Your guide to choosing a Merchant Account Provider

Fighting your way through the jungle of e-commerce hype can be difficult, but we want to make it simple for you. We compared over a dozen merchant account providers in several key areas: Rates and fees, costs for equipment and software, customer service; the length of time to deposit funds, and the types of businesses accepted.

Merchant Service Providers  If you're in the market for a credit card processing system, you'll quickly find there are a lot of companies out there competing for your business. Learn more about bank-authorized merchant accounts, independent sales organizations, third-party credit card processing, and payment processing gateway companies.

Internet merchant accounts  Accepting credit cards online involves different requirements than a traditional merchant account. Find out why e-commerce sites are perceived to be more susceptible to fraud, what steps you'll need to take to support online credit card processing, and what additional costs are involved.

Choosing a Credit Card Processing Company  Costs can vary widely depending upon the nature of your business and the terms of your contract. Find out what every merchant should know before signing a contract: how much you can expect to pay to get started, what kinds of monthly fees you may encounter, and costly mistakes you'll want to avoid.

All merchant account providers are not created equal, and neither are the financial packages they'll offer you. One company may label your business too risky and turn you away, another may be only too happy to give you an account - and a hefty bill at the end of the month. However, armed with a little bit of knowledge and some sharp negotiating skills, you should have no problem finding a solution that meets your needs.

• Card Service International - Click here to apply for a merchant account. No obligation!

• Electronic Transfer - No application fee merchant accounts

• eCommerce Web Site Design - InTouch Communications offers custom web site design, targeted web site promotion services, and turnkey ecommerce solutions at an affordable price for virtually every online business.