支付网关和api网关_将您的钱放在鼠标所在的位置：已审查6个支付网关

最新推荐文章于 2023-01-09 11:42:13 发布

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最新推荐文章于 2023-01-09 11:42:13 发布

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原文链接：https://www.sitepoint.com/money-where-mouse-is-gateways/

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支付网关和api网关

So you’re starting your own ecommerce Website? Good for you! But you have many decisions to make. Do you write your own shopping cart or use an existing one? Who should be your merchant account provider? Who will deliver your goods? With so many decisions, you hardly have time to sort through all the information you’ll need to know in order to make the best choice for your business.

那么您正在启动自己的电子商务网站吗？ 对你有好处！ 但是您有许多决定要制定。 您是编写自己的购物车还是使用现有的购物车？ 谁应该是您的商家帐户提供商？ 谁来送货？ 做出如此多的决定，您几乎没有时间整理所有需要了解的信息，以便为您的业务做出最佳选择。

One of the most important decisions you’ll face is to choose a gateway to handle your credit card payments. The well-known Authorize.net may spring to mind, but is it really the best option for your business? In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at some of the popular gateways and explore the ins and outs of the services they provide.

您将面临的最重要的决定之一就是选择一个网关来处理您的信用卡付款。著名的Authorize.net可能会浮现在脑海，但这确实是您企业的最佳选择吗？在本文中，我们将深入研究一些流行的网关，并探讨它们提供的服务的来龙去脉。

什么是网关？ (What is a Gateway?)

In short, a gateway connects your ecommerce Website to your merchant account.

简而言之，网关将您的电子商务网站连接到您的商人帐户。

The gateway facilitates online payments by connecting your secure order form with your specific merchant account at a processing bank. The gateway takes the submitted form data and presents it to the processing bank. When it receives a response from the bank, it presents that return data to the site of origin for appropriate handling.

该网关通过将您的安全订单与您在加工银行的特定商人帐户相关联，方便了在线付款。网关接收提交的表单数据，并将其提供给处理银行。当它收到银行的答复时，它会将返回的数据提供给原始地点以进行适当处理。

The gateway itself doesn’t provide ecommerce features such as shopping carts, Web hosting, or merchant accounts, although, as you’ll see, many larger gateway providers do offer additional services like these.

网关本身不提供诸如购物车，Web托管或商人帐户之类的电子商务功能，但是，正如您将看到的那样，许多较大的网关提供商确实提供了此类附加服务。

比较标准 (Criteria for Comparison)

Before we can compare gateways, we must decide on the criteria we’ll use. To keep this assessment relevant and concise, I’ll limit my comparison to three factors:

在比较网关之前，我们必须确定我们将使用的标准。为了使此评估相关且简洁，我将比较限于三个因素：

Available features
可用功能
Cost
成本
Reliability
可靠性

One of the greatest concerns for all parties involved in an ecommerce transaction is security. Not only is your sensitive information kept on file, but your customers’ personal information passes through your gateway every day. This information is of considerable value to hackers, so it must be protected. So, when you choose a gateway provider, you must be confident that security is the provider’s number one priority.

安全是涉及电子商务交易的所有各方的最大担忧之一。不仅您的敏感信息会被存档，而且客户的个人信息每天都会通过您的网关。此信息对黑客来说具有相当大的价值，因此必须加以保护。因此，当您选择网关提供商时，必须确信安全性是提供商的第一要务。

That said, this review won’t assess the security offered by the various gateway providers we consider. All the gateway providers we’ll consider house their operations in state-of-the-art datacenters, and use the latest security methods to keep data safe.

就是说，此审查不会评估我们考虑的各种网关提供商所提供的安全性。我们将考虑的所有网关提供商都将其操作存储在最新的数据中心中，并使用最新的安全性方法来确保数据安全。

The gateways we’ll review are fully compliant with the security initiatives put forward by the major credit card providers, including the Visa Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP), MasterCard Site Data Protection (SDP), and Discover Information Security and Compliance (DISC). If you decide to user a lesser-known gateway provider, you should verify that the service is compliant with all those initiatives. If it’s not, you could end up paying higher fees, having your account closed, and possibly having your organization added to The Match File, a credit card processing blacklist.

我们将审查的网关完全符合主要信用卡提供商提出的安全措施，包括Visa持卡人信息安全计划(CISP)，万事达卡站点数据保护(SDP)和发现信息安全与合规性(DISC) 。如果决定使用一个鲜为人知的网关提供商，则应验证该服务符合所有这些倡议。如果不是这样，您最终可能要支付更高的费用，关闭您的帐户，并可能将您的组织添加到信用卡处理黑名单“匹配文件”中。

特征 (Features)

Most online merchants don’t realize that their gateway may offer many more features than the ability to accept credit cards through an online form. The truth is that most gateway providers offer value-added features that either make the merchant’s life easier, or help to increase your revenue streams. Here are some of the more common features.

大多数在线商家没有意识到他们的网关可能提供比通过在线表格接受信用卡的功能更多的功能。事实是，大多数网关提供商都提供了增值功能，这些功能要么使商人的生活变得更轻松，要么有助于增加您的收入来源。以下是一些较常见的功能。

Virtual Terminal

虚拟终端

Let’s say you receive a call from a customer who has questions about a product on your Website. You answer her questions adequately, and she decides she wants to purchase the product. Do you tell her to go back to your site to place their order? Well, you can. But why risk that customer never completing her purchase, when you can take her order right there, over the phone? You can process the customer’s credit card payment on the spot, using a virtual terminal!

假设您收到来自客户的电话，该客户对您网站上的产品有疑问。您可以充分回答她的问题，然后她决定要购买该产品。您是否让她回到您的网站下订单？好吧，可以。但是，当您可以通过电话在那儿接她的订单时，为什么要冒险承担客户从未完成购买的风险呢？您可以使用虚拟终端当场处理客户的信用卡付款！

A virtual terminal is a Web form that’s accessible to the merchant, and allows you to enter credit card payments manually. It can also be used to issue returns and void previous transactions.

虚拟终端是商户可访问的Web表单，可让您手动输入信用卡付款。它也可以用于发行退货并取消以前的交易。

Fraud Prevention

预防诈骗

Fraud prevention tools are probably the most important, yet under-utilized, feature offered by the major gateways. Merchants whose stores have been online for over six months will have been introduced to chargebacks, and will probably have first-hand experience of their negative effects. One of the main causes of chargebacks for online transactions is fraud. Utilizing the fraud prevention tools offered by your gateway provider will allow you to spend less time dealing with chargebacks, and more time making sales and promoting your business.

防欺诈工具可能是主要网关提供的最重要但未充分利用的功能。商店上线已经超过六个月的商家将被引入扣款单，并且可能会对它们的负面影响有第一手的经验。网上交易拒付的主要原因之一是欺诈。利用网关提供商提供的防欺诈工具，您可以减少处理退款的时间，而将更多时间用于销售和促进业务。

The gateways discussed here support the basic fraud prevention tools. These include Address Verification (AVS), which compares the customer’s delivery address with the address that the card-issuing bank has on file, and CVV2, the three-digit security number that appears on the back of VISA, MasterCard, and Discover Card credit cards (a four-digit number on the front of American Express cards).

此处讨论的网关支持基本的防欺诈工具。其中包括地址验证(AVS)，该功能将客户的送货地址与发卡行存档的地址进行比较； CVV2(出现在VISA，MasterCard和Discover Card信用卡背面的三位数安全号码)卡(美国运通卡正面的四位数数字)。

Recurring Billing

经常性帐单

Merchants who charge their customers on a periodic basis will find the recurring billing feature offered by many gateways a big time-saver. Using recurring billing, you can simply provide your gateway with billing information, and tell it how often to charge the customer — the gateway takes care of the rest. There’s no more keying information into a piece of software or credit card terminal every month! This feature is great for subscription and membership based businesses.

定期向客户收费的商家会发现，许多网关提供的循环计费功能可节省大量时间。使用定期计费，您可以简单地向网关提供计费信息，并告知其向客户收费的频率—网关负责其余的事务。每个月都不再需要将密钥信息输入软件或信用卡终端了！此功能非常适合基于订阅和成员资格的企业。

eCheck Processing

电子支票处理

Although credit cards are, by far, the most popular way to pay online, other payment options shouldn’t be ignored. After all, your goal is to make it as easy as possible for customers to part with their money. Electronic checks (eChecks) are an increasingly popular payment method that allows customers simply to enter their banking information, rather than physically send a check by mail.

尽管到目前为止，信用卡是最流行的在线支付方式，但其他支付方式也不容忽视。毕竟，您的目标是使客户尽可能轻松地省钱。电子支票(eChecks)是一种越来越流行的付款方式，它允许客户简单地输入其银行信息，而不是通过邮件亲自发送支票。

Integration

积分

Though it’s perhaps not a true "feature," integration is still worth considering when you’re choosing a gateway. Should you make your checkout process completely transparent to customers? Are you a programming "newbie" who wants a simple set-up that you know will work? Or are you waiting to switch to a more advanced set-up when you have the time and experience? Having the option to choose the integration method without incurring any extra costs can help you avoid headaches during the setup process, and as you manage your business’s growth in later months.

