Authorize.net (or Auth.net) is by far the most widely used online gateway for e-commerce merchants of all sizes. Authorize.net is a PCI compliant gateway that is trusted by over one hundred thousand merchants.

Authorize.net is widely supported by leading shopping carts and e-commerce suites such as Volusion, Shopify, Miva Merchant and many, many more. If you're using a third-party shopping cart solution, the chances are that it will work with Authorize.net. Authorize.net also has a variety of APIs for custom software integrations (advanced integration method, direct post method, etc.).

Some merchants get confused about what Authorize.net really is. Authorize.net is a gateway provider (and a great one at that), not a processor. Now, can they also help merchants get set up with a merchant account? Yes, they can (through their processing partner relationships), but most merchants are going to end up paying more that way. For the majority of businesses, most of their costs are going to be on the processing (merchant account) side of things, not the gateway side. It just makes sense to optimize the processing side first. In other words, get the best deal you can on the merchant account (processing) first. The best place to start for most businesses is to make sure you have an interchange plus merchant account.

Authorize.net Virtual Terminal

Authorize.net has a built-in virtual terminal so you can process new sales transactions, credits, refunds and so on. A virtual terminal is especially useful for MOTO (mail order/telephone order) merchants

Authorize.net Customer Information Manager (CIM)

The CIM service allows merchants to securely store sensitive card information (credit card numbers expiration, dates, etc.) on Authorize.net's secure servers. If your business needs to process transactions for returning customers or recurring payments, then the CIM service might be a good fit for you. The CIM services allows merchants to store one or more payment profiles per customer. Once the payment information is stored, merchants can run new transactions against the tokenized payment information.

Payment information stored in the Customer Information Manager can be used to run transactions through the Virtual Terminal or through a website or custom application using an API.

Authorize.net Mobile Processing

The free Authorize.Net mPOS mobile application allows you to securely accept payments using an Apple iOS device or Android device. Some of the benefits of mPOS include:

  • Multiple Payment Types — Process real-time credit and signature debit transactions for all major card types (Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express).
  • Flexible Settings — Set up a default tax rate, accept tips and collect shipping information if necessary
  • AVS Support — Reduce fraud and get the lowest processing rates by verifying billing addresses using the Address Verification Service (AVS)
  • Transaction History — View transaction history, process voids and refunds.
  • Email Receipts — Send transaction email receipts to your customers.

Authorize.net APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) and Integration Methods

Authorize.net has a number of APIs which can be used for custom payment solutions.

  • Simple Checkout — this integration method is targeted at non-technical users who simply need "Buy Now" or "Donate" buttons on their site.
  • Server Integration Method (SIM) — with this method, you can created a customized, secure hosted payment page. This method is appropriate for e-commerce merchants that do not have an SSL certificate.
  • Advanced Integration Method (AIM) — with this method, you can host secure payment forms on your site or mobile device and then and send transactions to Authorize.net through SSL. One benefit of this approach is that you have complete control over your user's checkout experience. This method requires advanced programming skills. Also, since your custom application "sees" sensitive payment data before it is passed to Authorize.net, using this method means that you have a greater responsibility in ensuring that your website or application is PCI compliant.
  • Direct Post Method (DPM) — with this method, you can customize the checkout and payment experience while simplifying PCI compliance. As is the case with the AIM method, you can control the "look" and branding of your payment pages. However, with DPM, your application never "sees" any sensitive card information. Rather, sensitive card information is posted directly to Authorize.net's servers which can help to reduce the PCI compliance scope for your application.

Our team has a lot of experience using Authorize.net APIs. If you have a need for a custom payment solution, we would be happy evaluate options with you. Just let us know how we can help.

Authorize.net Shopping Carts

Authorize.net is supported by most third-party shopping cards and software suites. The list below includes some popular shopping carts, but it is by no means comprehensive. Please contact us if you require gateway support for a shopping cart or software suite that is not on the list below