Warning: The biggest scam with merchant accounts is hidden fees. While some companies claim low fees, we have dug up the facts on companies that are cheap for you in the long run. Please return shortly after we have finished this guide.
It is simple: It is the ability to accept credit cards. The four big ones are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and Discover.
However, getting setup with these varies depending on the company. Basically, Visa and Mastercard work exclusively through resellers; also known as a merchant account company. We have done extensive research, selected the cheapest merchent account companies (with good service), and then displayed them on this page for you. On the other hand, American Express and Discover are different. Basically you can get accounts directly with them, as they don't work through resellers. But, to make it easier for you, and to gain you as their customer, most merchant account companies will help set this up for you at no extra cost.
Most often, but not always, merchant accounts are bundled with a gateway. You can get them separately if you prefer, but savings may be minimal.
Alternatively, you can use a service such as Paypal. Paypal is not a true merchant account, and can cause a variety of problems for an online store. You can learn more about it in our Paypal page.
