Our virtual terminal is the best in the industry no monthly fees if you don’t use it you don’t pay anything
-Discount Rate of 1.86% + .10 cents per transaction
-No monthly fees
-No cancellation fees
-Next business day funding on your sales
-Process your sales anywhere you have internet access
A virtual terminal is a software application (often a web application) for merchants which allows them accepting payment with a payment card, specifically a credit card, without requiring the physical presence of the card (“card not present transaction”).[1][2] They are called “virtual” terminals in contrast to the physical payment terminals used to process card payments when the payment card is present.
When a customer wants to pay with a card over the phone, a virtual terminal allows the person accepting payment (such as a call center agent) to enter the customer’s credit card details to take a payment. Unlike when accepting payment with a regular payment terminal, the presence of the payment card is not required. The payment data is then automatically sent to the payment processor to handle the payment.
While the physical card need not be presented to the merchant (which would be impossible over the phone), the customer authorizing the payment should still be in possession of the card. To verify this, the virtual terminal will often require the card security code to be entered, which the customer must supply.
FAST AND SECURE PAYMENT PROCESSING WITHOUT HARDWARE
Do you own a small business, work from home or in the field, or accept payments mainly from mail order and/or telephone order? Our virtual terminal credit card processing solutions can help streamline your payment environment for quick, efficient, and secure transactions.
With our PCI-compliant virtual terminal payment gateway, you can easily and conveniently hand-key, swipe, or dip your customers’ credit card information using any device with a secure Internet connection.
Virtual terminal credit card processing allows you to securely process incoming sales — even if you never meet your users face to face. Customers can confidently buy from you via phone, fax, snail mail, or email. You simply enter their credit card information and the sales amount in an online form.
You can transform any existing computer, smartphone, or tablet into a secure point-of-sale (POS) credit card reader that allows you to process payments — anytime and anywhere.
Below are some additional benefits of virtual terminal credit card processing:
BENEFITS OF VIRTUAL CREDIT CARD PROCESSING
Simplify the payment process for your business
Perform safe and efficient authorizations with no upfront hardware costs
Protect sensitive credit card data with Our PCI-compliant solutions
Our virtual terminal credit card processing provides unparalleled security and fraud management tools, as well as a wide range of multichannel capabilities.
ANATOMY OF A VIRTUAL TERMINAL PAYMENT GATEWAY SALE
Below is how a single virtual terminal payment usually unfolds:
Log into the Our Gateway to access the Virtual Terminal when you’re ready to process a new payment.
Enter the details of the order and the credit, debit, or ACH/eCheck information.
Click “Process” to complete the transaction.
A virtual terminal is a software program application (usually an internet application) for merchants which allows them to approve payment with a repayment card, especially a bank card, without needing the physical visibility of the card (” card not present purchase”). [1] [2] They are called “online” terminals unlike the physical payment terminals made use of to refine card payments when the payment card is present
Use of online terminals
When a client intends to pay with a card over the phone, a virtual incurable permits the individual approving settlement (such as a telephone call center representative) to get in the client’s bank card details to take a payment. Unlike when accepting payment with a regular payment terminal, the presence of the settlement card is not required. The settlement data is after that instantly sent out to the payment cpu to manage the settlement.
While the physical card need not be presented to the vendor (which would be difficult over the phone), the customer authorizing the repayment ought to still remain in ownership of the card. To verify this, the virtual terminal will frequently require the card safety code to be entered, which the customer needs to supply. One option for sellers to having a repeat client supply this info over the phone is to use a credit card safe. Some processors provide their sellers the use of a charge card safe to safely save their clients’ card info. [3]
In Addition, Online POS enables MO/TO payments, likewise called Mail request/Phone request transactions. MO/TO appropriate for companies whose customers are far away and consequently, are not able to offer a credit report or debit card physically. The process is likewise referred to as card non-present deal [4] and includes getting in the consumer’s card details into the digital terminal to take care of the exchange.
Distinction in between online terminals and Secure Virtual Terminals
If you need to ask customers to read out their card details to take a settlement over the phone, then you are putting your business as well as your clients in danger.
Your organization could be liable for fines for stopping working to abide by repayment protection requirements (PCI DSS), and privacy legislations like CCPA as well as GDPR.
