E-Commerce Tools: Manually Processing Cards

If you already have a brick and mortar business that accepts credit cards then you can simply take the credit card information and process the card manually using your existing merchant account. No special account is necessary for Web transactions.

Processing cards manually gives you the added advantage of being able to hold the card information and charge the customer when their purchase actually ships. Remember that if a product is not able to be shipped within 30 days of the order you must notify the customer of the delay. Most people don't like to be charged for something they haven't received yet and automated card processing on your Web site will do just that. The card is processed and funds are transferred within hours or a few days rather than when the order ships.