The Credit Card Gateway for organisations who don’t use Credit Card so much.

Problem:

  • Small organisation takes credit card transactions using a manual process.
  • Many of these transactions are Diners and Amex.
  • Paypal Website Payments Standard only takes Visa and Mastercard.

Options:

  • Get a Internet Merchant Account with bank, a gateway provider and process as required.  Cons: Expensive, Two suppliers, two sets of fees before getting your cut.  Pros: Fast, Instant, Dont have to hold onto cc details.  Can take Amex and Diners.
  • Find a much cheaper MOTO (Mail order Telephone order) or CNP (card not present) merchant account solution with a bank and either:
    • get an SSL cert, allow people to provide details online, but process them manually.
    • Use a slightly more expensive man in the middle to do the same thing (securely get your cc details via a nice nice api).  Still cheaper than a Internet Merchant account, no per transaction fee or cut.
    • Pros: Validate transactions before you process.  Cheaper, esp to take Amex and Diners.  Cons: Still have to automate.
  • Find an alternate gateway/merchant/secure page supplier that takes Amex and Diners.  This page provides a comparison on some services but it is a little dated.

Comparison of Some Online Services

Service Accepts AMEX & Diners Setup Fee Annual Fee Transaction Fee Chargebacks Must be registered user of their site in order to pay Needs seperate gateway Redirect to their SSL page Other Features
Moneybookers y $0 $0 8% Absorbed by them! yes no y  
WorldDirect (Special Offer) y $0
Save $200
$430 3.95%, normally 4.5% 

Settlement: Settlement in AUD for a AU bank account is AUD 7.00.  Min Settlement is $230

$30 fee incurred by you per chargeback! no no y Free Internet Terminal to make one off transactions taken via fax, post worth $140.
Free Fraud protection worth 16c per transaction.
eWAY yes but merchant accounts need to be set up individually.  Diners $99, AMEX special offer $50 $0 $199 first year
$349 subsequent years
.50c ??? no yes optional
offer xml interface if you have ssl cert ($19 per yr)
Many others