Online Business
If you sell products or services online, you’ll need specialized software.

Processing Credit Cards as an Independent Business Owner – The Basics
The best way of accepting and processing credit and debit cards for your independent business depends on how it operates. If you have a physical storefront, specialized hardware like a card reader will be needed. If you sell products or services online, you’ll need specialized software. If you have a physical storefront, specialized hardware like a card reader will be needed. If you sell products or services online, you’ll need specialized software.

Offering Security in an Online Payment World
Before we jump into what you’ll need, let’s first walk through how money is transferred from customers to merchants when credit or debit cards are used. In other words, let’s look at the big picture.
How Card Processing Works
To accept and process credit and debit card payments, you’ll need a way of taking the card number, expiration, and so on. If you operate an online store, you’ll need a payment gateway or virtual terminal. If you meet clients out in the field or have a physical store, you need a way of swiping or inserting the card with a mobile or credit card terminal.