Accepting credit card payments starts with choosing a payment processor, setting up a merchant account or payment service provider, and equipping your business with the right hardware or software. The process can take as little as a day for simple setups or a few days for businesses with more complex needs. This guide walks you through everything — from understanding how credit card processing works and assessing your needs, to comparing providers, setting up your system, and staying compliant.
Pre-setup self-assessment: Know what you need before you choose
According to the Federal Reserve’s 2025 Diary of Consumer Payment Choice, cash accounted for just 14 percent of all payments, demonstrating a widespread consumer preference for card-based payments to cash. Digital wallet usage continues to expand rapidly, as well. Digital wallets accounted for 53 percent of e-commerce payments and 32 percent of point-of-sale payments worldwide in 2024, according to Worldpay’s 2025 Global Payments Report.
Businesses that don’t accept payments with credit cards and digital wallets are already missing out on revenue. But before comparing processors or ordering hardware, it helps to understand your own business requirements. Work through these questions to clarify what kind of setup will serve you best.
Dispatches From The Front 