Ecommerce Considerations:
Credit Card Processing

How your ecommerce website handles credit card processing generally depends on the number of products in the catalog and the volume of sales.

Small sites with under 25 products don't generally need a full-scale online store. An inexpensive, 3rd party shopping cart service is often the best choice. Services such as PayPal provide the small online retailer with shopping cart software, credit card processing and printable packing slips, for far less than a traditional merchant account.

Larger catalogs need a more robust ecommerce package, inventory management, order tracking, and the ability to process credit cards using your own merchant services account. These choices will effect the price, service charges and complexity of your ecommerce website.

We strongly recommend that you consult your merchant service regarding PCI rules that may affect the approach to payment processing on your website, before signing up for any card processing service.

Understanding these choices before you commit to gateway and merchant accounts will help you avoid unnecessary expenses.