How to Get Started
You want to be able to expand your business as you grow. The next logical step would be to accept credit cards online. One major goal of online shopping is to provide secure environment so your clients can feel safe when using their credit card on line. There are many ways you can go about achieving this goal but beware, its not free.

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Merchant Account or No Merchant Account?
There are many options when it comes to processing your credit card orders online. You can choose to have your own merchant account or you can use a third party merchant processor. Either one you choose will effect how your orders are processed, fees you pay, and ultimately your your business profitability.

Here are some questions to answer before you decide:

1. What will your monthly sales volume be? (i.e. $100 a month)
2. Where are the majority of your transactions taken? (i.e. online or off-line storefront)
3. Do you expect to expand to a fully automated system (shopping cart, i.e. Miva or OS Commerce)for online orders?
4. Do you plan on the online business growing rapidly?
5. Are you with a hosting provider that offers Secure Server options?

If you answered yes to most of those questions then you should consider becoming your own merchant and establishing your own merchant account. If you have answered no to most of the questions above then you should consider a third party merchant processor. Below you will find information and links on how to get started with either option.

Merchant Account Setup
Hostblitz.com can help you setup your own merchant account with Authorize.net. The fees and general information are below. To get started simply click on the apply link, fill out the application, and follow the fax back directions. All Merchant Accounts are setup via Authorize.net.

If you already have a Merchant account and want to simply have online processing then the 'Payment Gateway Only Account' is what you need.

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Third Party Merchant Systems
There are many third party merchant systems that you can choose. For smaller businesses or low volume sites, you may want to choose a 3rd party merchant processor such as paypal.com or 2checkout.com. They offer the ability to take credit cards without the initial startup costs. Typically less than $100.00. Most start out with a 3rd party processing service. As their clientele is built up they change to a High Volume Merchant Account. We have broken down each shopping cart system we offer and the BASIC supported gateways.


Shopping Carts and the Payment Processor

Please note that we do not offer support for these products with respect to website building, payment integration, and any other feature oriented options. We simply provide support for the product and its BASIC functionality on our system.

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