Authorize.Net is probably one of the most popular payment gateways currently on the market for merchants. The company has a strong reputation and robust partnerships throughout the industry, which have developed over many years. The payment gateway offered by Authorize.net is often the de facto choice among merchant account providers of all sizes, which have chosen to partner with the company to resell its services over the years.
Merchants who wish to use Authorize.Net may work with the company directly by opening an account or setting one up through a third-party merchant account provider. The second option is more likely to be suitable for most businesses as that route often offers better pricing due to the vendors’ ongoing relationship. Also, since most businesses usually establish their merchant account before their payment gateway, it becomes the obvious choice.
Below, we explore some of the features available by using Authorize.net as a payment gateway, some recent trends impacting the company, and a review of the product for 2022.
What does Authorize.net Payment Gateway do?
Authorize.Net is a 1996-founded company in San Francisco, California. It offers easy-to-integrate payment gateway solutions to various industries and a virtual terminal as its primary product.
The company is the de facto industry standard for payment gateway and virtual terminal solutions and offers various data privacy and security tools embedded in its products, such as PCI compliance and fraud protection technologies.
Through its various channel partnerships, Authorize.Net offers mobile card readers as a tertiary offering for businesses looking to process payments on the go physically. The company also offers payment processing merchants offered at a flat-rate pricing plan.
What features does Authorize.net Payment Gateway offer?
User profiles is a breeze. One key feature offered by Authorize.Net is the ability to efficiently set up multiple users, each with unique profiles and permissions.
Integration is seamless. Authorize.Net understands the eCommerce business well. Over the years, the company has diligently worked to develop a payment tool that is a breeze to use. Merchants using the payment gateway are also likely to use other platforms, such as Etsy or WooCommerce. They can automatically sync their Authorize.Net gateway with third-party platforms and import settled transactions. Merchants can also migrate that data into QuickBooks using the ‘Sync for QuickBooks’ feature. The same integration functionality is available for the FreshBooks accounting software.
Authorize.Net offers merchants a feature called Simple Checkout that allows them to easily integrate with participating third-party shopping carts. All that is required is a small snippet of HTML code to incorporate a “Donate” or “Buy Now” button onto merchants’ virtual terminals. Customers can quickly and conveniently check out their shopping cart and process the transaction without having to leave the site.
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Is it secure?
Authorize.Net has all the security businesses need. The company uses an industry-standard encryption called Secure Socket Layer (SSL). Companies may also procure the Advanced Fraud Detection Suite (AFDS) to monitor suspicious transactions.
AFDS is a highly customizable product offering that merchants can tailor to their needs. Also, Authorize.Net incorporates additional security measures for processing eCommerce transactions, such as Address Verification Service (AVS), Card Code Verification (CVV2). The platform also supports the MasterCard SecureCode and Verified by Visa.
Finally, the company incorporates tokenization in its security protocol. This is a highly secure method of safeguarding customers’ information used in a transaction. Basically, tokenization is the process of replacing all the vital personal client data needed for payment processing with an encrypted string of integers.
The Customer Experience
From the sales process to set up and ongoing client support, Authorize.Net has a tremendous customer experience track record.
The company has established a reputation as a product synonymous with online payment processing within the industry, and most merchants automatically gravitate to its products without any aggressive marketing or selling tactics.
The company’s customer support setup is second to none. Authorize.Net displays customer-centric best practices and seems to value their time, as well as their customers’ time. Merchants can easily glance through the FAQ page on the company website, which covers a multitude of possible inquiries geared towards setting up and troubleshooting. If that doesn’t work, a listed email address and a dedicated phone support line exist.
Pricing
Authorize.Net offers clear and transparent pricing options. The information on the company’s website can serve as a great resource for comparison shopping purposes regarding what pricing is prevalent for a payment gateway.
However, most merchants work with merchant account providers, such as Host Merchant Services, to resell the company’s payment gateway, as considerable cost savings are available based on long-existing relationships.
It should be explicitly clear for all merchants that the Authorize.Net payments gateway or virtual terminal does not have long-term contracts or early termination fees.
Some important considerations
An important consideration when choosing a payments gateway or a virtual terminal is choosing the right merchant account provider.
Authorize.Net offers one of the best payment gateway solutions in the market. However, that product is only as good as the payment processor the merchants decide to partner with. Numerous online forums, or even the Better Business Bureau’s website, outline merchants’ complaints about the company.
Most consist of billing issues, unexpected charges, and poor support—all associated with payment processing rather than the payment gateway. There is no confusion as to who may be responsible for billing queries, fund holds, chargebacks, and the like. This is a cautionary tale that merchants should study carefully. As a result, businesses should ensure that they are partnering with a payment services provider that offers great customer support, is capable of utilizing the latest security protocols with its merchant account, and offers the best rates.
Authorize.Net specializes in a very niche offering. However, its product really excels at what it aims and promises to deliver. Authorize.net outshines the competition by a longshot. Its payment gateway is synonymous with tremendous support, a customer-centric business focus, and the company’s ability to seamlessly integrate with a large number of tertiary service providers needed by merchants.
With eCommerce experiencing mushrooming growth given the recent demographic and consumer purchasing trends, Authorize.Net is well positioned to provide one specific product that is the best in class for the merchant processing industry.
The company’s payment gateway has a broad client base, tremendous usage uptake among payment processors, and many features packed into the package at no additional costs.
Benefits of Using Authorize.net
Authorize.net is a popular payment gateway service that offers numerous benefits for businesses looking to streamline their payment processes. Here are some key advantages of using Authorize.net:
- Secure Transactions: Authorize.net provides robust security measures, including advanced fraud detection capabilities and compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS). These measures ensure that merchant and customer data are protected during every transaction.
- Multiple Payment Options: The platform supports a variety of payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards, electronic checks, and digital payment services like Apple Pay, PayPal, and Visa Checkout, making it versatile for a range of customer preferences.
- Recurring Billing: Authorize.net offers an automated recurring billing feature ideal for subscription-based services. This allows businesses to schedule and collect payments automatically, ensuring consistent revenue and simplifying the billing process.
- Easy Integration: The service is compatible with numerous e-commerce platforms and can be easily integrated into existing websites or applications. This flexibility helps businesses set up and accept payments quickly with minimal technical effort.
- Customer Information Management: Authorize.net includes a Customer Information Manager (CIM) that allows businesses to securely store customer payment information, facilitating smoother and faster transactions for returning customers.
- Detailed Reporting Tools: The platform provides comprehensive reporting tools that help businesses track transactions, manage accounts, and analyze sales data, which is crucial for making informed business decisions.
- Mobile App Access: Authorize.net offers a mobile app that enables merchants to manage transactions on the go, providing convenience and flexibility for businesses with mobile sales teams or those that participate in events and markets.
These benefits make Authorize.net a strong choice for businesses of all sizes looking for a reliable and versatile payment gateway solution.