尽管它可能不是真正的“功能”，但在选择网关时仍然值得考虑集成。您是否应该使结帐流程对客户完全透明？您是正在编程的“新手”，想要一个您可以使用的简单设置吗？或者，如果您有时间和经验，是否在等待切换到更高级的设置？可以选择集成方法而不会产生任何额外费用，可以帮助您避免在设置过程中出现麻烦，并在以后的几个月中管理业务的增长。

成本 (Cost)

As with any merchant account service, fees are associated with using the gateway — fees that are separate from those billed by your merchant account provider. Luckily, gateway provider’s fees are a fairly standard, which makes comparison easy. These are the most significant:

与任何商户帐户服务一样，费用与使用网关相关联-费用与商户帐户提供商所收取的费用不同。幸运的是，网关提供商的费用是相当标准的，这使比较变得容易。这些是最重要的：

Setup fees: These fees are charged when you first establish your gateway (before it’s built), and are generally non-refundable. These costs may vary from hundreds of dollars to absolutely nothing.
设置费用：这些费用是在您首次建立网关(在构建网关之前)收取的，通常不予退还。这些费用可能从数百美元到完全没有。
Monthly fees: As with most merchant account services, gateway providers charge a monthly fee for their service. This fee is usually independent of monthly processing volume.
月租费：与大多数商户帐户服务一样，网关提供商也要为其服务收取月租费。该费用通常与每月处理量无关。
Transaction fees: Most providers charge for every transaction they process, regardless of whether the transaction has been approved or declined.
交易费用：大多数提供商会针对他们处理的每笔交易收取费用 ，无论该交易是已批准还是被拒绝。
Additional Features: Generally, gateways charge for any additional features you might decide to use. Charges may include set-up fees, monthly fees, and transaction fees that are separate from the standard charges above.
附加功能：通常，网关会对您可能决定使用的所有附加功能收费。收费可能包括设置费用，月租费用和交易费用，这些费用与上述标准费用分开。

可靠性 (Reliability)

On the Web, it seems that one second equals an eternity. Every online merchant knows that if they can’t process a transaction when their customer’s ready to buy, the sale is lost. Why would customers wait around for a problem to be resolved when they can go to a competitor’s site and make their purchases right now? The last thing you want is a third party service failing when you need it most. Your gateway must be up and running 24-7.

在网络上，似乎一秒钟等于永恒。每个在线商家都知道，如果他们的客户准备购买时无法处理交易，那么销售就会失败。当客户可以立即访问竞争对手的站点并进行购买时，为什么还要等待问题解决？您想要的最后一件事是最需要时第三方服务失败。您的网关必须已启动并运行24-7。

网关 (The Gateways)

So, now you know what to look for in a gateway. Many providers will vie for your attention: who will you consider?

因此，现在您知道在网关中查找什么了。许多提供者将争夺您的注意力：您将考虑谁？

I’ve researched some of the more popular gateways; I’ll break down their features, costs, strengths and weaknesses. Here are the contenders:

我研究了一些比较流行的网关。我将分解它们的功能，成本，优点和缺点。以下是竞争者：

Authorize.net
Authorize.net
Verisign Payflow Pro
威瑞信Payflow Pro
Verisign Payflow Link
Verisign Payflow链接
LinkPoint API
LinkPoint API
LinkPoint Connect
LinkPoint连接
Plug ‘n Pay
即插即用

Some of these gateways offer different features — charge different prices — depending on which method of integration you choose to use. I’ve listed each of these offerings separately, classifying each as its own, unique product for the sake of easier comparison.

其中一些网关提供不同的功能-收取不同的价格-取决于您选择使用哪种集成方法。我将每种产品分别列出，为了便于比较，将每种产品归为自己的独特产品。

Authorize.net

Authorize.net, founded in 1996, has become synonymous with the word ‘gateway’.

成立于1996年的Authorize.net已成为“网关”一词的同义词。

Features

特征

Fraud Prevention

预防诈骗

The Authorize.net Fraud Detection Suite (FDS) is designed to identify fraudulent transactions before your product ships (and you’re hit with a chargeback). The suite’s features include:

Authorize.net欺诈检测套件(FDS)旨在在产品发货之前识别欺诈交易(并且您会被拒付)。该套件的功能包括：

an amount filter that sets upper and lower value limits for "acceptable" sales
为“可接受的”销售设置上限和下限值的数量过滤器
a velocity filter that limits the number of transactions that can be received per hour from a given customer
速度过滤器，它限制了每小时可从给定客户接收的交易数量
an address mismatch filter that detects instances in which billing and shipping addresses differ
地址不匹配过滤器，用于检测账单地址和送货地址不同的实例
an IP filter that isolates suspicious activity from one IP address
一种IP过滤器，用于将可疑活动与一个IP地址隔离开
a suspicious transaction filter based on Authorize.net’s own criteria
基于Authorize.net自身标准的可疑交易过滤器
IP blocking functionality, which allows you to block the IP addresses of known frauds
IP阻止功能，可让您阻止已知欺诈的IP地址

Recurring Billing

经常性帐单

This is straightforward: supply your customer’s credit card details, billing amount, payment interval, the length of the subscription, and a recurring billing account is created. No further interaction is required.

这很简单：提供您客户的信用卡详细信息，账单金额，付款间隔，订阅期限以及一个经常性账单帐户。不需要进一步的交互。

eCheck Processing

电子支票处理

The Authorize.net eCheck system is robust and full-featured, with many capabilities. Any merchant who’s considering processing eChecks will find Authorize.net’s solution an excellent choice.

Authorize.net eCheck系统功能强大且功能齐全，具有许多功能。任何考虑处理eChecks的商户都会发现Authorize.net的解决方案是一个绝佳的选择。

Choice of APIs

API的选择

This is one of the strongest features of Authorize.net: merchants are able to choose between two different integration methods for the same price. You can switch methods at any time, and all features are available regardless of which method you choose.

这是Authorize.net的最强功能之一：商家能够以相同的价格在两种不同的集成方法之间进行选择。您可以随时切换方法，并且无论选择哪种方法，所有功能均可用。

The available integrations methods are:

可用的集成方法是：

The Simple Integration Method (SIM): Not surprisingly, this is easiest method to set up, with virtually no programming, and no SSL certificate, required. Your secure order page is hosted directly on Authorize.net’s secure server, but it can be customized to match the look and feel of your Website.
简单集成方法(SIM)：毫不奇怪，这是最简单的设置方法，几乎不需要编程，也不需要SSL证书。您的安全订单页面直接托管在Authorize.net的安全服务器上，但可以对其进行自定义以匹配您网站的外观。
The Advanced Integration Method (AIM): This method allows programmers to make the checkout process completely seamless and transparent. Customers never leave your Website, as transactions are conducted server-to-server, behind the scenes. This method gives you complete control over the front-end, and your customers’ experience of your site.
高级集成方法(AIM)：程序员可以使用此方法使结帐过程完全无缝和透明。由于交易是在服务器之间进行的，因此客户永远不会离开您的网站。此方法使您可以完全控制前端以及客户对站点的体验。

Cost

成本

Authorize.net doesn’t list service pricing on its Website because it doesn’t sell directly to merchants. Interested merchants need to contact one of the authorized resellers listed in the directory.

Authorize.net不会在其网站上列出服务价格，因为它不会直接出售给商家。有兴趣的商人需要联系目录中列出的授权经销商之一。

Pricing varies by reseller, but here are some rough guidelines:

价格因经销商而异，但以下是一些粗略的指导原则：

Set-up fee:
设置费：

Set up costs range from $25 to $300 (the average being $100). This fee usually does not include recurring billing or other value-added services. Some resellers allow you to reduce the setup fee if you agree to pay a higher monthly fee.
设置费用从25美元到300美元不等(平均为100美元)。该费用通常不包括定期结算或其他增值服务。如果您同意支付更高的月租费，一些经销商可以让您降低安装费。
Monthly fee:
月租费：

Monthly fees can range from $10 to $30 per month, averaging $15. This fee covers processing statements and the provision of merchant support.
每月费用从10美元到30美元不等，平均为15美元。该费用包括处理报表和提供商人支持。
Transaction Fee:
手续费：

In addition to the transaction fee charged by your merchant account provider, Authorize.net will charge an additional transaction fee of its own. This fee will vary from 5 cents to 15 cents, with 10 cents being average. Some resellers have the ability to offer free transactions, as Authorize.net rewards active resellers by allowing their merchants to process their first 250 transactions each month for free. If you expect to make fewer than 250 transactions per month, you can essentially avoid transaction fees if you use a reseller that offers this discount.
除了您的商户帐户提供商收取的交易费用外，Authorize.net还将收取自己的额外交易费用。费用从5美分到15美分不等，平均为10美分。一些转售商具有提供免费交易的能力，因为Authorize.net通过允许其商家每月免费处理其前250次交易来奖励活跃的转售商。如果您希望每月进行少于250笔交易，那么如果您使用提供此折扣的转销商，则基本上可以避免交易费用。
Recurring Billing:
定期结算：

