Merchant Accounts

Credit Card Processing & Clearinghouse
Processing credit card transactions usually occurs at a clearinghouse. When your shopping cart within your online store receives the credit card during the payment process, the Transaction Processing Clearinghouse is the organization that authorizes and validates the card (making sure the number matches the card and that sufficient funds are available).

Merchant Account Provider (Accept Credit Cards)
Merchant account and credit card service companies are plentiful on the Internet. In Industry terms, these companies are called merchant account providers or Independent Sales Organizations.

Make sure you research these companies before you pay for their e-commerce certified merchant services. Brokers make money by either an upfront fee, an application fee, or a per transaction fee. Their main goal is to place you with a bank or company experienced with Internet transactions that accepts your credit history.