Today, all electronic transactions are processed through a gateway application that facilitates final authorization and enables the transfer of funds from one account to another. The gateway is what encrypts a cardholder’s sensitive transaction data to ensure it cannot be stolen during the processing journey, and it also stores important authorization detail that is carried between parties or integrated into a merchant’s accounting system.

Various forms of gateway technology are used for card-based transactions made through counter-top POS machines and mobile/tablet devices, as well as purchases made without a card online or by mail/telephone using virtual terminal software. While each application is slightly different, they are all dependent on the gateway to move the card data through the system.

To say gateway technology must be robust, iron clad and foolproof is an understatement, but that is only the beginning. Since the gateway is what carries a transaction through the entire authentication and authorization process, it also must be as quick, reliable and efficient as it can possibly be; especially when it is being used to process high volumes of transaction data every day. These are the subtle differences many merchants, and even sales agents, don’t look for when evaluating the best gateway products in the marketplace.

“Functionality such as response times, recurring billing features, virtual terminal options and seamless integration are all critical components to understanding whether a gateway product is going to be right for a merchant,â€ said Joey Smutz, Sage Director Product Integration. “Most merchants are only thinking about what happens on the front-end, but the back-end gateway capabilities and its security standing, are just as important to look at when selecting a provider.â€

#h2 End-to-end security matters

Furthermore, the payment card industry requires gateway technology to be PCI-DSS certified to ensure fraudsters aren’t able to hack into the system to steal personal cardholder information. In many cases, certification of the gateway’s code is also what is used to certify a software application that has been integrated with the gateway through an API. These integrations enable the gateway to send transaction data to a user’s POS, accounting or business management software; all of which must be PCI compliant as well.

In short, the payment gateway is not only the brain of a transaction; it also serves as a conduit, a vault and a multi-level communicator. Therefore, the easier and more straight forward it is to install and support a gateway, the more beneficial it will be down the line for the merchant and its customer-base.

#h2 Benefits of in-house technology

As a sales agent, and on a regular basis, you will encounter prospective merchants and/or software vendors that are looking for an exceptional gateway product. Most often, these customers want to work with a reputable company that can bundle gateway services together with the merchant services account. While many merchant services providers offer gateway provisions, only a few have the in-house capacity to offer a proprietary gateway product. Generally, their accounts are bundled with an externally owned gateway product that requires support from an outside party.

“The Sage Gateway is not only fully compliant, it is an optimized gateway solution that was developed and is supported in-house to provide our merchants with the strongest, end-to-end processing solution they can ever have,â€ continued Smutz.  

As a result, all Sage sales representatives and integration partners can rest easy knowing they are offering their customers the highest level of dependability, a fully compliant and secure gateway solution and several added benefits at the same time. In fact, the Sage Virtual Terminal product is designed to work compatibly with the Sage Gateway, giving merchants the flexibility to take a transaction anytime and anywhere without a card-swipe or special set-up. Merchants simply log into the Sage cloud-based dashboard and enter customer transaction detail directly into the gateway resulting in an easy, versatile payment acceptance experience that can be trusted.

Additionally, since the Sage Gateway pairs perfectly with our other merchant products, there is never any question about where all the sensitive data is going, how fast or how slow a transaction will ever be, and whether the payment is secure. The Sage Gateway and Virtual Terminal  products are both Level 3 certified, which generally carries through to the POS software it links to, providing a true end-to-end system that is trouble-free, efficient and reliable.

For more information about the Sage Gateway and Virtual Terminal products, or to inquire about joining our sales team, please visit <a href="http://www.SagePaymentSolutions.com">www.SagePaymentSolutions.com</a> or contact us directly at 877-394-2451.