Authorize.net’s recurring billing feature is not a standard feature: it incurs additional cost in the form of a set-up fee and a monthly recurring fee. Setup fees run from $40 to $100, with $50 being average. The monthly fee will range from $20 to $40, with $30 being average.
Authorize.net的定期计费功能不是一项标准功能：它会产生设置费和每月定期费的额外费用。安装费从40美元到100美元不等，平均为50美元。月费从20美元到40美元不等，平均为30美元。
Fraud Detection Suite:
欺诈检测套件：

Authorize.net’s Fraud Detection Suite also incurs additional setup and recurring fees. The setup fee ranges from $25 to $50, with $40 being average. The monthly costs vary depending on volume. If your business conducts no more than 100 transactions each month, your cost will be between $8 and $20, with $13 being average. If your business conducts between 101 and 1000 transactions, the FDS will cost between $15 and $50, with $30 being average. If your business conducts over 1,000 transactions each month, you’ll be looking at a range of $50 to $150 per month, with $100 being average.
Authorize.net的欺诈检测套件还会产生额外的设置和经常性费用。设置费用从25美元到50美元不等，平均为40美元。每月费用取决于数量。如果您的企业每月进行的交易不超过100次，则费用在$ 8到$ 20之间，平均为$ 13。如果您的业务进行101到1000笔交易，则FDS的费用在15到50美元之间，平均为30美元。如果您的企业每月进行1000笔交易，则每月的费用范围为$ 50到$ 150，平均为$ 100。
eCheck:
电子支票：

eCheck services through Authorize.net are handled differently then their other services. Pricing is not set by resellers. However pricing will still vary from merchant to merchant as Authorize.net sets it rates on a case-by-case basis with fees being determined by the risk associated with the account. However, most merchants typically pay a $49 application fee and if approved a $100 setup fee. Each check process will cost 1.75% of the check’s face value plus 30Â¢ per transaction. There is no monthly fee but $10 monthly minimum does apply.
通过Authorize.net进行的eCheck服务的处理方式与其他服务不同。经销商未设定价格。但是，价格仍然会因商家而异，因为Authorize.net会根据具体情况设置费率，费用取决于与帐户相关的风险。但是，大多数商家通常需要支付49美元的申请费，如果获得批准，则需要支付100美元的安装费。每个支票处理将花费支票面值的1.75％加每笔交易的30¢。没有月租费，但每月最低$ 10确实适用。

Strengths

长处

Although Authorize.net resellers can charge virtually any price they wish, pricing for this provider’s gateways and services remain relatively low. This is due to two factors:

尽管Authorize.net经销商实际上可以按他们希望的任何价格收费，但是该提供商的网关和服务的价格仍然相对较低。这是由于两个因素：

Low buy rates: Authorize.net has excellent buy rates from which resellers can mark up their services both competitively and profitably.
低购买率 ：Authorize.net具有出色的购买率，经销商可以从中以竞争性和高利润的方式标记其服务。
Competition: So many companies resell Authorize.net’s services that pricing needs to remain low: reseller competition is fierce!
竞争：如此多的公司转售Authorize.net的服务，因此价格需要保持较低水平：经销商竞争非常激烈！

The features Authorize.net offers (recurring billing, fraud detection, and eCheck) meet the needs of virtually every merchant. Such a comprehensive offering eliminates the need to implement third party solutions, and makes managing the services easy.

Authorize.net提供的功能(重复计费，欺诈检测和eCheck)可以满足几乎每个商人的需求。如此全面的产品消除了实施第三方解决方案的需要，并简化了服务管理。

Authorize.net does not consider one form of integration superior to another, so it offers customers both. New Webmasters will find this feature particularly attractive, as they may not yet have the programming skills to implement the Authorize.net gateway through its available API, but want to have the option to do so in the future, once they acquire those skills.

Authorize.net并不认为一种集成形式要优于另一种形式，因此它为客户提供两种形式。新的网站管理员会发现此功能特别吸引人，因为他们可能尚不具备通过其可用的API来实现Authorize.net网关的编程技能，但是希望他们一旦获得这些技能就可以选择将来这样做。

Authorize.net’s popularity is of benefit to many of its users. If you look at the features offered by most of the currently available shopping carts, almost every one offers built-in support for Authorize.net right out of the box. In fact, many shopping cart and ecommerce solutions list support for Authorize.net among the software’s features. In these cases, unless you’re writing a custom shopping cart for your site, you don’t have to worry about integrating your Authorize.net gateway: it’s already been done for you. If you’ve chosen to write your own custom shopping cart, you’ll find that developers have released the source code that accesses Authorize.net’s AIM API, making application development much quicker and easier.

Authorize.net的受欢迎程度为其许多用户带来了好处。如果您查看大多数当前可用购物车提供的功能，几乎每个购物车都立即提供对Authorize.net的内置支持。实际上，许多购物车和电子商务解决方案都在该软件的功能中列出了对Authorize.net的支持。在这些情况下，除非您为站点编写自定义购物车，否则不必担心集成Authorize.net网关：已经为您完成了。如果您选择编写自己的自定义购物车，则会发现开发人员已经发布了访问Authorize.net的AIM API的源代码，从而使应用程序开发更快，更轻松。

Weaknesses

弱点

As popular as Authorize.net’s services are, they are not perfect. Being the largest payment gateway provider does have its downsides.

尽管与Authorize.net的服务一样受欢迎，但它们并不完美。作为最大的支付网关提供商确实有其缺点。

The first notable issue is that pricing can vary tremendously from one reseller to another. If your goal is to get the lowest rates possible, you’ll need to shop around quite a bit. Unfortunately, you may also be inundated with merchant account offers, as the vast majority of resellers are very interested in landing lucrative merchant accounts. Some will even refuse to establish a gateway for you unless you use their merchant services.

第一个值得注意的问题是，一个经销商之间的价格差异很大。如果您的目标是获得尽可能低的价格，则需要多花一些钱。不幸的是，由于绝大多数经销商对登陆利润丰厚的商户帐户非常感兴趣，因此您可能也被商户帐户优惠所淹没。某些人甚至会拒绝为您建立网关，除非您使用他们的商人服务。

As the largest payment gateway provider, Authorize.net is often targeted by hackers. In September 2004, Authorize.net was the target of a Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS) that lasted for almost a full week, preventing some merchants from processing sales, and others from being able to sign up for new services. It wasn’t the first attack Authorize.net has experienced, and it’s not likely to be the last. Granted, any business could have been targeted (in fact, 2checkout.com was attacked at the same time), but it’s fair to say that being number one in the payment gateway industry also means being number one on the hackers’ hit list.

作为最大的支付网关提供商，Authorize.net通常是黑客的目标。 2004年9月，Authorize.net是分布式拒绝服务攻击(DDoS)的目标，该攻击持续了整整一周的时间，阻止了一些商人处理销售交易，而其他商人则无法注册新服务。这不是Authorize.net经历的第一次攻击，也不可能是最后一次。当然，任何业务都可能成为攻击目标(实际上2checkout.com同时受到攻击)，但是可以公平地说，在支付网关行业中排名第一也意味着在黑客命中名单中排名第一。

Verisign Payflow Pro

威瑞信Payflow Pro

The Verisign name is well-known, and carries a reputation for security and trust. It has carried its reputation for security from its SSL certificate issuing to its gateway services.

威瑞信的名称是众所周知的，并以安全性和信任性着称。从SSL证书颁发到网关服务，它在安全性方面享有盛誉。

Features

特征

Recurring Billing

经常性帐单

The Payflow Pro recurring billing feature is pretty standard, but does offer a very useful feature: an API (application programming interface) from which a recurring billing profile can be created. So, for example, you can have your Website automatically create a recurring billing profile for you during a customer’s online registration. For Web hosting or other subscription-type services where new users sign up through your site, this can be quite a time-saver.

Payflow Pro定期计费功能是非常标准的，但确实提供了非常有用的功能：可以从中创建定期计费配置文件的API(应用程序编程接口)。因此，例如，您可以让您的网站在客户的在线注册期间自动为您创建一个周期性的结算资料。对于新用户通过您的网站进行注册的Web托管或其他订阅类型的服务，这可以节省大量时间。

The Payflow Pro gateway also is capable of sending out automated custom emails. You can send your customers email receipts for their records or send them a notice that their card was declined and that they need to make new payment arrangements for failed transactions. Reporting is also available for billing transactions and individual customer profiles.

Payflow Pro网关还能够发送自动的自定义电子邮件。您可以向客户发送电子邮件收据作为记录，或向他们发送通知，告知他们的卡已被拒绝，并且他们需要为失败的交易做出新的付款安排。报告还可用于计费交易和个人客户资料。

Fraud Prevention

预防诈骗

Verisign breaks its fraud prevention services into two different packages; each has add-on features that enhance the level of protection.