Although some settlement providers existing online terminals as a safe way to take settlements over the phone, they are NOT SECURE if you still have to ask consumers to read out their details. Putting both your personnel as well as business in jeopardy.
Approve charge card repayments promptly with our safe and secure suite of reducing side digital terminals. Process bank card payments anywhere, at any time, online, over the phone, or through billing relate to ease. Speak with among our representatives to begin today!
Advanced safety functions
Persisting payment performance
Integration with terminals
PCI compliant
Integrated scams avoidance
Send electronic invoices
There are more ways to process credit card repayments than ever. You can swipe a charge card using a typical charge card viewers, procedure mobile payments via a cell phone application, and also accept contactless payments.
Yet what happens when the customer’s card isn’t existing, such as when they position an order over the phone? For that, you’ll require a virtual terminal.
A digital terminal is an internet app that enables you or your client to go into credit card details by hand, billing the card similar to you would if the client was buying personally. It’s a fantastic option for organizations that do not count on face-to-face interactions with clients.
Below’s what you need to learn about virtual incurable charge card handling, including what it costs and also just how to establish it up for your service.
According to the U.S. Federal Reserve, there were 86.1 billion in-person card payments in 2018 and 33.5 billion remote payments. Although remote repayments comprise a smaller sized portion of sales, they’re expanding at a much faster price– 20.5% contrasted to 5.8%.
For businesses that depend primarily on remote charge card purchases– from call facilities to home-based businesses– that space can be even bigger.
In order to approve credit card repayments without the cardholder present, you’ll need to use a virtual terminal for repayment handling. If you’ve ever before purchased anything from an on the internet shop, then you currently have an idea of what an online terminal looks like.
A virtual incurable allows you or your client enter in their bank card details throughout the check out procedure making use of an on-line kind– similar to you do when purchasing on an e-commerce platform like Amazon.
All you require is an internet browser and a good net link. Your repayment processor or merchant providers will verify that the credit card information are proper and will charge you a handling charge for each and every deal.
Just how Does an Online Incurable Work?
Even if you have actually just approved settlements for card-present purchases, using a virtual terminal will not be that much of an understanding contour for you and also your staff members. The main difference is that there’s even more room for mistake, because you or your client will be typing in the bank card number by hand.
If you or your workers are the ones entering the charge card information, it is essential to see to it the info is gone into properly to prevent issues or chargebacks.
Here’s what you need to learn about exactly how an online incurable works as well as how much it will cost to start utilizing one for your company.
Equipment
The best aspect of a digital terminal is that you don’t need any expensive tools to start accepting charge card. Some POS systems need you to mount costs software or await a charge card viewers to get here in the mail. But not online terminals.
If you function from house, you can merely log in to a virtual terminal from your web browser when it’s time to expense customers. If you run a shop, you can access your digital terminal from your firm’s tablet or any other smart phone.
You can also reduce having to acquire paper, given that you can send your consumers a receipt by email as opposed to printing it out.
Protection
The most effective digital terminals are PCI-compliant as well as use a high level of safety to shield your customers’ charge card information. This includes innovations like tokenization and end-to-end file encryption to ensure repayment details aren’t intercepted by hackers.
Obviously, you’ll intend to take preventative measures of your very own to prevent unauthorized charges, such as not logging into your online terminal on a shared computer system as well as confirming the following information for every deal:
Name
Credit card number
Three- or four-digit CVV number
Expiry date
ZIP code
Virtual terminal credit card processing can be used for nearly any type of business, but it may be a better fit for some businesses than others. These include:
- Small businesses: Do you own a bookstore that accepts payments online or over the phone?. Or does your restaurant charge customers a reservation fee when booking a table over the phone or through your website? You can benefit from a virtual terminal. Plus, your employees can type in a customer’s credit card details immediately, instead of writing it down and processing it later — which increases the risk of fraud or identity theft.
- Call centers and mail-order companies: Using a PCI-compliant virtual terminal is a must for businesses that primarily rely on card-not-present sales. Not only will it protect payment details from hackers, but by sending out a receipt right away, you’ll reassure customers that your business is trustworthy.
