If you are interested in knowing how credit cards are processed, you can read our free article, “Credit Card Processing Issues You Should Be Aware Of”.

3rd Party Processors – The inexpensive way to start For beginning web entrepreneur, most important issue in credit card processing is how much product you think you can realistically sell in a month. If you are selling less than $1000 per month, then you will want to go with a “third-party processor”. PayPal is most widely known and reputable third party processor, and you can easily set up an account with them HERE.

Unlike traditional merchant accounts, PayPal accounts are free to set up and cost nothing on a monthly basis. You will pay more per transaction with PayPal than you would with a traditional merchant account, but for low-volume start-up businesses making less than $1000 per month, you will gladly choose higher transaction costs over account set-up fees, monthly account fees, minimum charges, interchange fees, gateway fees, and perhaps worst of all, account cancellation fees (just to name a few).

Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A PayPal Account

1. Bank Account – you will need a bank account for PayPal to deposit your funds into.
2. Apply for a PayPal Account (you can access their account application here).

Traditional Merchant Accounts If your processing volume will be higher than $1000 per month, then you will probably want to go with a traditional merchant account. Credit card processing companies generally charge a minimum monthly fee that is approximately equal to amount of money you would pay to process $1000 per month. Generally speaking you can expect to pay around $50 per month in minimum charges for a merchant account. As you process more, your costs will go up, but percentage of your gross sales that you pay for processing should go down.

Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A Traditional Merchant Account It is not difficult to set up a traditional merchant account, but you will need to follow several steps in order to pull it off.

1. Get a business license
2. Get a business bank account at your bank
3. Make sure your web host supports your shopping cart system (you might even be able to get your shopping cart system bundled in with your credit card processing services for free).
4. Try to determine amount of business you will generate. Your credit card processing company will want to know how large each transaction will be, and how many transactions you expect to have per month.
5. Negotiate with merchant account providers and establish your merchant credit card account (see list of merchant account providers).

www.paypal.com	PayPal allows you to accept payments instantly without need to set up special accounts or sign long-term contracts. You will want to strongly consider using this one if you are processing less than $1000 per month.
www.totalmerchantservices.com	Total Merchant Services is one of largest resellers of merchant accounts both on and offline, and are trusted by literally tens of thousands of businesses of all sizes. They use First Data as their back-end processor.
www.merchantexpress.com	This is a well-respected processor that services both on and offline businesses.
www.expandyourbusiness.com	CardService International provides a very helpful eBook that you can download for free HERE

You try to make your customers happy. You sincerely WANT them to be pleased with your products and service. You go out of your way to provide quality and integrity in everything you do.

So, why is it that every once in a while there's a customer who insists on totally, absolutely and completely pissing you off?

How long is a string?

There are some questions, answers to which, will always elude me. Are you with me on this?

I received an email message from a customer who must have not only have awoke on wrong side of bed, but must have also found himself in wrong bed, in wrong bedroom, in wrong house, on wrong block, in wrong city, and in wrong life. As I read this message, I was seething with anger -my hands literally shaking.

Wanting to somehow reach through my ethernet connection to find neck attached to head of person who could be so rude was my first priority.

What do you do at this point? How do you satisfy irrational?

ANSWER: You don't.

Romans 12:20 says, "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head."

This is what I attempted to do in my reply to Mr. Disgruntled. Here's a formula that you can use; and if you do this, satisfaction will outweigh - many times over - anger you initially felt.

Step 1: Stop. Close email. Put down poison mouse and walk away.

Step 2: Consider situation carefully. Can you imagine a time and place where you might have blasted someone in same way? Is there even tiniest hint of legitimacy to claim of this angry customer? Things aren't always as you might perceive them. There are always multiple sides to every story. Does this condone abusive behavior? Of course not.

Now, if answers are "no, No, and NO, this is unjustified", stick with this formula anyway. When you've done what's right, you'll be bigger person and your self image will be elevated.