Ecommerce & CC Payments Query

[Scream]

I've been asked by numerous folk to develop an ecommerce site for them and I've been experimenting with OScommerce and so far I find it to be very straight forward especially when it comes to applying your own site design and layout.

Now what I am not sure on is working with card payments. From all the hunting I have done, it seems that I need a gateway like protx but that depends if the shop owners bank is supported by protx and if not, an alternative will have to be used.

Also I understand, the bank has to setup an internet merchant account to work with this gateway. Is this different from the merchant account the shop has when dealing with card payments at the shops till?

Any help would be very much appreciated as you could google all day and still have questions.

 

[philjohn]

Don't use OSCommerce, it's really very, very bad and a nightmare to do anything "off the beaten track" with.

If you want to use something decent then plump for Magento which is open source e-commerce done right.

As for protx, you need a "cardholder not present" merchant account with a bank. If you want to accept Amex you'll need a second one just for that.

If you just want to take payments and the bank won't let you have a merchant account (some businesses will be refused if they are seen as too risky, or too new) then use paypal or WorldPay as neither of these require one.

 

[Scream]

Cheers for that.

So basically, the shop owners will have to get a "cardholder not present" merchant account. Can all gateways like protx work with all banks or do you have to ask the bank for gateways that work with them?