you to test the system without having to actually sign up for one of the supported recurring payment systems listed below. More information.

  • PayPal Sandbox
  • Early Impact Gateway

Live Payment Gateways

Request a Gateway

SubscriptionBridge uses a “plug and play” architecture that can support any Gateway that has a secure PCI compliant vault. If you would like to use SubscriptionBridge, but do not see your gateway listed send us an email.

Merchant Accounts

What is a Merchant Account?

A merchant account is a special type of bank account that allows you to accept credit card payments.

Merchant Account vs. Ordinary Banks Account

A merchant account is not an ordinary bank account. You do not interact with a Merchant Account like you do with your ordinary bank account, rather the merchant account connects to and makes deposits into your ordinary bank account.

If you have any questions about the merchant accounts…

payment-gateways/payment-gateways.txt · Last modified: 2012/05/13 19:15 by matt