- Creative professionals and online service-based businesses: Instead of waiting for clients to send an ACH transfer to your bank account, you can charge their credit card directly and send them a receipt. Or, you can send them a link to a payment gateway via email that they can use to pay an invoice. Not only is this safer and more secure, but it can make your business appear more professional and trustworthy.
Some businesses may not benefit from a virtual terminal, especially if you process most of your transactions in-person using a credit card machine. That said, it’s good to have a backup option if your primary payment processing method goes down.
The best virtual terminals are:
:Visamachine.com Best overall virtual terminal for small businesses with occasional or steady sales
- Helcim: Best for retailers, especially those with high-volume, low-ticket sales
- Payment Depot by Stax: Cheapest option for high-volume, high-ticket sellers that don’t mind a monthly fee in exchange for lower rates
- Chase Payment Solutions: Best for B2B sales
- PaymentCloud: Best for high-risk businesses
- Payline Data: Best for medical businesses, educational services, and nonprofits wanting low rates
- Clover: Best for businesses that want to choose their merchant service
- PayPal: Best for freelancers and tradespeople who need a simple system, plus businesses that do sales across borders
Visamachine.com: Best Overall Virtual Terminal
Visamachine.com is an excellent choice for small businesses, from the hobbyist to the shop with a physical location and an online store—even restaurants and salons. You’ll find a variety of tools, from a free POS to affordable payroll processing. Of all the products we’ve reviewed, here and elsewhere, it encompasses the most aspects of small business life—and does it well. In addition to offering the best virtual terminal, Square also offers some of the best solutions for POS software, merchant services, salon and spa software, and mobile payment processing.
With 4.56 out of 5 in our review, Visamachine.com was well ahead of the pack in scoring. It topped our scores for feature set, checking off our full list of tools for handling one-time and recurring bills, managing customers and invoices, and taking payments. It’s easy to use on both web and mobile, although the limited customer support hours brought down its score in ease of use.
As you consider costs, however, keep in mind all the tools Visamachine.com provides that you may otherwise have to pay for. As your business grows and you’re processing over $250,000 annually, you can apply for lower, custom rates through visamachine.com. Here are the standard fees:
- Keyed-in (virtual terminal) transaction fees: 1.85% + 15 cents
- In-person (swipe, dip, tap) transaction fees: 1.25% + 10 cents*
- Invoice transaction fees: 2.9% + 30 cents
- Ecommerce transaction fees: 2.9% + 10 cents
- ACH/bank transfer fees: 1% with $1 minimum
*You can link a card reader to your virtual terminal to take advantage of swiping cards when possible.
Accept payments in your web browser.
The Virtual Terminal feature within the Payments Hub portal allows you to accept credit cards right from your computer.
Take orders online or over the phone and process payments on the spot.
Key in credit card details and process a payment anywhere you have an internet connection.
Create recurring payments with autopay.
Allow your customers to enable autopay on recurring invoices. Payment will process on the frequency you set.
Assign or create customers.
Choose from your existing customer directory or create a new entry on the fly.
Send digital receipts.
Email or SMS a receipt directly from your virtual terminal interface.
Helcim: Best Virtual Terminal for High-Volume Retail
Helcim is on our list of best merchant services and is No. 1 for best retail credit card services. Like Payment Depot, it offers interchange-plus pricing. However, its structure is a little different, with a percentage-plus-flat-rate but no monthly fees. As such, it’s a better choice for retailers that have high volume (over $5,000/month) but lower-ticket sales.
Earning 4.31 out of 5 on our evaluation, it lost points for not catering to high-risk businesses (check PaymentCloud for that) and lack of 24/7 support. Nonetheless, Helcim earned high scores in all categories. The virtual terminal handles phone sales, invoices, and recurring payments. Like Payment Depot and Payline Data, Helcim also has a chargeback reimbursement program.
Payment Depot by Stax: Cheapest Option for High-Volume Sales
If you do high-volume sales, then a payment processor with interchange-plus pricing can save you hundreds to thousands of dollars, even when considering a monthly fee. Payment Depot is our top pick for the cheapest credit card processing companies, and that includes virtual terminals.
We’ve also liked Payment Depot for general merchant services and restaurant payment processing. While it does not work for high-risk businesses or businesses outside the US, it is worth considering for any business with high-ticket sales. It offers a choice of free third-party virtual terminals and makes our list on the strength of the payment processing.
