A payment gateway encrypts and transmits customer data; a processor moves funds between accounts. Both are essential for online credit card transactions.

Accepting credit cards requires a payment processor like Square or Stripe, a merchant account, and hardware like POS terminals. Fees range from 1.5% to 4%.

Compare payment processing services from the best credit card processors to find the right provider for your small business. The most popular solutions offer reliable customer support, low transaction ...

As a staff writer for Forbes Advisor, SMB, Kristy helps small business owners find the tools they need to keep their businesses running. She uses the experience of managing her own writing and editing ...

Explore the technology behind online marketplace systems: digital transaction processing, security protocols, and how ...

Online payment processing is the process of accepting electronic payments from customers through a website or other online platform. The process generally involves several steps: Customer enters ...

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Establishing a third-party merchant service, or payment processing vendor, is vital to establishing credit and debit card payments. These ...

At Forbes Advisor, our team of experts select and test credit card processing companies across 31 key metrics that matter to small businesses. We analyzed everything from reliability and affordability ...