威瑞信将其防欺诈服务分为两个不同的包：每个都有附加功能，可以增强保护级别。

The Basic Package includes seven basic filters that help reduce a merchant’s exposure to fraud. The filters included are:

基本套件包括七个基本过滤器，可帮助减少商家遭受欺诈的风险。包括的过滤器是：

High dollar value filter
高美元价值过滤器
High item number filter
高编号过滤器
Shipping/billing mismatch filter
运输/计费不匹配过滤器
AVS failure filter
AVS故障过滤器
CSC failure filter
CSC故障过滤器
High risk zip code filter
高风险邮政编码过滤器
Freight forwarder filter
货运代理过滤器

You can also restrict sales to certain IP addresses. In essence, you create a whitelist of valid IP addresses from which purchases are permitted.

您还可以将销售限制为某些IP地址。本质上，您可以创建允许购买的有效IP地址白名单。

The Advanced Package includes all of the Basic Package’s filters, plus another fifteen filters that increase protection:

高级软件包包括所有基本软件包的过滤器，以及另外十五个可以增强保护的过滤器：

Product watch list filter
产品观察清单过滤器
High risk BIN filter
高风险BIN过滤器
Account number velocity filter
帐号速度过滤器
US Postal Service address validation filter
美国邮政服务地址验证过滤器
IP address risk list match
IP地址风险列表匹配
Email service provider risk list match
电子邮件服务提供商风险列表匹配
Geo location failure
地理位置故障
Bad list filter (credit card and e-mail address)
错误列表过滤器(信用卡和电子邮件地址)
High risk country filter
高风险国家过滤器
International shipping/billing address filter
国际运输/账单地址过滤器
International IP address filter
国际IP地址过滤器
International AVS filter
国际AVS过滤器
Good email list filter
好的电子邮件列表过滤器
Good credit card list filter
好的信用卡清单过滤器
Total purchase price floor filter
总购买价楼层过滤器

Verisign offers an interesting feature in Account Monitoring. Essentially Verisign employees monitor your sales looking for suspicious transactions. If they notice one, they investigate it to determine whether the sale is truly legitimate or fraudulent. If the sale appears to be fraudulent, they prevent that sale from being settled, and contact you to discuss the transaction further. To use this feature, you must already be registered with the Basic or Advanced Fraud Prevention Packages.

Verisign在“帐户监视”中提供了一个有趣的功能。本质上，Verisign员工会监视您的销售以寻找可疑交易。如果他们注意到其中一个，便会对其进行调查，以确定该出售是否真正合法或欺诈。如果该交易看起来是欺诈性的，他们会阻止该交易的结算，并与您联系以进一步讨论该交易。要使用此功能，您必须已经注册了基本或高级欺诈预防程序包。

Lastly, Verisign offers a Buyer Authentication program for merchants who wish to utilize Visa’s Verified by Visa and/or MasterCard’s SecureCode technologies. To use this feature, you must already be registered with the Basic or Advanced Fraud Prevention Packages.

最后，威瑞信(Verisign)为希望使用Visa的Visa验证和/或MasterCard的SecureCode技术的商户提供了买方身份验证程序。要使用此功能，您必须已经注册了基本或高级欺诈预防程序包。

Cost

成本

Setup Fee: Verisign charges a one-time fee of $249 before account setup.
设置费：在帐户设置之前，Verisign会收取$ 249的一次性费用。
Monthly Fee: Verisign charges a hefty $59.95 monthly for the service.
月费： Verisign每月向该服务收取59.95美元的高额费用。
Transaction Fee: Each transaction run through Payflow Pro costs 10Â¢ in addition to your merchant account fees. However, the first 1,000 transactions each month are free. Since the vast majority of merchants don’t do that kind of volume, this pricing structure virtually eliminates transaction fees for most merchants.
交易费用：除您的商家帐户费用外，通过Payflow Pro进行的每笔交易费用为10¢。但是，每月前1000次交易是免费的。由于绝大多数商家都不做这种交易，因此这种定价结构实际上消除了大多数商家的交易费用。
Recurring Billing: If you decide to use Payflow Pro’s recurring billing feature, you’ll incur a $39.95 setup fee, and a recurring $29.95 monthly fee.
定期结算：如果您决定使用Payflow Pro的定期结算功能，则需要支付39.95美元的设置费和29.95美元的月度费用。
Fraud Protection: As described above, Verisign offers quite a few tools for fraud detection and prevention, but charges separately for them. The basic package costs $29.95 to set up, and an additional $19.95 per month plus 5Â¢ per transaction (these charges are not included in the free transactions). The advanced package costs $89.95 to set up, plus $49.95 per month and 10Â¢ per transaction (these charges are not included in the free transactions). Account monitoring costs $29.95 to set up and $19.95 per month. If you wish to use Verified by Visa or MasterCard SecureCode, you’ll incur a $150 setup fee, as well as a $9.95 monthly fee plus 10cents per transaction. In summary, if you wish to use all fraud prevention tools provided by Verisign, you will incur $260.90 in setup fees, $79.85 in monthly fees, and at least an additional 20 cents per transaction.
欺诈保护：如上所述，Verisign提供了许多用于欺诈检测和预防的工具，但需要分别收费。基本套餐的设置费用为29.95美元，每月另需19.95美元，另加每笔交易5美分(这些费用不包含在免费交易中)。高级套餐的设置费用为$ 89.95，另加每月$ 49.95和每笔交易10¢(这些费用不包含在免费交易中)。帐户监控的建立费用为$ 29.95，每月费用为$ 19.95。如果您希望使用Visa验证或MasterCard SecureCode验证，则需要支付150美元的设置费，以及9.95美元的月费以及每笔交易10美分的费用。总之，如果您希望使用Verisign提供的所有防欺诈工具，则将产生260.90美元的安装费，79.85美元的月费以及每笔交易至少20美分的费用。

Strengths

长处

Verisign’s fraud prevention tools are second to none in terms of flexibility and power. With so many ways to review transactions for potential fraud in one system, it’s hard to imagine many fraudulent transactions slipping through. Merchants who have been troubled by chargebacks and fraud in the past would find these tools a great relief.

威瑞信的欺诈预防工具在灵活性和功能方面是首屈一指的。在一个系统中有这么多种方式审查交易中潜在的欺诈行为，很难想象会有许多欺诈性交易流失。过去曾因拒付和欺诈而困扰的商人会发现这些工具大为缓解。

As an ecommerce merchant, if your Website is down — even for a minute or two — your nearest competitor is only a click away. While other gateways have experienced issues with datacenter moves and hacker attacks, the Verisign gateway has been consistently reliable, with only one outage in recent memory.

作为电子商务商人，如果您的网站宕机了—甚至一两分钟，那么您最接近的竞争对手就只有几步之遥。虽然其他网关在数据中心移动和黑客攻击方面遇到了问题，但Verisign网关一直可靠，在最近的内存中只有一次中断。

Thanks to the SSL certificate business from which this gateway started, the Verisign name has been known for years as the secure and reliable brand on the Internet. At the very least, merchants feel comfortable using Verisign’s services, and customers feel reassured by the Verisign logo. Although it’s debatable whether Verisign is more secure then other gateways, many Webmasters and customers trust this brand.

由于此网关从其开始的SSL证书业务开始，Verisign名称多年来一直被公认为Internet上的安全可靠品牌。至少，商家对使用Verisign的服务感到满意，而客户对Verisign徽标感到放心。尽管Verisign是否比其他网关更安全还是有争议的，但许多网站管理员和客户都信任此品牌。

Weaknesses

弱点

As I mentioned, the Verisign name is well known and carries with it a reputation of security and trust. And they make you pay for it. Payflow Pro is easily the most expensive gateway available. With a $249 setup fee, you could pay more to become a Payflow Pro customer (before you even receive your login information or make a sale) than you would for an entire year with other gateways, setup fee included! Verisign’s $59.95 monthly fee for basic features would buy you every available feature on many other gateways.

正如我提到的，Verisign名称众所周知，并带有安全性和信任性的声誉。他们让你为此付出代价。 Payflow Pro无疑是最昂贵的网关。只需支付249美元的安装费，您与成为其他网关的全年费用相比，成为Payflow Pro客户(甚至在收到登录信息或进行销售之前)就需要支付更多费用！ Verisign基本功能的月费为59.95美元，可以为您提供许多其他网关上的所有可用功能。

Although Verisign’s fraud detection tools are robust, they’re also expensive. I found it disappointing that this provider broke its features down into four different categories and charged for each of them separately. Each one costs a significant amount, and combining them would double the cost of an already expensive gateway.

尽管Verisign的欺诈检测工具功能强大，但价格昂贵。我感到失望的是，该提供商将其功能分为四个不同的类别，并分别为每个类别收费。每个网关的成本都很高，将它们组合在一起将使本来就很昂贵的网关的成本翻倍。

Verisign Payflow Link

Verisign Payflow链接

The little brother of Payflow Pro, this gateway still carries Verisign’s reputation for security and reliability.

