Obtaining an internet merchant account to accept credit cards on the
Internet is more difficult than obtaining a 'regular' merchant account
due to the high risk that the card is not present nor is a signature obtained.
Even if a merchant already has a physical world merchant account, that
account is not likely to be Internet-ready as Internet transactions fall
under a different category and qualify for different rates than physical
world transactions.
Getting an Internet-Ready Merchant Account
If you already have a merchant account, notify your financial institution
that you wish to use the Internet payment service. If you are accepted,
they will set you up with a different account that is Internet-ready.
If your financial institution have strict rules on issuing internet accounts,
they may not allow you to get one.
If you do not have a merchant account yet or wish to find out which rates
you may qualify for, contact merchant
account providers or third-party
merchant services.
