A virtual gateway functions like a card reader at a physical cash register. It allows merchants to process transactions on their websites efficiently and securely. There are many aspects of gateways that merchants need to consider to ensure they have one that works for them and their customers.

Why Do I Need a Virtual Gateway?

The simple answer is that a merchant can only process online transactions with a virtual gateway. Credit card, ACH, and crypto transactions are possible with a gateway. There are some additional advantages for merchants that use virtual gateways. They can assist with other business operations such as inventory management, currency conversion, or recurring billing. Performing these services can save merchants a lot of time and money. 

These gateways also provide tremendous value to customers by enabling them to make online purchases easily. Customer data is also encrypted through these gateways. This protects the merchant from having to deal with fraud and protects the card information of customers. 

Choosing the Right Virtual Gateway

Payment Types

Customers use all kinds of payment types now, and it is essential to consider which ones your customers use most. Some payment processors do not support certain types of payments with their gateways. 

Ease of Integration

Whatever gateway you choose needs to be integrated with a merchant's website. Some payment providers require that merchants run their websites with the provider's system to use a gateway. This can result in significant costs for the merchant as they have to completely overall their system. Having a virtual gateway that can integrate smoothly is so much easier.

Security

Gateways process online transactions that are much more risky in terms of fraud compared to in-person transactions. With this in mind, it is absolutely necessary that whatever virtual gateway a merchant uses meets the highest standards of security. 

The payment provider needs to meet PCI standards and be willing to work with merchants to avoid fraud and chargebacks. Chargebacks are incredibly costly to merchants, and it is always best to prevent them before they happen with proactive security. Ensure that a payment provider has a good reputation for their security. 

Flexibility and Fees

Customer demands are constantly changing and adapting. In order to succeed, merchants must meet this reality, and flexible payment providers are invaluable. Some payment processors allow merchants to customize their virtual gateways and make their entire customer experience as smooth as possible. 

Merchants that also process in-person transactions need payment processors that offer solutions for in-person and online payments. This allows the merchant to keep their payments all in one coherent system.

Processing fees are an unavoidable part of payment processing. Merchants must find transparent and reasonable pricing. Additionally, merchants should verify if lower pricing is due to the processor needing to make security a priority. This is not an acceptable trade as fraud, and chargebacks are more costly in the long run than higher processing fees. Once again, merchants need the best security for virtual gateways. 

Virtual Gateway Types

On-Site

This type of virtual gateway allows the user to go through the entire payment process on a merchant's website. Merchants can easily keep track of and adjust the whole customer experience for onsite gateways.

Off-Site 

With off-site gateways, the customer will be sent to another site to conduct the payment processing portion of the transaction. This allows the merchant to accept payment, but they have much less control over the payment process and cannot optimize it for customer experience.

Redirect

Similar to off-site virtual gateways, redirects allow merchants to tap into more extensive payment networks. An excellent example of this is Paypal. Merchants that would enable users to pay with Paypal will be redirected to Paypal in order to complete their transaction. 

Virtual Gateway Options

Stripe

With Stripe, merchants can get a customizable virtual gateway that allows them to process a wide variety of payment options. They offer transparent flat rate pricing so you always know how much you must pay for their services. With Stripe, you will need an in-house developer to get the most out of their platform. Additionally, they do not have many options that need to process in-person payments as well. 

Adyen

Adyen is a good choice for merchants that need to process online and in-person payments. They offer global payment options as well if you have international customers. They are a good choice with good customer service and no hidden fees. However, their fee structure is more complicated than other options, and their pricing may be too expensive for smaller merchants. 

Square 

Another good choice for merchants needing a virtual gateway is Square. It is easy to set up a payment gateway with Square, and they have plenty of options for merchants that also need to accept in-person payments. Unfortunately, Square is not ideal for merchants with many international customers. You will also need Square to host your website, and this may not work for some merchants. 

Virtual Gateways with Treati

Virtual gateways are accessible with Treati. We are ready to work with your team to provide you with the best gateway for your business. You deserve to have a gateway solution that is tailored to your specific needs. You can check through our transparent pricing here to see how we stack up compared to other providers.

We ensure that our payment solutions are easy to set up and integrate into a merchant's system. You can focus on what you do best by making our solutions easy to use. Additionally, we meet the highest security standards and are fully PCI compliant. Both you and your customers should use your virtual gateway assured by having proactive security to protect from fraud. 

With Treati, you can accept a wide range of payment options that suit your customers' needs. We also offer many solutions for in-person payments if your business processes physical and online transactions. Our customer service is also always available to help with any questions or issues that may arise. Your payment system should be designed to fit your needs rather than that of your payment processor, and that's always our goal with Treati.

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