该网关是Payflow Pro的弟弟，在安全性和可靠性方面仍然享有Verisign的声誉。

Features

特征

Recurring Billing

经常性帐单

Unlike its more robust Payflow Pro brother, Payflow Link does not offer an API through which you can set up new recurring billing profiles. All recurring billing profiles must be set up manually through a control panel.

与功能更强大的Payflow Pro兄弟不同，Payflow Link不提供可用于设置新的定期账单配置文件的API。必须通过控制面板手动设置所有重复的计费配置文件。

Payflow Link includes the same email and reporting capabilities as Payflow Pro. See Payflow Pro for more information.

Payflow链接包含与Payflow Pro相同的电子邮件和报告功能。有关更多信息，请参见Payflow Pro。

Fraud Protection

欺诈保护

The fraud protection tools available for Payflow Link are the same as for Payflow Pro. See above for more information.

适用于Payflow Link的欺诈防护工具与Payflow Pro相同。有关更多信息，请参见上文。

Cost

成本

Setup Fee: Verisign charges a one time fee of $179 before account setup.
设置费用：在帐户设置之前，Verisign收取一次费用179美元。
Monthly Fee: Verisign charges a reasonable $19.95 per month for service provision.
每月费用： Verisign 每月收取合理的19.95美元的服务费用。
Transaction Fee: Just like Payflow Pro, each transaction run through Payflow Link costs an additional 10Â¢ on top of your merchant account fees. However, the first 500 transactions each month are free. Few merchants will process more than 500 transactions per month, so this structure virtually eliminates the transaction fee.
交易费用：就像Payflow Pro一样，通过Payflow Link运行的每笔交易都需要在您的商家帐户费用之上额外支付10美分。但是，每月前500笔交易是免费的。很少有商家每月处理500笔以上的交易，因此这种结构实际上消除了交易费用。
Recurring Billing: If you decide to use Payflow Pro’s recurring billing feature, you’ll incur a $14.95 setup fee, and a recurring $9.95 monthly fee.
定期结算：如果您决定使用Payflow Pro的定期结算功能，则需要支付14.95美元的设置费和9.95美元的月度费用。
Fraud Protection: The fraud protection tools available for Payflow Link are the same as for Payflow Pro. See above for more information.
欺诈保护： Payflow Link可用的欺诈保护工具与Payflow Pro相同。有关更多信息，请参见上文。

Strengths

长处

See the strengths of Payflow Pro above.

请参阅上方的Payflow Pro优势。

Weaknesses

弱点

Like its big brother, Payflow Link is expensive. Considering its limited integration capabilities (detailed below), you can end up paying a lot of money for relatively little service. In this case, I believe that you’re almost certainly paying for the Verisign name.

像它的哥哥一样，Payflow Link也很昂贵。考虑到其有限的集成功能(在下面详细介绍)，您最终可能会为相对较少的服务支付大量费用。在这种情况下，我相信您几乎可以肯定会为Verisign名称付钱。

Unlike Payflow Pro, Payflow Link does not allow you to make the checkout process transparent for your customers. You must send all customers to Verisign’s Website, where your secure order form resides. Although this will save you money on an SSL certificate — as you don’t have to host the secure order page — the Web address shown in your customer’s Web browser will not be your own. This can be seen as a negative factor by customers deciding whether or not to complete a purchase, and can result in abandoned shopping carts.

与Payflow Pro不同，Payflow Link不允许您使结帐流程对客户透明。您必须将所有客户发送到安全订购单所在的Verisign网站。尽管这样做可以节省SSL证书上的钱(因为您不必托管安全的订单页面)，但客户的Web浏览器中显示的Web地址将不是您自己的。顾客决定是否完成购买可将其视为负面因素，并可能导致购物车废弃。

A "hidden" weakness that most merchants don’t notice is that Payflow Link does not support Level two or three business cards. When a merchant accepts certain special credit cards, additional information about that card needs to be sent to the processor. If you fail to send these details, higher fees are usually charged for that sale. If your business were to use Payflow Link and accepted business credit cards through its Website, you’d pay the highest possible fees for those sales, as Payflow Link doesn’t support those types of cards. Verisign does specify the lack of support for level two and three business cards on its Website, but, due to most merchants’ lack of merchant account knowledge on the topic, this fact usually goes by unnoticed.

大多数商家没有注意到的“隐藏”弱点是Payflow Link不支持二级或三级名片。当商家接受某些特殊信用卡时，有关该卡的其他信息需要发送到处理器。如果您未能发送这些详细信息，通常会对该笔交易收取更高的费用。如果您的公司通过其网站使用Payflow Link和接受的商业信用卡，则您将为这些销售支付最高的费用，因为Payflow Link不支持这些类型的卡。 Verisign确实在其网站上指定了对第二级和第三级名片的支持，但是由于大多数商家缺乏有关该主题的商家帐户知识，因此通常不会引起注意。

LinkPoint API

LinkPoint International is a wholly owned subsidiary of First Data Corporation, the giant in the merchant services industry. The LinkPoint brand is the gateway arm of the First Data merchant services portfolio. Their LinkPoint gateway comes in two flavors: LinkPoint API and LinkPoint Connect. The LinkPoint API is the "advanced" way to process sales through LinkPoint.

LinkPoint International是商户服务行业巨头First Data Corporation的全资子公司。 LinkPoint品牌是First Data商户服务产品组合的门户。他们的LinkPoint网关有两种形式：LinkPoint API和LinkPoint Connect。 LinkPoint API是通过LinkPoint处理销售的“高级”方式。

Features

特征

Recurring Billing

经常性帐单

LinkPoint API provides recurring billing; billing periods can be set to daily, weekly, monthly, and custom intervals.

LinkPoint API提供定期计费；计费周期可以设置为每天，每周，每月和自定义间隔。

Fraud Protection

欺诈保护

LinkShield, LinkPoint’s fraud protection service, uses a feature called "risk rating" to determine if a sale is potentially fraudulent. There are three options for implementing LinkShield. Option 1 uses a behavioral approach: it learns from transactions and makes predictions based on what it has learned over time. Option 2 uses statistical data: it basically compares the sale against a database of previous successful and fraudulent sales, and tries to determine which it kind of transaction it resembles most. Option 3 uses a combination of both methods.

LinkPoint的欺诈保护服务LinkShield使用一种称为“风险等级”的功能来确定销售是否具有欺诈性。有三种实现LinkShield的选项。选项1使用行为方法：它从交易中学习并根据其随着时间的推移进行预测。选项2使用统计数据：它基本上将销售与先前成功和欺诈性销售的数据库进行比较，并尝试确定最类似于哪种交易。选项3结合使用了这两种方法。

Note: At the time this article was written, this service was only in a Beta testing phase.

注意：在撰写本文时，此服务仅处于Beta测试阶段。

Tax Calculation

税收计算

An interesting feature of the LinkPoint API is its tax calculator, which calculates sales tax by state and municipality. It allows merchants to determine how or when customers are charged sales tax for products and services they’ve ordered.

LinkPoint API的一个有趣功能是其税额计算器，它可以按州和市计算营业税。它使商家可以确定如何或何时向客户收取订购产品和服务的营业税。

Shipping Calculation

运费计算

A common need for merchants who ship tangible products is the calculation of shipping costs for each order. This feature will calculate shipping costs based on zones, or the type of shipping used. It can provide flat rate pricing, or base shipping costs on the total value of the sale.

运送有形产品的商人的普遍需求是计算每个订单的运送成本。此功能将根据区域或使用的运输类型计算运输成本。它可以提供统一费率定价或销售总价值的基础运输成本。

eCheck

电子支票

LinkPoint’s version of eChecks, called VirtualCheck, is feature-rich and should satisfy the vast majority of merchants. Funds are deposited directly into a merchant’s business checking account within five to seven business days. Merchants are notified of returned checks within two to four business days, and those checks are automatically resubmitted. Email notifications and real-time reporting are also included.

LinkPoint的eChecks版本称为VirtualCheck，具有丰富的功能，应该可以满足绝大多数商人的需求。资金会在五到七个工作日内直接存入商家的业务支票帐户。会在两到四个工作日内将退回的支票通知商家，然后自动重新提交这些支票。电子邮件通知和实时报告也包括在内。

Cost

成本

LinkPoint does not sell its services directly to merchants. A merchant who wishes to utilize the LinkPoint API payment gateway will need to contact one of its authorized resellers. As a result, pricing will vary by reseller.

LinkPoint不会将其服务直接出售给商人。希望使用LinkPoint API支付网关的商家将需要联系其授权经销商之一。因此，价格将因经销商而异。

Since definitive pricing cannot be given, I’ll provide here the general price ranges you can expect.

