how receiving secure payment Options

[joyful]

Hey,

I have set up a PHP shopping cart... Thru this I now have a total amount due (this is a PHP variable).
I have a merchants account (but have not used it online). I could just send all the info (credit card info, total, items, etc.) thru a PHP form (to my email), but I am not sure if this is secure.

I know there are 3rd party tools... But seeing as I have a merchants account I am wondering if there is a way to do this direct (and not have to give a chunk of profit to a 3rd party). How could I do this?

Thanks in advance!

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*Note I was not sure were to post this... So feel free to move.*

[Brian Chandler]

I have set up a PHP shopping cart... Thru this I now have a total amount due (this is a PHP variable).I have a merchants account (but have not used it online). I could just send all the info (credit card info, total, items, etc.) thru a PHP form (to my email), but I am not sure if this is secure.

Usually it's considered necessary to have a secure server (https:) to accept things like credit card numbers. This protects them from being snooped on, and is an obviously good idea. You will also probably need to get a "certificate", which you can buy, and which certifies that you have bought it (this makes a lot less sense to me: no-one has ever been able to explain any non-vacuous proposition that the certificate certifies).

Sending such information by email certainly is not recommended -- and as with all of this, rational consideration of risks etc is irrelevant, compared with "customer expectations". If people have been persuaded to believe that they must see a fancy graphic and a message "This website is safe", or similar incantation, that's what you need. We live in an age of endarkenment.

So it's something of a job to set up.

[Frederiek]

You might like to read Smashing Magazine's article Taking Credit Card Payments Online: What’s Involved?.

[joyful]

Hey, Thanks guys... That was very help!
I will try to set up a IMA.

Thanks again!