In this section of the website, you will be
introduced to the different options with regard to 3rd party credit card
processing companies, and we will also tell you that you should get a
Merchant Account whenever possible.
The reasons why your own merchant account is better than a 3rd party credit
card processing service is simply that it looks more professional with your
own merchant account, as you don't have to send your buyers to another website
when accepting their payment. This means that it looks much more professional
to use your own merchant account.
Reasons why you should apply for a 3rd party credit card processing account
are that it might be cheaper if you don't have many transactions. Eventhough
the percentage of each sale you have to pay to the 3rd party processor is
higher compared to having your own merchant account, you will not have to pay
any monthly charges when using a 3rd party credit card processing company.
Another reason for choosing a 3rd party credit card processing company
might simply be that you are not able to get a merchant account because you
can't fullfil the requirements. But, you should always be able to get a 3rd
party merchant account.
With regard to 3rd party credit card processing companies, we recommend
PayPal the most. They are the most
reliable from all the ones available, eventhough their customer service is not
the fastest in the world.
Another 3rd party credit card processing company that is used by many is
2CheckOut. But, many merchants report
that their customer service is basically non-existant.
So, in summary, there is no outstanding 3rd party credit card processing
company out there, but if I would have to use a 3rd party processor, I would
recommend using PayPal. | 