由于无法给出确定的价格，因此我在这里提供您可以期望的一般价格范围。

Setup Fee: Establishing a LinkPoint API gateway costs anywhere from $75 to $300; $295 is average. It is possible to get a reduced setup fee by paying a higher monthly fee, but this offer varies by reseller.
设置费：建立LinkPoint API网关的费用从75美元到300美元不等；平均为$ 295。可以通过支付较高的月费来降低安装费，但是此优惠因经销商而异。
Monthly Fee: Monthly costs for the LinkPoint API will run anywhere from $15 to $25, with $20 being average.
月费： LinkPoint API的月费从$ 15到$ 25不等，平均为$ 20。
Transaction Fee: The LinkPoint API does not charge a transaction fee.
交易费用： LinkPoint API不收取交易费用。
Recurring Billing: Unlike the other major gateway providers, the recurring billing feature is included with the LinkPoint API at no extra charge. There is no additional setup fee, monthly fee, or transaction fee.
重复计费：与其他主要网关提供商不同，LinkPoint API包含重复计费功能，无需额外付费。没有额外的安装费，月费或交易费。
Fraud Protection: When LinkShield goes gold it should cost approximately $25 per month.
欺诈保护： LinkShield变成黄金时，每月大约需要花费25美元。
eCheck: VirtualCheck has no setup fee, a $10.00 monthly fee, 2.00% discount rate and a 25 cent transaction rate.
eCheck： VirtualCheck没有设置费，月费为10.00美元，折扣率为2.00％，交易率为25美分。

Strengths

长处

The LinkPoint API’s greatest strength is, clearly, its pricing. Although some resellers do charge a fairly high setup fee, that charge can be recouped if you never pay transaction fees. That extra five or ten cents per transaction can add up quickly, and the lack of transaction fees with this offering can easily more then compensate for the high setup fee. If a merchant plans to use the recurring billing feature, the costs saved just in monthly fees alone can tip the scale for a price-conscious merchant.

显然，LinkPoint API的最大优势在于其价格。尽管有些转销商确实收取相当高的安装费，但如果您从不支付交易费，则可以收回该费用。每笔交易额外的五到十美分可以Swift加起来，而此产品缺少交易费用可以轻松地弥补高额的安装费用。如果商家计划使用循环计费功能，那么仅凭每月费用节省的成本就可以为注重价格的商家扩大规模。

With the exception of its recent move to a new datacenter, the LinkPoint API has experienced virtually no downtime in recent years. Eventually, LinkPoint plans to have a backup datacenter in place for redundancy.

除了最近迁移到新的数据中心外，LinkPoint API近年来几乎没有停机。最终，LinkPoint计划建立一个备用数据中心以实现冗余。

Weaknesses

弱点

The biggest drawback to the LinkPoint API is that it’s proprietary to one processing platform: First Data. The best way to explain this is to compare it with computer operating systems. Software written for Windows won’t work on Mac or Linux. They use different architectures and therefore communication with each OS is handled differently. The same concept applies to Visa and MasterCard processing networks. There are over a dozen in existence, and they each have a different API with which they communicate with gateways (and credit card terminals).

LinkPoint API的最大缺点是它是一个处理平台专有的：First Data。解释此问题的最佳方法是将其与计算机操作系统进行比较。为Windows编写的软件不能在Mac或Linux上运行。它们使用不同的体系结构，因此与每个OS的通信处理方式也不同。相同的概念适用于Visa和MasterCard处理网络。存在着十几种，它们每个都有一个不同的API，可用来与网关(和信用卡终端)进行通信。

LinkPoint, which is owned by First Data, communicates only with First Data’s platforms, so you must sign up with a merchant provider who has access to the First Data platforms. Many do; many don’t. Limited choices mean that you have a limited opportunity to find a program that best suits your business. This can get really ugly if you’re using the LinkPoint API, and try to leave your current provider. If you choose a new provider that doesn’t have access to the First Data platform, you will need to learn a new API for your new gateway, then reintegrate it into your shopping cart (not to mention that you will have to learn your way around your new gateway). The purpose of this approach, as with any proprietary software, is to "lock" a merchant in.

由First Data拥有的LinkPoint仅与First Data的平台进行通信，因此您必须与有权访问First Data平台的商户提供商进行注册。许多人这样做；许多没有。选择不多就意味着您机会有限，无法找到最适合您业务的程序。如果您使用的是LinkPoint API，这会变得很丑陋，并尝试离开当前的提供程序。如果选择无法访问First Data平台的新提供商，则需要为新网关学习新的API，然后将其重新集成到购物车中(更不用说，您将必须学习自己的方式在您的新网关周围)。与任何专有软件一样，此方法的目的是“锁定”商人。

Another big drawback of LinkPoint is its lack of a powerful anti-fraud offering. With fraud being a huge concern for every online merchant, you’d expect that fraud-prevention tools would be an essential feature for any gateway. Although an anti-fraud solution is in development, it’s not here now, and, when it does launch, will possibly be limited in comparison to the anti-fraud tools already in existence with the other gateway providers.

Another big drawback of LinkPoint is its lack of a powerful anti-fraud offering. With fraud being a huge concern for every online merchant, you'd expect that fraud-prevention tools would be an essential feature for any gateway. Although an anti-fraud solution is in development, it's not here now, and, when it does launch, will possibly be limited in comparison to the anti-fraud tools already in existence with the other gateway providers.

LinkPoint Connect

The LinkPoint Connect gateway essentially is a stripped-down version of the LinkPoint API. It’s similar to Authorize.net’s SIM and Verisign’s Payflow Link in terms of the way it’s integrated with your site.

The LinkPoint Connect gateway essentially is a stripped-down version of the LinkPoint API. It's similar to Authorize.net's SIM and Verisign's Payflow Link in terms of the way it's integrated with your site.

Features

特征

LinkPoint Connect does not offer any special features such as recurring billing or fraud prevention.

Cost

Setup Fee: Establishing a LinkPoint Connect gateway costs between $75 and $300, with $295 being average.
Setup Fee: Establishing a LinkPoint Connect gateway costs between $75 and $300, with $295 being average.
Monthly Fee: LinkPoint Connect will run anywhere from $15 to $25; $20 is average.
Monthly Fee: LinkPoint Connect will run anywhere from $15 to $25; $20 is average.
Transaction Fee: LinkPoint Connect does not charge a transaction fee.
Transaction Fee: LinkPoint Connect does not charge a transaction fee.

Strengths

长处

Just like the LinkPoint API, LinkPoint Connect charges no transaction fees.

The lack of features of LinkPoint Connect, while listed as a weakness below, can also be considered an advantage. Many merchants do not want bells and whistles, or functionality other than the ability to accept credit cards online through a secure order form. The simplicity of LinkPoint Connect removes the distractions that additional functionality may provide some merchants.

Weaknesses

弱点

LinkPoint Connect is proprietary to the First Data platform. See the downsides of the LinkPoint API for more information.

As with Verisign’s Payflow Link, LinkPoint Connect merchants cannot make the checkout process transparent for customers: they must send customers to LinkPoint’s Website, where the secure order form resides. See Payflow Link for information.

As with Verisign's Payflow Link, LinkPoint Connect merchants cannot make the checkout process transparent for customers: they must send customers to LinkPoint's Website, where the secure order form resides. See Payflow Link for information.

LinkPoint Connect offers no built-in anti-fraud tools. See the downsides of the LinkPoint API for more information.

Although the functionality of LinkPoint Connect is limited, its price tag is not. Most resellers charge the same price for LinkPoint Connect as they do for the LinkPoint API. While LinkPoint Connect customers can switch to the LinkPoint API at any time, and at no cost, if they don’t plan to take advantage of its additional functionality, you’re basically paying for gateway services you’ll never use.

Although the functionality of LinkPoint Connect is limited, its price tag is not. Most resellers charge the same price for LinkPoint Connect as they do for the LinkPoint API. While LinkPoint Connect customers can switch to the LinkPoint API at any time, and at no cost, if they don't plan to take advantage of its additional functionality, you're basically paying for gateway services you'll never use.

While ideal for very small businesses with no plans to grow or expand, LinkPoint Connect’s lack of features limits its appeal. Any business wishing to start with LinkPoint Connect’s basic card processing functionality, then grow to include other services, will need to switch to the LinkPoint API first before they can take advantage of those services. If Webmasters have limited programming skills, they may find this is not possible, or can only be done with great difficulty or expense.

While ideal for very small businesses with no plans to grow or expand, LinkPoint Connect's lack of features limits its appeal. Any business wishing to start with LinkPoint Connect's basic card processing functionality, then grow to include other services, will need to switch to the LinkPoint API first before they can take advantage of those services. If Webmasters have limited programming skills, they may find this is not possible, or can only be done with great difficulty or expense.

Plug ‘n Pay

Plug 'n Pay

Plug ‘n Pay attempts to take the gateway to the next level by positioning its services as a complete business management system. Indeed, Plug ‘n Pay offers many services to compliment the basic gateway service.

