Does your business use an online payment processor, a merchant processing system?

Are you happy with the service you’re getting? Are things clear to you? Are you getting the kind of reporting that’s useful to you in the conduct of your business?

Or perhaps you’re on the cusp of needing an online payment processor. Your website is being developed with the full intent of offering goods and services for sale. You want to be able to receive and process payments and coordinate shipping. Just how are you going to do that?

Think about contacting a company that specializes in merchant processing. Working with an online payment processor can save you from security headaches and a lot of paperwork. You have advanced requirements and needs; if you’re going to do business on the internet, a merchant processing specialist can pave the way.

If you’re new to online commerce, you’re not alone, but the field is more crowded every day. Just six years ago, electronic bill payments by consumers passed the use of paper checks for the first time. In 2002, Ecommerce sales were $72 billion; two years ago they were $256 billion. Ecommerce refers to large, business to business sales on the internet; online shopping is the consumer portion.

No matter where you are, it pays to have an online sales presence. And you have to decide how deep you’ll go. One of the decisions you have to make, for instance, is what level of credit card transaction you need. Level 3 is the highest, with the most detail about the transaction (item description, quantity, ship from postal code, etc.).

A company involved in merchant processing should be able to offer you all kinds of payment processing services: B2B credit card processing, Level 3 processing, online credit card processing, credit card merchant accounts and other merchant account services.

You want your customers to have a simple, quick and effective payment experience when they use your website. The right merchant processing firm can provide that experience for your customers, while maintaining the security and accounting features you need. Check with merchant processing firms and see what kinds of services they offer. They may ideas to improve your website even before it’s finished.