Payment Depot earned 4.15 out of 5 in our evaluation. The virtual terminals generally don’t include inventory or customer management—check Square for that. Like most on this list, it loses points for not supporting high-risk businesses. Payment Depot lost the most points for its monthly fee. However, chargeback protection is included in its membership price, and it fares well for ease-of-use, integrations, and reputation.
Chase Payment Solutions: Best Virtual Terminal for Businesses Doing B2B Sales
We recommend Chase Payment Solutions (formerly Chase Merchant Services) for businesses that do B2B sales as well as for those that need the support of an established bank, including checking, credit cards, and even loans. Square now offers banking, but Chase has hundreds of years of banking history and 5,100 branches in over 100 countries. As the sixth-largest banking firm in the world, it has a lot to offer businesses looking to grow.
Chase earned a 4.13 out of 5 in our evaluation, coming in just below Helcim and Payment Depot. Chase can work with some high-risk businesses where Helcim does not. Chase does not specialize the way PaymentCloud does, however, which is why PaymentCloud is best for high-risk. Chase also lost points for the chargeback fee (where Square waives it, for example).
It also requires you to have a Chase checking account, which is one of our top picks for the best small business checking accounts. Nonetheless, Chase offers excellent features, including the potential for international sales.
PaymentCloud: Best Virtual Terminal for High-Risk Businesses
Like several of the virtual terminals on our list, PaymentCloud also rates high on other lists as well, such as for best merchant services. While it can serve traditional merchants, PaymentCloud specializes in high-risk merchants, whether those in industries like CBD sales or those with a greater risk of chargebacks, like Mail Order Telephone Order (MOTO) businesses.
Because of the nature of its clients, PaymentCloud takes security very seriously. It also does not charge for chargebacks and works with you to prevent or resolve them. Because of this and its strong feature set, it earned 4.1 out of 5 on our evaluation. Non-transparent pricing and lack of 24/7 customer service brought the score down.
Payline Data: Best Virtual Terminal for Medical, Nonprofit & Educational Services
Payline Data services a wide range of businesses but has a particular focus on the medical industry, with HIPAA-compliant tools, ACH transfer, and special pricing. It also has special considerations for nonprofit and educational services. Like Payment Depot, Payline also offers strong fraud and chargeback protection.
With 3.84 out of 5 in our evaluation, it earns much of its score on the strength of Payline as a payment processor. While the virtual terminal works as well as most and can handle invoices and recurring payments, it is not as fully featured as Square or Clover. It incurs a monthly fee but offers interchange-plus pricing, which makes it a better deal than most for high-volume businesses.
Clover: Best Virtual Terminal for Choosing Your Own Merchant Service
Clover is a highly popular POS system because it’s offered by so many merchant services. As such, you can shop around for the payment processor that works best for your business. In fact, Payment Depot on our list offers Clover products. You’ll find Clover on our list of the best mobile payment processors and best POS systems. Clover’s systems come with a free virtual terminal.
Clover rated 3.73 out of 5 on our rubric. It’s a feature-rich system and, with the right merchant service, extremely affordable. It lost points for not accepting ACH payments or monitoring its resellers, so you get a mix of great and terrible. However, the virtual terminal integrates with the POS system, handles invoices and recurring payments, and is generally easy to use.
PayPal: Best Virtual Terminal for Individual Operators & Occasional Sales
PayPal is by far the most recognized payment processor in the world with easy integrations that let you put a payment button just about anywhere. It makes our lists for mobile credit card processing and merchant services. Anyone can use PayPal, but with PayPal Payments Pro, you can process credit cards, and this comes with a virtual terminal.
With PayPal virtual terminal, you have the advantage of instant access to your funds through your PayPal account, which—while not as easy as a regular bank account—is still faster than any of the virtual terminals on our list, even Chase. It also handles transactions in hundreds of currencies, including Bitcoin.
We gave PayPal’s virtual terminal a score of 3.53 out of 5. It’s a simpler tool, lacking inventory and POS like Square, although you will get these free with a regular PayPal account. It does have the advantage in international scope and its many integrations with other popular small business software. It takes a big hit for not processing ACH payments or having chargeback protection, although its dispute management program is strong. PayPal generally does not work with high-risk businesses.
