Accepting card payments online?

Hi, i'm looking to accept credit/debit card payments online. I have
created a service selection process, and at the end I would like to
give customers the option of buying with card online. Since I have
created my own sign-up process (rather than use a shopping cart - I
couldn't find any carts orientated towards selling a service), I will
need to add my own payment options.

How is this done? Would I have to put code in my payment screen to
send the users card details to a remote processing server (via code in
PHP, perhaps a SOAP call, XML-RPC or sockets etc)?

Can anyone recommend some good companies (good service, reasonable
commission rates etc) who will allow me to accept payments? Being able
to accept UK switch/solo cards would be a bonus too.

I dont think i will currently be able to get my own merchant bank
account, so a company who can process on my behalf would be great. I
have seen nochex have a system, however customers are directed to
their site. Are there similair companies to nochex/paypal which allow
you to send them data (via the above mentioned SOAP/XML-RPC calls) to
keep the whole process seamless, rather than being redirected to their
site to complete the transaction?

Many thanks in advance,

Chris

"Chris" <g18c.DeleteThis@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:1d5d45ac.0408050046.2709e25a@posting.google.com...
 > Hi, i'm looking to accept credit/debit card payments online. I have
 > created a service selection process, and at the end I would like to
 > give customers the option of buying with card online. Since I have
 > created my own sign-up process (rather than use a shopping cart - I
 > couldn't find any carts orientated towards selling a service), I will
 > need to add my own payment options.
 >
 > How is this done? Would I have to put code in my payment screen to
 > send the users card details to a remote processing server (via code in
 > PHP, perhaps a SOAP call, XML-RPC or sockets etc)?
 >
 > Can anyone recommend some good companies (good service, reasonable
 > commission rates etc) who will allow me to accept payments? Being able
 > to accept UK switch/solo cards would be a bonus too.
 >
 > I dont think i will currently be able to get my own merchant bank
 > account, so a company who can process on my behalf would be great. I
 > have seen nochex have a system, however customers are directed to
 > their site. Are there similair companies to nochex/paypal which allow
 > you to send them data (via the above mentioned SOAP/XML-RPC calls) to
 > keep the whole process seamless, rather than being redirected to their
 > site to complete the transaction?
 >
 > Many thanks in advance,

Your cashflow is the most important aspect of your business.....Don't take
chances with it by cutting corners at this stage.....You'll only regret it
later.....

My advice.....Produce a good business plan and a set of projected figures
based on best case, worst case, and average case scenarios....Take it to
your bank manager and he'll set you up with an appointment to see a Merchant
account manager.....He'll help you get the best prices and terms, and also
advise you on gateways.....If you don't already have a business account, you
may need to open one.....
Don't be tempted to just phone the bank and ask them....You'll just end up
speaking to Ali Abdul Patel in a callcentre in Bangladesh, who will quote
you the standard fees from the laminated printout info pack that sits on his
desk beside his phone.....If you deal with a manager face to face, he'll
allow you to negotiate with him to get the best possible fees.....
One of the Gateways he'll reccomend will be Protx.....I use protx, and I
endorse them 110%....

--
Sam.
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.doohickeys.co.uk" target="_blank">www.doohickeys.co.uk</a>
For Desirable Devices<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->