Authorize.net merchant account and gateway setup through Stratamize

Do I need a merchant account to use Authorize.net?

Yes. The gateway moves the transaction; the merchant account approves it and settles the money to your bank, and Authorize.net will not run a live transaction without one. All-in-One, bought direct, bundles a merchant account at a flat rate, subject to eligibility; gateway-only pairs the gateway with a merchant account from a reseller, which is what we do. If a shopping cart or your accountant said you need Authorize.net, the merchant account is the part they did not mention, and the part we handle.

Is Authorize.net cheaper through a reseller like Stratamize than buying direct?

It depends on what you sell and how much. Direct, you pay the monthly gateway fee plus either the flat All-in-One rate or the gateway-only transaction fees, which is fine for a small, low-risk shop. Gateway-only bought direct adds 10 cents per transaction and 10 cents per daily batch to the monthly fee, as published by Authorize.net at the time of writing.

Through us, the gateway is paired with an interchange-plus merchant account, where a debit card costs less than a rewards card and the markup is a fixed number on the statement. That tends to win as volume grows, for phone and mail orders, and for any business a flat-rate provider would decline. Send us a statement and we will show the math.

Can I connect the merchant account I already have to Authorize.net?

Often, yes. Authorize.net connects to many processors, and if yours is one of them we can provision a gateway-only account and point it at your existing merchant account. Two things decide it: whether your processor is on Authorize.net's compatible list, and whether your current agreement lets you add a gateway from someone else. Send us a recent statement and we will tell you which is the case; if the account is not compatible, or its pricing is why you are shopping, we quote a new merchant account instead.

Is PayPal a merchant account?

No. PayPal processes under its own merchant account and pools its users beneath it, which is why it can hold funds or close an account without ever having underwritten you. A merchant account is opened in your business's name after underwriting, and it is what sits behind an Authorize.net gateway. A checkout can keep a PayPal button while the card volume runs through your own merchant account; the fee comparison is on our Authorize.net vs Stripe page.

Is the Customer Information Manager (CIM) free, and is it the same as card on file?

CIM is Authorize.net's name for storing a customer's card as a token so you can charge it again without re-keying it, so yes, it is card on file. On the fee: the Authorize.net pricing page we checked lists the gateway fee, the transaction fees, eCheck and Account Updater, and no separate line for CIM, while older third-party pages still show one. We confirm the current status for your account before you sign. How card on file, ARB and Account Updater fit together is on our recurring billing page.

Does Authorize.net support 3D Secure?

We do not publish a yes or no until we have confirmed it with Authorize.net for your account type and integration, because the answer has changed over time and a wrong answer could cost you a chargeback. If 3D Secure matters to you, say so on the first call and we will get the current status in writing before you build on it. What we can say now: the gateway's own fraud tools, the Advanced Fraud Detection Suite with its velocity filters and the address and card-code checks, are available to every account, and we turn them on at setup.

What is Accept Hosted, and do I need a developer for it?

Accept Hosted is Authorize.net's hosted payment page: the card form is a page or an embedded frame served by Authorize.net, so your website never sees the card number and your PCI questionnaire is the short one. It replaced the older SIM method, so an integration that still mentions SIM needs updating. Most carts and website builders already use Accept Hosted or the Accept.js fields, so you need the credentials we hand over at setup, not a developer, unless you are building a custom checkout.

Why was I billed for a month I did not use?

Because the monthly gateway fee starts when the gateway account is opened, not when the first transaction runs, and it keeps running until the gateway is closed in writing. That catches people who sign up direct and leave the account in test mode, or who stop using a cart but never close the gateway behind it. When we set you up, the gateway goes live on the setup call, and when you leave, we close the gateway with you.

Do you charge a cancellation fee on the Authorize.net gateway?

Authorize.net lists no setup fee and no early termination fee on the gateway itself, as published by Authorize.net at the time of writing, so the gateway is month to month. The merchant account behind it is a separate agreement with its own term and conditions, which vary by account, and we go through those with you line by line before you sign. Ask us and we will tell you exactly what applies to your account, in writing.