Plug 'n Pay attempts to take the gateway to the next level by positioning its services as a complete business management system. Indeed, Plug 'n Pay offers many services to compliment the basic gateway service.

Features

特征

Fraud Prevention

Plug ‘n Pay offers two different levels of fraud protection. The first level is called FraudTrak, which offers a feature called Negative Database: an in-house database of known fraudulent customers and credit card numbers. As Plug ‘n Pay members report violators, the database continues to grow.

Plug 'n Pay offers two different levels of fraud protection. The first level is called FraudTrak, which offers a feature called Negative Database: an in-house database of known fraudulent customers and credit card numbers. As Plug 'n Pay members report violators, the database continues to grow.

The second level of fraud protection is called FraudTrak2. It offers more advanced features for reducing fraud, including:

IP Blocking
IP Blocking
Block Email Domains â€“ Many fraudsters use free email providers (e.g. Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL) as their email for fraudulent purchases. You can block users from making a purchase using free email addresses from these domains.
Block Email Domains â€“ Many fraudsters use free email providers (eg Hotmail, Yahoo, AOL) as their email for fraudulent purchases. You can block users from making a purchase using free email addresses from these domains.
Bounced Emails â€“ If your customer’s order confirmation email bounces, you’ll know before you ship your product.
Bounced Emails â€“ If your customer's order confirmation email bounces, you'll know before you ship your product.
Block Country â€“ Some countries are hotbeds of fraudulent activity. You can block purchases from such countries with the click of the mouse.
Block Country â€“ Some countries are hotbeds of fraudulent activity. You can block purchases from such countries with the click of the mouse.
IP Address Frequency Check â€“ Sometimes fraudsters will repeatedly enter credit card numbers into your system until they find one that works. This tool will place a limit on how many purchase attempts a user can make from one location.
IP Address Frequency Check â€“ Sometimes fraudsters will repeatedly enter credit card numbers into your system until they find one that works. This tool will place a limit on how many purchase attempts a user can make from one location.
Credit Card Number Frequency Check â€“ Once a fraudster finds a successful stolen credit card number, they will use it until it is finally exhausted. This service will identify a card that has been used repeatedly, and block it from use.
Credit Card Number Frequency Check â€“ Once a fraudster finds a successful stolen credit card number, they will use it until it is finally exhausted. This service will identify a card that has been used repeatedly, and block it from use.

eCheck Processing

Plug ‘n Pay’s eCheck processing handled by a third party, so customer billing is separate from your regular billing through Plug ‘n Pay. However, all eCheck reporting is done through the Plug ‘n Pay control panel, which makes organizing your online sales easier.

Plug 'n Pay's eCheck processing handled by a third party, so customer billing is separate from your regular billing through Plug 'n Pay. However, all eCheck reporting is done through the Plug 'n Pay control panel, which makes organizing your online sales easier.

Recurring Billing

Recurring billing is limited. Recurring billing accounts can only be set up manually, and only for monthly increments. Managing accounts is easy to do through the recurring billing interface.

Membership Management

Membership management takes recurring billing to the next level. This feature allows you to offer a "members only" section to your Website, manage the access levels, password protect it, manage those passwords, manage the length of subscriptions, and automatically create a recurring billing account. It also allows monitoring of the content within your members’ area. If someone is determined to download an excessive amount of content, you will be notified. Security measures, such as IP monitoring, are in place to prevent users from sharing accounts.

Membership management takes recurring billing to the next level. This feature allows you to offer a "members only" section to your Website, manage the access levels, password protect it, manage those passwords, manage the length of subscriptions, and automatically create a recurring billing account. It also allows monitoring of the content within your members' area. If someone is determined to download an excessive amount of content, you will be notified. Security measures, such as IP monitoring, are in place to prevent users from sharing accounts.

Digital Downloads

Managing digital downloads is a headache for ebook authors. How can you provide a link to your product without having your customers email it to everyone they know? How do you verify that your customer did actually download the entire ebook? With Digital Download Delivery of course! With Digital Download Delivery you get:

Vanishing URLs â€“ access to the URL disappears after a set period of time (usually two hours)
Vanishing URLs â€“ access to the URL disappears after a set period of time (usually two hours)
Download Verification â€“ confirm your product has been delivered successfully to your customer (very helpful in reducing chargebacks)
Download Verification â€“ confirm your product has been delivered successfully to your customer (very helpful in reducing chargebacks)
Virtually any file format is supported
Virtually any file format is supported

Affiliate Management

The Plug ‘n Pay affiliate management tool enables merchants to sign up and manage a network of affiliates. The tools offered to help make affiliate management easier include:

The Plug 'n Pay affiliate management tool enables merchants to sign up and manage a network of affiliates. The tools offered to help make affiliate management easier include:

Separation of shipping and tax from the total sale, to make commission calculation easier
Separation of shipping and tax from the total sale, to make commission calculation easier
Tracking of banner impressions, click throughs, and sales to determine which banners work best
Tracking of banner impressions, click throughs, and sales to determine which banners work best
Allowance for affiliates to track their own results
Allowance for affiliates to track their own results
Provision for affiliates to sign up directly
Provision for affiliates to sign up directly

Coupon Management

An interesting feature offered by Plug ‘n Pay is the ability to issue and track coupons. You determine the offer you want to make and, when your customers make a purchase, they enter the code you’ve supplied, and your special offer is redeemed right then and there. The Plug ‘n Pay system knows the discount you have offered, and will apply it when your customer submits their order. You can run multiple promotions simultaneously, and set an expiration date as you would for a paper coupon.

An interesting feature offered by Plug 'n Pay is the ability to issue and track coupons. You determine the offer you want to make and, when your customers make a purchase, they enter the code you've supplied, and your special offer is redeemed right then and there. The Plug 'n Pay system knows the discount you have offered, and will apply it when your customer submits their order. You can run multiple promotions simultaneously, and set an expiration date as you would for a paper coupon.

Shopping Cart

If you are having difficulty finding a shopping cart that supports Plug ‘n Pay (which isn’t likely, since the largest shopping cart providers support Plug ‘n Pay either by default or with a plugin), simply use the Plug ‘n Pay shopping cart. The cart is hosted by Plug ‘n Pay, so no SSL certificate is required. Additionally, the gateway is automatically integrated into the shopping cart. You can even customize the HTML template to have the shopping cart more closely match your Website.

If you are having difficulty finding a shopping cart that supports Plug 'n Pay (which isn't likely, since the largest shopping cart providers support Plug 'n Pay either by default or with a plugin), simply use the Plug 'n Pay shopping cart. The cart is hosted by Plug 'n Pay, so no SSL certificate is required. Additionally, the gateway is automatically integrated into the shopping cart. You can even customize the HTML template to have the shopping cart more closely match your Website.

QuickBooks Integration

As any QuickBooks user can tell you, getting data from your online sales into QuickBooks is quite a chore. Unless you establish a merchant account through QuickBooks, you’re forced to enter your daily sales manually, one at a time. That is, unless you use the Plug ‘n Pay gateway. It offers an automated process to import your sales directly into QuickBooks as either Invoices or Cash Sale receipts.

As any QuickBooks user can tell you, getting data from your online sales into QuickBooks is quite a chore. Unless you establish a merchant account through QuickBooks, you're forced to enter your daily sales manually, one at a time. That is, unless you use the Plug 'n Pay gateway. It offers an automated process to import your sales directly into QuickBooks as either Invoices or Cash Sale receipts.

Choice of APIs

Plug ‘n Pay provides a choice of integration methods. You can choose to the simple WebXpress HTML method, which utilizes a form on the Plug ‘n Pay server, so you don’t need to worry about installing your own SSL or communicating with their gateway. Or, you can use the Plug ‘n Pay API, which provides complete control over the checkout process. You can switch back and forth between these methods at any time, and every feature that’s available through the API is also available through WebXpress HTML.

Plug 'n Pay provides a choice of integration methods. You can choose to the simple WebXpress HTML method, which utilizes a form on the Plug 'n Pay server, so you don't need to worry about installing your own SSL or communicating with their gateway. Or, you can use the Plug 'n Pay API, which provides complete control over the checkout process. You can switch back and forth between these methods at any time, and every feature that's available through the API is also available through WebXpress HTML.

Training

Not really a feature per se, but still worth noting, is the fact that Plug ‘n Pay holds merchant training every Monday through Friday to teach new merchants how to integrate their new gateways into their Websites. The staff member walks you through the process step by step, from beginning to end. Best of all, they do it for free.

Not really a feature per se, but still worth noting, is the fact that Plug 'n Pay holds merchant training every Monday through Friday to teach new merchants how to integrate their new gateways into their Websites. The staff member walks you through the process step by step, from beginning to end. Best of all, they do it for free.

Cost

The Plug ‘n Pay gateway can be purchased directly through Plug ‘n Pay, or from an authorized reseller. The figures below outline the Plug ‘n Pay direct pricing. Except where noted, it’s safe to assume that reseller pricing will be equal or higher than the figures provided.

