BMCI
Business Marketing Consultants
for the Internet

Merchant Accounts

If you are going to sell product on the internet a merchant account is an absolute must for success.  A merchant account allows you to accept credit card payments over the internet.  The buyer selects the product from your storefront, places it in the shopping cart and when he is done shopping at your site an invoice is prepared of his purchases.  He then selects the method of payment (credit card or electronic check) enters the processing information and submits for payment.  The entire payment transaction including approval takes about 15 seconds. The buyer receives an e-mail confirmation of the order that includes the transaction information and a copy of the invoice with any shipping charges and taxes also charged to his/her account.  The merchant also receives a copy of the invoice and shipping instructions by e-mail.  The money is deposited in the merchants bank account generally within 48 hours.  The entire transaction is processed in a matter of minutes over a secure network.

Once your website is setup BMCI will help you setup your merchant account and install the necessary code link from your shopping cart to the online processor of your choice.  This generally takes less than a day once your merchant account is approved for service.   No matter what they promise, you should expect it will take at least a week for approval and many take several weeks.

If you do not presently have a merchant account, it is relatively easy to obtain one, even if you have less than good credit.  The following chart depicts the typical cost of setting up a shopping cart with merchant account.