For the consumer, the process of buying something over the Internet can often be completed in less than a minute. However, for the Payment Service Provider, ensuring that the consumer can make such a fast and secure payment, 24 hours a day, seven days a week, involves a slightly more detailed process.

It is obviously important for merchants themselves to understand the process of not only payment processing, but also online marketing and e-commerce in general, so that they are able to best meet the needs of their customers, and to benefit their own company in the most economical and productive manner. By offering an efficient and secure e-commerce business, merchants can increase their sales revenue and reach a much wider customer base.

In addition to the obvious computer software and hardware required for setting up an online business, certain additional components i.e. the shopping cart, have a major role to play in the development of successful online shopping.

As the name suggests, the shopping cart acts as a virtual shopping basket for the merchant's website. However, it not only holds and keeps track of the items selected by the customer, but will also calculate the amount spent. When the customer is ready to pay for their items, it allows them to securely enter their credit card details so that their order can be processed.

On receiving this information the payment processor will check with the card issuing bank that the details entered by the customer are correct. Once this has been verified, confirmation will be transmitted back to the merchant so that the transaction can be authorised and settled.