Actinic Credit Card Processing

Taking Payment Over The Web Need Not be Daunting...

SSL – Secure Sockets Layer

SSL is an encryption protocol that allows confidential data, in this case credit card information, to pass over the Internet without being vulnerable to interception, eavesdropping or hackers. The information is broken down into a complex code, sent over the Internet and decoded at the other end. The ability to send and receive over SSL is already built-in to all major browsers. What you pay the SSL provider for is an encryption key, or SSL certificate. Think of it as a secret cypher, if you write a message on a piece of paper but you substitute 1 for A, 2 for B, 3 for C and so on you would have a jumbled page of unintelligible words and symbols . Whoever you send that to must have the key to de-code it and read it. That is a simplified analogy but helps explain the process. Examples of SSL certificate providers are Thawte and Comodo. The fees for an SSL certificate are usually very reasonable.

Alternatively you can use the Actinic shared SSL which costs around £100+VAT per year.

Merchant Account

This is an account for you, the merchant, to deposit your money in. The account can be a traditional type of bank account, or it can be an Internet merchant account that receives the funds from the payment gateway and holds them for you until they are transferred to your business or personal bank account. Banks are more reluctant to open a merchant account for an Internet business than they would be for a local brick and mortar store because the possibility for fraud is higher on the Internet since it is not a face-to-face transaction and the banks would be liable to cover fraudulent charges.

If however your bank declines you for this type of account, there are companies that provide high-risk accounts, such as World Pay brokerage account.. You may not think of yourself as a high-risk but in the eyes of most financial institutions any Internet business is high-risk simply because the possibility for credit card charge backs due to fraud is higher. These high-risk providers fall under the category of Internet Merchant Account and are the most common route for an e-commerce start-up.

Payment Service Providers

WorldPay enables thousands of businesses to accept payments on the internet, by credit and debit cards - in any language and most currencies. WorldPay are part of The Royal Bank of Scotland Group.

Secure ePayments is a secure service for card payment authorisation and settlement from HSBC.

Integration between Actinic and Barclays ePDQ online card payment system is available from SecureHosting.

Protx specialises in processing secure online credit and debit card transactions, and is one of the UK's most competitive payment service providers (PSPs).

The NOCHEX online payment system enables businesses and individuals who are trading online to accept payments from anyone with a credit or debit card.

Metacharge Standard Account is a complete solution that includes a merchant account. Submit payments via Actinic and virtual terminal. Low rates, fast setup, 24x7 support.

SecureHosting offer the best value payment gateway service available for Actinic. They also provide free help & advice on merchant accounts.