How to Accept Credit Cards on My Website?
Many online business owners have been asking themselves how to accept credit cards on their websites. If you’re starting a small business or running a rapidly growing operation, this is a question you’ll need to answer if you want to be as profitable as possible. Many business owners resort to using a service like Paypal, but the fees associated with these services can be high and cut into profit margins. While that may not matter much to sellers of digital goods or information products, it can be significant if you operate on tight margins. Here’s a quick explanation of how to accept credit cards on your website in the simplest and least-expensive way possible.
Getting a Merchant Account
The best way to accept credit cards directly online is through your own merchant account. A merchant account is simply a special type of bank account that allows you to process credit card transactions.
The problem? Many traditional merchant account providers, such as big banks, put all online businesses in the ‘high risk’ category and therefore make it very difficult for them to get their own merchant accounts. So if the banks deny you, how can you go about accepting credit cards through your website?
The solution is to find a specialized high risk merchant account provider who can offer you a package that suits the unique needs of your online business.
Security Considerations
Having a merchant account on its own is only half the battle. In order to process transactions directly through a website, you also need to take security into account – otherwise your website can turn into an easy way for hackers to steal credit card information from your customers. Getting an SSL certificate for your website is highly recommended for online merchants – this is a big trust point which will help you convert more visitors into customers, as fears over the security of credit card information are a big reason for the abandonment of shopping carts before completion of purchases.
High Risk Merchant Accounts
As we mentioned, as an online merchant most traditional merchant accounts providers will automatically put you in the high risk category, offering very unflattering terms on a merchant account or even refusing you outright. In order to get around these obstacles, you’re better off dealing with a high risk merchant account specialist – but finding the right one can be easier said than done.
That’s why our service at eMerchantBroker exists – to put business owners like you in touch with the best high risk merchant account providers in the business, so you can accept credit card payments through your website and enjoy the fruits of all the work you’ve put into your business.
We’ve already done a lot of the work for you by bringing together a database of the most affordable and reliable high risk account providers across the globe. All you have to do is let us know what you’re looking for and we’ll pair you up with the providers who are best suited to your needs.