How To Accept Credit Card Payments Online?

With their global share in 2024 accounting for nearly 20%, credit cards account for a large share of online transactions worldwide. At the same time, cart abandonment rates remain high, often exceeding 70%, with a lack of preferred payment methods being a leading reason.

For businesses, this means accepting credit card payments online requires the right infrastructure to process transactions securely, maximise approval rates, reduce payment friction, and support growth across multiple markets.

The 3 ways to accept credit card payments online

#1 Merchant accounts + payment gateways

A merchant account is a specialised bank account that allows businesses to accept card payments and hold funds temporarily before settlement. A payment gateway is a technology that serves as a bridge between the e-commerce store and the merchant account. It orchestrates the payment transaction process among multiple parties, including the merchant’s acquiring bank and the customer’s card-issuing bank.

Pros

• Businesses get greater control over payment flow as they can choose acquiring banks, optimise routing, and manage settlement preferences
• Higher-volume merchants can negotiate interchange-plus or custom pricing to lower processing costs at scale
• The combination offers higher customisation options in the checkout experience, fraud tools, and payment logic
• Direct relationship with financial institutions is valuable for businesses with complex compliance or regulatory requirements.

Cons

• Merchant accounts often require underwriting, documentation, and approval from banks, which can make the onboarding process longer and more complex
• Businesses have a higher operational load since they must manage gateway setup, reconciliation, and sometimes multiple providers 
• Setting up local acquiring relationships in multiple markets can become time-consuming and expensive.

#2 Payment service providers (PSPs)

A PSP combines multiple payment functions into a single solution, allowing businesses to accept credit card payments without setting up their own merchant account. Instead of establishing direct relationships with acquiring banks, businesses operate under the PSP’s infrastructure, which handles payment processing, merchant onboarding, security, and settlement on their behalf.

Pros

• Faster onboarding compared to traditional merchant account setups
• Simple integration with e-commerce platforms, websites, and mobile apps
• Reduced operational complexity since payment processing, security, and settlement are managed through a single provider
• Access to built-in fraud prevention, reporting, and payment management tools
• Suitable for businesses with limited technical resources or those looking to launch quickly

Cons

• Processing fees may be higher than custom merchant account arrangements, particularly for high-volume businesses
• Businesses are subject to the PSP’s risk policies, which may result in account reviews, reserves, or restrictions
• International expansion can be limited by the provider’s acquiring footprint and supported markets
• Customisation options may be more restricted compared to direct acquiring or infrastructure-based solutions

#3 Payment links & no-code checkout

Instead of building a full payment integration into a website or app, businesses can generate a secure payment link or prebuilt checkout page that customers can open and pay through directly.

The provider hosts the payment page, handles the card processing, and manages security and compliance. The business shares a link via email, SMS, social media, invoices, or messaging apps.

Pros

• Businesses can go live in minutes without development work
• No technical integration required
• Links can be shared via email, chat, invoices, or social platforms
• Payment pages are handled by the provider, reducing PCI burden for the business.

Cons

• Limited customisation of the checkout experience, as branding, layout, and user flow are usually constrained to templates
• Businesses can’t fully optimise checkout performance or routing logic
• As transaction volume grows, businesses often need deeper integration into their platform
• Redirecting users away from the main website can reduce trust or continuity.

Why choose Unlimit?

As businesses scale, the right payment partner should support global expansion, reduce operational complexity, and adapt to different regulatory environments without slowing growth. Here are a few critical capabilities to look for when evaluating providers:

• The onboarding and setup process should be straightforward, allowing the business to go live quickly
• A strong provider would offer broad global coverage, including access to both international card networks and local payment methods, so customers can pay the way they prefer
• The platform should leverage intelligent routing and local acquisition, where possible, to reduce failed transactions and improve conversion rates
• Instead of having merchants manage multiple integrations, contracts, and banking relationships in different markets, the provider should unify onboarding, settlement, reporting, and compliance.

As a global financial infrastructure provider, Unlimit unifies fragmented payment systems into a single, integrated stack. Through our hyper-local acquiring network and deep regulatory coverage, we enable businesses to accept credit card payments and local payment methods across multiple regions without building country-by-country infrastructure.

FAQs