You should choose the right payment processor when you have a business that accepts credit and debit cards online. A security and payment processing services payment processor online will handle the bulk of the transaction from capturing the sale, to sending you a billing statement and working with your bank to make sure you are paid.

When a consumer purchases something from your website or in person at a brick-and-mortar store, their credit or debit card details passes through a gateway for payments or PoS terminal. The gateway encrypts data to ensure its security and sends it to a payment processor, who transmits it to the card network of the customer. The card network then checks with the bank of the customer to see if they have enough cash to purchase the item. If the bank agrees to the purchase then the card issuer will transfer funds from the account to the merchant’s bank. The payment processor will transmit this information to the merchant’s site or PoS terminal. This will notify the customer about the successful payment.

When choosing a processor be sure to consider factors such as security, user-friendliness, and compatibility with current systems. Find a solution that has APIs and plugins to seamlessly integrate with your ecommerce platform or the POS system. You should also consider the checkout experience of your customers as well as the reporting and management experiences for your team. Make sure you are familiar with the contract terms and how easy it is to switch providers in the future.