Where does Authorize.Net fit in the credit card payments process?
In the credit card payments process, Authorize.Net sits between the merchant and the payment processing entity (e.g., FDMS, TSYS Acquiring Solutions (SM), Global) that does business with the merchants bank. Authorize.Net also has a relationship with the payment processing entity, which allows Authorize.Net to pass transaction information on behalf of the merchant via the Internet (over a proprietary and secure connection). A typical Authorize.Net credit card transaction flows in the following way: • A credit card transaction is submitted to the Authorize.Net Payment Gateway either from a merchant Web site or directly from a merchant. • Authorize.Net automatically passes the transaction to the Acquiring Banks Processor (the payment processor that does business with the merchants bank). • The Acquiring Banks Processor passes the transaction to the Credit Card Interchange System (an entity that routes payment information to the parties involved in settling a credit card transaction).
