Need a merchant account and/or credit card payment processing facilities?
A shopping cart is only one part of an ecommerce transaction. Once credit card details have been entered on the shopping cart checkout form, they need to be securely transmitted to a payment processing
gateway service which
then directs the information through financial networks and attempts to debit
the customer's credit card.
If the funds are successfully processed,
the transaction is approved and the shopping cart software is notified; which
then alerts the client and you to an order being successfully processed. The
funds from the transaction are then deposited into your merchant account, which
you can then transfer into a business checking account.
Some payment processors act as an all-in-one solution, including ClickBank,
PayPal and
2CheckOut. These are excellent, secure services, but depending on your
circumstances, you may need different type of credit card payment processing/merchant account arrangement.
Other services have credit card payment processing and merchant accounts as very separate entities. It can get quite confusing
trying to select the best arrangement to suit your needs and it can cost you
dearly if you select an inappropriate solution.
Merchant account services - with a difference
ThinkHost has partnered with Dharma Merchant Services and is our recommended
merchant services provider. Dharma is one of the
only progressive, socially conscious merchant account services around!
By providing a sustainable, socially-responsible choice for merchant services, Dharma Merchant Services seeks to achieve the "greener good" by helping companies to uphold their values in all aspects of their business.
Dharma MS uses environmentally-friendly resources like recycled paper and soy-based inks; chooses green, mission-driven partners
including a community-focused bank; and gives 10% of profits back to charitable non-profit organizations.
This doesn't mean higher prices for you - Dharma offer some of the
lowest rates around.
Free no-obligation quote and discount via ThinkHost!
 |
Dharma Merchant Services would like to extend a special discount
to all ThinkHost clients and visitors. This offer is only available via
our site by completing the form below. After submission, a Dharma
representative will follow up with you to assess your needs and provide
you with a no obligation quote. |
Don't forget about SSL
To increase security when credit card details are submitted to a payment gateway such as
the above providers supply, you should also use SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) in
conjunction with a server certificate. In combination, these features
authenticate your site and ensure that transactions are encrypted. This prevents
external unauthorized parties from intercepting and reading the information
being transmitted. Using SSL and a certificates also acts as reassurance to your clients that their
credit card details are being handled in a correct and secure manner. You can learn more about
the options ThinkHost provides for SSL
and server certificates here.
