Credit Card Processing Blog

Merchant account is the generic term used to describe the service used by businesses and non-profit organizations to accept credit and debit cards for payment.

Use the resources on this page to learn how a merchant account functions in various environments, what its components are, how to manage it and how to select the right provider.

Merchant Account Basics

Dedicated Merchant Accounts vs. Third-Party Payment Services

Merchant Account Qualifications and Requirements

U.S.-Based Merchant Account Restrictions

Merchant Account Application Process

US-Based Merchant Accounts for Foreign Organizations

Requirements for Merchant Account Providers

How Payment Gateways Work and Integrate with E-Commerce Merchant Accounts

How does an E-Commerce Merchant Account Work

How Processors Manage Merchant Accounts with High Levels of Fraud

Merchant Account Reserve

Limits on Merchant Account Credit Card Processing Volumes

3 Reasons Why You Can Have Your Merchant Account Suspended

6 Reasons Why Visa Can Terminate Your Merchant Agreement

Merchant Account Pricing

Interchange Fees

Interchange Plus Pricing vs. Tiered Pricing

Qualified, Mid-Qualified and Non-Qualified Credit Card Transactions

What would be Reasonable Credit Card Processing Rates for Store-Front Merchants?

Merchant Account Guides

How to Select a Processing Bank for your E-Commerce Business

How Accepting Credit Cards Issued by Foreign Banks is Different and should You be Settling in Foreign Currencies

How Credit History Influences Merchant Account Applications

How to Protect E-Commerce Merchant Accounts from Intrusion

How to Select a Merchant Account Provider

Learn how to lower your card acceptance cost

Learn how to accept credit and debit cards at the lowest processing costs. The Payment Card Acceptance kit contains a video and an e-book:

• Video – Card Acceptance Best Practices for Lowest Processing Costs (18 min).
• E-Book – Payment Card Acceptance Guide (19 pages).