Can I process debit cards with my internet credit card processing account?
Merchants ask me all the time if they’ll be able to process debit cards with their internet merchant credit card account – the answer is yes.
Most people associate a debit card transaction with entering a four digit PIN code at point of sale and presently that’s not possible to do when buying online. Because of the lack of a “internet pinpad” a lot of new merchants are not sure when they sign up for a internet merchant account if they’ll be able to take debit cards or not.
Taking into consideration the popularity of debit cards these days this is a very important issue.
There are 2 types of debit card transactions
1. Online debit transactions – not to be confused with using your debit card online, an online debit transaction occurs when the cardholder enters their 4 digit pin at point of sale. By entering the 4 digit pin the transaction is routed through the debit networks.
2. Offline debit transactions- A debit card transaction is considered “offline” when the card is processed like a normal credit card without the 4 digit pin being entered at point of sale. This is how debit cards are processed when the merchant is not face to face with the cardholder via the internet or phone.
