San
Clemente Links - Credit Card
Merchant Services
Frequently Asked
Questions
- What is a merchant account? Why do I need one?
- How does it work?
- How do I get a merchant account?
- Would it be easier to
go to my local bank to get a merchant account?
- How long does it take to get a merchant account?
- Which credit cards can I accept?
- What kind of equipment do I need to process credit cards?
- How do I know that I'm getting a "good deal"?
- Can I use my merchant account to accept credit card payment
in my online store? Is it safe to process credit cards over
the Internet?
- The fraud protection features sound great, but what about
other features?
- What kind of payment solutions are available through Cardservice?
- Will the Cardservice LinkPoint Secure Payment Gateway work
with my shopping cart?
- Since Internet technology changes so fast, can I be sure
that my merchant account will still work with my Internet
store in the future?
1.
What is a merchant account?
Why do I need one?
A merchant account gives a business the ability to accept
credit cards as payment for the company's goods and services.
It provides your customers with an extremely popular payment
option, beyond cash and checks.
 
2.
How does it work?
The merchant account provider authorizes the credit card transfer
from your customer and deposits the funds for their purchases
directly into your business checking account, typically within
two business days.
3.
How do I get a merchant
account?
Merchant accounts are available from some banks and other
independent providers such as Cardservice International. Cardservice
is a leading transaction service provider. Last year the company
serviced over 125,000 merchants and processed over $8 billion
in bankcard volume.
Cardservice International offers small-to-medium-sized business
merchants a variety of services including credit card services,
electronic checking, Internet transaction services, and more.
Hostway offers an exceptional merchant
account program through Cardservice. Click on the link above
for more information.
4.
Would it be easier to
go to my local bank to get a merchant account?
Companies such as Cardservice International actually handle
the merchant account business of many local banks. In addition
to offering outstanding programs, Cardservice International
works with the kinds of businesses that most banks consider
risky, such as new enterprises, Internet businesses, and phone
and mail order businesses.
5.
How long does it take
to get a merchant account?
Application approval and set up can be completed in as little
as 24 hours through the special Cardservice program available
to Hostway customers.
6.
Which credit cards can
I accept?
You can accept the most popular credit cards: MasterCard,
Visa, and American Express. Cardservice can also support all
other major credit cards, including Discover and Diners Club.
7.
What kind of equipment
do I need to process credit cards?
A computer terminal or PC with Internet access can be used
for Internet, mail, and telephone orders. In the retail environment,
a specialized terminal/printer designed to read the magnetic
strip on the back of the customer's credit card is used. This
device provides the customer with a paper receipt at the time
of purchase. An imprinter, which takes a physical copy of
the customers credit card, may also
be used.
8.
How do I know that I'm
getting a "good deal"?
The Cardservice program offers an outstanding value across
the board: functionality, security, reporting, initial set-up
and low residual costs.
9.
Can I use my merchant
account to accept credit card payments in my online store?
Is it safe to process credit cards over the Internet?
Yes, Cardservice International's Secure Socket Layer Application
Programming Interface (SSL API) offers an encrypted connection
to its Secure Payment Engine. By using the LinkPoint
Secure Payment Gateway technology, all Cardservice International
merchants receive fraud screening on each transaction and
real-time reporting via their Web browser.
For the merchant who wants to get online fast with a limited
start-up budget, Cardservice International is the best choice.
Using Cardservice International's SSL API, all orders and
payment information sent from the merchant's web site will
be encrypted using industry standard RC4 1024-bit encryption
with SSL Version 3. This secure data is routed to Cardservice
International, where it is decrypted and processed. All processed
information (Approved/Declined transactions) is then re-encrypted
and sent securely back to the Web site, where it is decrypted
and displayed to the consumer. Order confirmation e-mails
are sent to the consumer and to the merchant. The Cardservice
International SSL API guarantees that the orders and payment
information generated by the merchant's Web site remains totally
secure.
10. The fraud protection features
sound great, but what about other features?
The Cardservice merchant account includes e-commerce modules
that allow Web customers to order products, pay for them,
and make shipping arrangements in real-time. These modules
include :
o
Fraud
Protection
o
Shipping
o
Tax
Calculation
o
Business
Reports
You also
have the option of choosing between auto-settlement and merchant
settlement procedures. By taking advantage of the Cardservice
International Business Reporting module, you can view critical
ordering and financial information all from a single source:
your Web browser.
11. What kind of payment solutions are available through Cardservice?
Three unique and user-friendly payment solutions are available:
Virtual LinkPoint allows merchants
to manually enter credit card transactions on a PC through
a secure connection to the Internet. Virtual LinkPoint
is the Internet equivalent of a point-of-sale (POS) terminal or PC-based transaction software
- without the hardware and software and maintenance expenses.
Virtual LinkPoint provides sales, returns, authorizations and real-time
reports.
LinkPoint HTML is a simple, yet
sophisticated product that requires a little hands-on setup
work by the merchant. It wraps around the merchant's existing
Web site, allowing shoppers to select and order products and
securely pay for them with a credit card. The same services
provided by the Virtual LinkPoint
are available with LinkPoint HTML.
LinkPoint API is the most sophisticated
level of service, enabling software companies, Commerce Service
Providers (CSPs), Internet Service Providers (ISPs), or cyber-wise merchants
to add secure sockets layer (SSL) payment capabilities to
their products, services, or custom storefronts. Additional
features, such as tax and shipping calculations and electronic
softgood download (ESD) (software,
pictures or text) are included.
12. Will the Cardservice LinkPoint Secure Payment Gateway work with my shopping cart?
The Cardservice LinkPoint Secure
Payment Gateway works with a wide variety of shopping carts.
In fact, Hostway offers a ready-to-use
shopping cart that has already been integrated with the Cardservice
LinkPoint Secure Payment Gateway.
13. Internet technology changes
so fast, will I be able to use my merchant account with my
Internet store in the future?
Yes, absolutely. As Cardservice upgrades its LinkPoint
products in the future, you will receive free upgrades to
keep you on the cutting edge.
CLICK
HERE TO APPLY TODAY!
*Your application fee will
be refunded 100% in the unlikely event that your application
is declined. |
