As an e-commerce business, all of your orders will be taken remotely – via the internet or phone. This is referred to as card-not-present or CNP payments, since there is no face-to-face interaction and the card is not physically present with the merchant at the time of purchase.
Some third-party marketplaces  allow web-based merchants that sell through them to accept payments through their site. In these cases, a separate merchant account is not required.
For online merchants who have a standalone e-commerce website that integrates a shopping cart, a merchant account is typically required. In these cases, a merchant can work with a merchant account services provider which acts as a middleman between the merchant and the customer’s issuing bank. A merchant account services provider helps merchants process payments and in some cases, can also provide additional payment processing solution to streamline payments. These payment processing solutions include PCI compliance, fraud and chargeback prevention, a payment gateway and multi-currency options.
There are different costs associated with the ability to accept credit card payments for an e-commerce store. Some include setup and monthly fees. All will charge transaction fees, which may vary by provider. Some processors charge fees on a tier system, wherein higher transaction fees are charged for small sales volume, and the transaction fees decrease as monthly sales increase.
For entrepreneurs and business owners with poor or no credit, it can sometimes be difficult to find a merchant services provider to help them accept credit card payments for their e-commerce store. Some payment processors specialize in this area and can get these merchants set up quickly with a merchant account to begin processing payments.