The Plug 'n Pay gateway can be purchased directly through Plug 'n Pay, or from an authorized reseller. The figures below outline the Plug 'n Pay direct pricing. Except where noted, it's safe to assume that reseller pricing will be equal or higher than the figures provided.

Setup Fee: To start using Plug ‘n Pay, you must first pay a $295 set up fee. Some resellers do offer lower pricing for this: it can cost anywhere from $50 to $295 to sign up through a reseller.
Setup Fee: To start using Plug 'n Pay, you must first pay a $295 set up fee. Some resellers do offer lower pricing for this: it can cost anywhere from $50 to $295 to sign up through a reseller.
Monthly Fe: On a monthly basis, it costs $20 to maintain the gateway; this is on par with other providers.
Monthly Fe: On a monthly basis, it costs $20 to maintain the gateway; this is on par with other providers.
Transaction Fee: Each transaction processed through the gateway costs10 cents. However, the first 200 transactions are free.
Transaction Fee: Each transaction processed through the gateway costs10 cents. However, the first 200 transactions are free.
Fraud Prevention: Plug ‘n Pay’s basic FraudTrak fraud prevention is free and included with the basic service. FraudTrak2 is optional and costs $195 to set up, an additional $15 per month, plus 15 cents per transaction.
Fraud Prevention: Plug 'n Pay's basic FraudTrak fraud prevention is free and included with the basic service. FraudTrak2 is optional and costs $195 to set up, an additional $15 per month, plus 15 cents per transaction.
Digital Downloads: The handy digital download feature is as pricy as it is effective. It costs $490 to set up and 25 cents per transaction, although the first 100 transactions are included. However, there is a $25 monthly minimum, which means that if you don’t incur at least $25 in transaction fees through the recurring billing feature, Plug ‘n Pay will charge you up to $25 to make up the difference between the monthly minimum and your actual incurred fees.
Digital Downloads: The handy digital download feature is as pricy as it is effective. It costs $490 to set up and 25 cents per transaction, although the first 100 transactions are included. However, there is a $25 monthly minimum, which means that if you don't incur at least $25 in transaction fees through the recurring billing feature, Plug 'n Pay will charge you up to $25 to make up the difference between the monthly minimum and your actual incurred fees.
Recurring Billing: Automatic recurring billing is costs a whopping $590 to set up, incurs a $30 monthly minimum, and 30 cents per transaction. However, the first 100 transactions are included, and there is no monthly fee.
Recurring Billing: Automatic recurring billing is costs a whopping $590 to set up, incurs a $30 monthly minimum, and 30 cents per transaction. However, the first 100 transactions are included, and there is no monthly fee.
Membership Management: Plug ‘n Pay continues its theme of high set up fees by charging a $690 set up fee for membership management, along with a $35 monthly minimum, and 35 cents per transaction (the first 100 transactions are included).
Membership Management: Plug 'n Pay continues its theme of high set up fees by charging a $690 set up fee for membership management, along with a $35 monthly minimum, and 35 cents per transaction (the first 100 transactions are included).
eCheck Processing: To accept online checks through Plug ‘n Pay costs $145.00 up-front, plus $12.50 per month. The company will also take a small percentage of each check’s value. Your cost will be 1.50% of the face value of the check, plus a 45 cents transaction fee. Returned checks cost $4.00 each.
eCheck Processing: To accept online checks through Plug 'n Pay costs $145.00 up-front, plus $12.50 per month. The company will also take a small percentage of each check's value. Your cost will be 1.50% of the face value of the check, plus a 45 cents transaction fee. Returned checks cost $4.00 each.
Affiliate Management: To manage your affiliates, you’ll incur a $195 set up fee, plus an additional $25 per month.
Affiliate Management: To manage your affiliates, you'll incur a $195 set up fee, plus an additional $25 per month.
Coupon Management: To offer coupons to your visitors, you will incur a $195 charge upon set up, plus $20 per month.
Coupon Management: To offer coupons to your visitors, you will incur a $195 charge upon set up, plus $20 per month.
Shopping Cart: Use of the Plug ‘n Pay shopping cart will cost you an additional $15 per month. However, some resellers avoid charges to set up their merchants with the shopping cart, and may pass that saving on to you. Shop around!
Shopping Cart: Use of the Plug 'n Pay shopping cart will cost you an additional $15 per month. However, some resellers avoid charges to set up their merchants with the shopping cart, and may pass that saving on to you. Shop around!

Strengths

长处

The sheer number of available services offered through Plug ‘n Pay is astonishing. With features such as digital download management, membership management, and affiliate management built in to the Plug ‘n Pay system, it’s easy for merchants to find a tool that will benefit their businesses. There’s no need to use a third party and, because it’s already integrated into the gateway, no extra work is required to implement the feature into your store.

The sheer number of available services offered through Plug 'n Pay is astonishing. With features such as digital download management, membership management, and affiliate management built in to the Plug 'n Pay system, it's easy for merchants to find a tool that will benefit their businesses. There's no need to use a third party and, because it's already integrated into the gateway, no extra work is required to implement the feature into your store.

Plug ‘n Pay gives merchants two methods by which they can integrate the gateway into their sites. You can choose from their easy-to-implement WebXpress HTML option, or the more advanced API. Either way, you get the same feature set and availability of services, and can switch your implementation at any time.

Plug 'n Pay gives merchants two methods by which they can integrate the gateway into their sites. You can choose from their easy-to-implement WebXpress HTML option, or the more advanced API. Either way, you get the same feature set and availability of services, and can switch your implementation at any time.

Weaknesses

弱点

Although Plug ‘n Pay offers a robust selection of services, the functionality comes at a steep cost. The digital download service is exactly what ebook authors need to manage their sales and reduce theft, but unfortunately, the $490 setup fee is often prohibitive to would-be Plug ‘n Pay customers. The $590 setup fee for recurring billing eliminates any benefit the service might have offered. Although the other services average $200 to establish, combined with the $295 setup fee Plug ‘n Pay charges to establish the gateway, a merchant is looking at spending at least $500 before they can accept a single credit card.

Although Plug 'n Pay offers a robust selection of services, the functionality comes at a steep cost. The digital download service is exactly what ebook authors need to manage their sales and reduce theft, but unfortunately, the $490 setup fee is often prohibitive to would-be Plug 'n Pay customers. The $590 setup fee for recurring billing eliminates any benefit the service might have offered. Although the other services average $200 to establish, combined with the $295 setup fee Plug 'n Pay charges to establish the gateway, a merchant is looking at spending at least $500 before they can accept a single credit card.

Choosing Your Gateway (Choosing Your Gateway)

At first glance, it may seem as though all these gateways are alike and you should base your decision on price alone. But, as we’ve discovered above, the differences between gateways can vary tremendously, and can mean that one gateway is a better choice than another for your business.

At first glance, it may seem as though all these gateways are alike and you should base your decision on price alone. But, as we've discovered above, the differences between gateways can vary tremendously, and can mean that one gateway is a better choice than another for your business.

How can you decide which service is right for you? First, you need to determine your needs and prioritize them. Once you know what’s most important to you, the facts will make your decision easy.

How can you decide which service is right for you? First, you need to determine your needs and prioritize them. Once you know what's most important to you, the facts will make your decision easy.

The Cost-conscious Webmaster

Owners of new businesses typically do not have large sums of money to dedicate to their ventures. In fact, a shoe-string budget is quite the norm. When every penny counts, setup fees, monthly fees, and transactions fees all loom large in the decision making process. The chart below provides a quick reference as to the basic costs associated with each gateway.

The "I Need Features" Webmaster

Do you plan on being more than just a typical merchant who simply sells and ships a product? Would you like to offer memberships or digital downloads? If so, you might find some of the features offered by particular gateways to be very beneficial. Below is a chart that identifies the features offered by each gateway.

The "Keep-It-Simple" Webmaster

Not every Webmaster is an expert programmer. Trying to integrate a gateway through its API can be extremely challenging and, for some, even impossible. This chart outlines which gateways offer an easy-to-implement system, and which are more complex.

结论 (Conclusion)

Through this article, we’ve explored several aspects of gateways, and discussed how you can choose one that’s best suited to your business. We’ve seen how we should compare them, reviewed the offerings from some of the more popular providers, and provided information for easy comparison between them.

Through this article, we've explored several aspects of gateways, and discussed how you can choose one that's best suited to your business. We've seen how we should compare them, reviewed the offerings from some of the more popular providers, and provided information for easy comparison between them.

Hopefully, this guide has given you a clearer picture of where each gateway stands in the big picture, and has helped you to understand how you can determine which offering best suits your needs.

Appendix â€“ Other Gateways

Don’t limit yourself to researching and comparing the six gateways I’ve mentioned in this article. There are many gateways to choose from: one of them might be exactly what you’re looking for. Here are some more popular gateways to consider:

Don't limit yourself to researching and comparing the six gateways I've mentioned in this article. There are many gateways to choose from: one of them might be exactly what you're looking for. Here are some more popular gateways to consider: