Merchant Account Information

The following is a step-by-step guide to setting up your secure, online payment processing for your own website (this will enable you to accept donations and conduct fundraising sales transactions online). In order for this to happen, you will be choosing a one of three plans that will include these basic elements:

1. E-commerce package – This includes payment processing (shopping cart to come), reporting feature and database management of your donors/buyers and transactions.
2. Merchant Account – A relationship established between your organization and a bank enabling you to accept credit card transactions. The merchant account is a separate function managed by a bank and has variable fees associated with the set-up and use of the account.

As an Orchid Client – you are eligible to use the Orchid e-commerce feature (for no additional fee) which is partnered to a merchant account (where fees may apply.)

Review your options below to choose the best plan for you and your organization.

Step One – Choose a plan:

Option 1 – Orchid Package: If you choose this option, you are eligible to apply for a merchant account at a special rate we have set up with a partnering vendor. Contact Us for Rates.  The fees you will be paying are considerably lower than you would be charged by a third party processor.

Option 2 – Your Own E-Commerce Software and Merchant Account: This option is for organizations who already have an existing relationship with a bank, or would prefer to choose their own. In this case, you will need to have an e-commerce package that will work with that bank account and will need to set up your website to use the e-commerce system.

Option 3 – Third Party Processor: A third party processor is a company that allows you to use their merchant account by becoming a ‘reseller’ of your products and services. There are numerous companies who offer this service, for a variety of fees and capabilities. If you decide you wish to use a third party processor – you must be sure that they offer an e-commerce function as part of their service. Third party processors can be an immediate solution for those organizations not ready to apply for a merchant account. However, they can be considerably more expensive, many having set up fees, monthly fees, and/or higher interest rates. In addition to these costs, the third party processor would also be the repository of your database information (your donors, buyers, transactions, etc.), as opposed to Orchid.

Step 2 - Set Up Your Account

For Option 1 -- First, contact us for rate sheets and application form. We work with a partner who will handle your account questions and processing. Second, you will take the information given to you by the provider and put it into your website under "Merchant Info" under "Manage Application" on the left sidebar of the your administration homepage.

For Options 2 or 3 follow these steps: Once you have your merchant account information, log into your website and:

1. Go to your site manager homepage.
2. Select the “Commerce” tab then Merchant Account Info. (You should have already set up a Contribute page to your sitemap to get donations.  If it is not on your site map, set up a new page and select it from your drop down templates under "internal pages.")
   
3. Fill out the information needed including the link to your vendor. Select “Apply Changes” at the bottom of the page.