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> Accepting Credit Cards
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Setting Up an Affiliate Program
Part Five: Accepting
/ Processing Credit Card Payment Through Your Web Site
If you're doing
business on the Internet, accepting and/or processing credit card payments
through your web site is an absolute must. If you're not processing orders
online, you're losing a great deal of money in lost sales. Studies have shown,
you can increase your online sales by up to 400% simply by accepting credit
cards. With today's technology, processing your customer orders online can
be as simple as pasting a code within your web page HTML.
Preparing your web site to process orders online isn't as difficult as you
may think. There are basically two options. The first option is to set up
a merchant account. This entails either making arrangements with your bank
or using an online company. The second option is to use a third party credit
card processor. This option requires no merchant account and usually entails
setting up a form or placing a link on your order page.
Merchant Accounts
If you'd like
to set up a merchant account, keep in mind, you will also need a shopping
cart system and access to a secure server. Many web hosts will provide you
with both. If yours doesn't, this professional web host does:
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=h4p
The following web sites can provide you with a merchant account:
Total Merchant Services (TMS)
http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/web/jump.cgi?ID=2332
This outstanding company comes highly recommended by Corey Rudl -- author
of the #1 selling online marketing course, "Insider Secrets to Marketing
Your Business on the Internet."
The TMS Merchant account, for Internet transactions, will enable you to accept
Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover. They offer two merchant
processing software packages to choose from. The first package is the TotalPay
powered by Authorize.Net™ Virtual Terminal. This package will enable
you to authorize, process, and manage credit card transactions from any computer
with an Internet connection and a Web browser. This package ordinarily runs
$995, but for a limited time is being offered for only $287. The second package
is the TotalPay powered by Authorize.Net™ Virtual Terminal that includes
the Total Merchant Manager Shopping Cart. This package includes everything
the first package includes, plus all of the following:
• Customizable Shopping Cart System
• UPS Shipping Module
• Links to Virtual Terminal
• Free Initial Installation
Their discount rate is 2.4% and $0.35 per transaction fee. Monthly fees include
a $10 monthly statement fee and a $10 gateway fee that includes secure, online,
real-time credit card and e-cheque processing and only applies to merchants
processing transactions through their Internet payment gateway.
Third Party Credit Card Processors
If you'd rather
not have your own merchant account, third party credit card processors will
process your credit card orders for you. There are usually no monthly fees.
They charge a "per transaction" fee and send you payment for all of your
orders processed, minus their fee and a reserve fee. A reserve fee is withheld
to cover and charge backs you may have. If you have no charge backs within
a period of time, your reserve will be refunded to you. Each company has
their own guidelines in regard to reserves.
The following web sites will process credit card orders for you:
=> PayPal
http://www.paypal.com
PayPal will enable any business or consumer with an email address to securely
send and receive payments online. You can also accept Visa, MasterCard, American
Express, Discover and electronic checks. You can sell with PayPal through
an online auction, on your own web site, or as part of an online marketplace.
They also offer recurring billing. There are no setup fees. They charge 2.9%
+ 30¢ per transaction. Services available for US and non-US merchants.
=> ClickBank
http://www.clickbank.com
ClickBank will enable you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover,
Eurocard, Visa-Debit, MasterCard-Debit, Novus cards and electronic checks.
They charge a one-time $49.95 activation fee, and a $1 + 7.5% fee per sale.
There are no monthly fees. The great thing about this company is that they'll
enable you to run an affiliate program. Services available for US and non-US
merchants.
=> 2Checkout.com
http://www.2checkout.com
2Checkout.com enables you to accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and
Discover. They also offer recurring billing and a free shopping cart. There
is a $49 set up fee. There are no monthly fees. They charge 5.5% + $0.45
fee per sale. Services available for US and non-US merchants.
If you're just starting out, you may want to use one of the third party credit
card processors, as this is the easiest route for new Internet businesses.
Each company provides you with step by step instructions to assist you in
getting your web site set up to accept credit cards. The great thing about
third party credit card processors is that they handle everything for you.
You don't have to hassle with processing your credit card payments or charge
backs, as all of this is taken care of for you.
If you're serious about your online success, you must have the ability to
process your orders online. With today's technology, even the smallest homebased
business can now accept credit credits almost instantly. Visit one of the
web sites mentioned above and get your web site set up today. Your success
depends upon it.
Copyright © Shelley Lowery
About the Author:
Shelley Lowery is the author of the acclaimed web design course, Web Design
Mastery.
http://www.webdesignmastery.com
And, Ebook Starter - Give Your Ebooks the look and feel of a REAL book.
http://www.ebookstarter.com
Visit Web-Source.net to sign up for a complimentary subscription to Etips
and receive a copy of the acclaimed ebook, "Killer Internet Marketing
Strategies."
http://www.web-source.net
You have permission to publish this article electronically, in print,
in your ebook or on your web site, free of charge, as long as the author
bylines are included.
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