Ecommerce

Payment gateways are essential for merchants to securely process credit card and eCheck/ACH payments from websites, terminals, or batch uploads. These gateways encrypt transaction data and route it to card associations for authorization, providing a real-time response to the merchant. Often included with merchant accounts from service providers, payment gateways may also offer extra features like identity and address verification to enhance security.

E-commerce shopping carts are digital versions of physical carts, allowing customers to accumulate and purchase multiple items online, a significant advancement from early single-item payment systems. Modern carts are database-driven, enabling dynamic product management and offering features like payment processing and shipping configurations. When selecting a shopping cart, businesses should prioritize payment gateway compatibility, customization options, and support, considering both free and paid platforms to meet their specific needs.