Recommendation: Payment gateway and method setup

AbleMods · Post by **AbleMods** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:03 am

When you add a method in the payment Admin screen, you are allowed to leave the Gateway assignment blank. That seems like a bad idea. I think the gateway/method assignments should *very* specific so there is no question whatsoever which method is going to get processed by which gateway.

I would redesign the method/gateway setup flow to a top-down approach starting with gateways. It makes no sense to have a method without a gateway, so make the site admins create a gateway long before they can add on a method. And then only allow methods to be added to the selected gateway. it's way too confusing to be able to add payment methods when there isn't even a gateway defined.

More on-screen text explaining the relationship and flow of information among methods and gateways would be incredibly helpful. As it is now, it's pretty barebones about what to do and what the customer can expect to see.

jmestep · Post by **jmestep** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:16 am

I know right now the documentation is pretty scarce. I think one of the reasons for the way it is set up is that some merchants don't use a payment gateway for charge card processing. They use one of the Able validation methods, but they run the charges after the order is downloaded, so they don't want a gateway, but they still need a way to capture the charge card information.

AbleMods · Post by **AbleMods** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 7:45 am

What's a validation method?

I thought there was only one way to process payment in AC7, via the gateways and methods...

jmestep · Post by **jmestep** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 11:49 am

The validation method checks the charge card number to make sure it follows the correct algorithm for the card as an error check for the card number. Visa starts with 4 plus other checks.

AbleMods · Post by **AbleMods** » Fri Nov 23, 2007 6:01 pm

Ohhh ok - didn't realize that.

The PayPal gateway gives me the ability to authorize the payment first, then collect the payment once the order is filled. I just assumed that's how everyone did it.

jmestep · Post by **jmestep** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 8:06 am

I think some merchants who have an existing brick and mortar store use their store terminal to key in charges when they are starting out. I know that is how we did it.

AbleMods · Post by **AbleMods** » Sat Nov 24, 2007 8:16 am

Aha that makes more sense!

Learn something new every day

Post by **Logan Rhodehamel** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 5:51 pm

jmestep wrote:I think some merchants who have an existing brick and mortar store use their store terminal to key in charges when they are starting out. I know that is how we did it.

Yeah, it's not uncommon for users of our software to collect the payment information (e.g. Visa) online but not have a merchant account with any gateway. They key the stuff in manually and process offline.

I don't think it's ideal because a merchant can't use the card security code with that route, and I think that would lead to higher per transaction cost.

AbleMods · Post by **AbleMods** » Mon Nov 26, 2007 8:46 pm

I've heard the same thing - without having the additional card code, the transaction fee is higher.

Good information, thanks everyone.