Accepting credit cards at your website is easier than you think. Studies have shown that accepting credit cards online can easily increase sales by more than 300%. If you want to do business on the web, you HAVE to be able to accept credit cards!

There are two ways you can accept credit cards at your site:

1) Get a Merchant Account - this is the option that the most successful sites usually choose.
You will also require access to a secure server, and some shopping cart software. Your web host will sometimes supply these, and most merchant account providers offer them as options. Some merchant account providers will even give you a shopping cart for free. Charge.com is one that will.
There is more information about merchant accounts on the Merchant Account Basics page.
Consider the top merchant accounts first, then try the big list of merchant account providers.

2) Let a third party do the processing - a good option for sites that cannot afford the up-front cost of a merchant account. Be warned though, these services are not necessarily the cheapest solution in the long run.
There is usually a longer delay before you get your money. This is to protect your processor against refunds and chargebacks.
This option can be much easier to set up than a merchant account.
Good examples of this type of service can be found on the Accept Credit Cards Without a Merchant Account page.

You should receive step-by-step instructions whichever option you choose. Third party processing is the least hassle for beginners - they do most things for you and there is always the option of a full merchant account in the future.

The success of your web site depends on how easily your visitors can give you money. The easier the better! Even small home based businesses can accept credit cards these days. You MUST have the ability to process orders online. Decide how to proceed today!

Click Here for the Top Merchant Accounts