As an online merchant, your choice of payment gateway has a big impact not only on the security of the payment process, but also the experience that you offer to your customers. But knowing which is the right payment gateway for your needs can be confusing. Payment gateways boast a variety of features, different price points, and software integrations, which can complicate the search for your ideal provider.
Authorize.net is one of the leading eCommerce payment gateways. It’s a popular choice with merchants large and small due to offering a secure and seamless payment experience. Whether you’re just starting out as a business or are looking to switch to a better payment gateway, Authorize.net is a solid option to consider.
In this article, we’re going to explore the pros and cons of Authorize.net as a payment gateway provider, and what merchants should consider before they commit to setting up their accounts.
TL;DR:
- Authorize.net is a payment gateway service provider that allows businesses to accept online payment methods like ACH, credit card payments, debit cards, digital wallets, and eChecks.
- There are two different payment plans available with Authorize.net; a gateway-only plan or a full merchant services plan with a merchant account included.
- Key features offered by Authorize.net include automated recurring billing, fraud detection, Customer Information Management, digital invoicing, and integrations with payment solutions including Stax.
What is Authorize.net?
Authorize.net is a payment gateway service provider that allows small to medium-sized businesses to accept and process a wide range of online payment methods like ACH, credit card payments, debit cards, digital wallets, and eChecks. As a wraparound service, it provides merchants with secure payment processing, fraud protection, and value-added features including recurring billing, virtual terminals, and mobile payment management. One of the oldest eCommerce payment systems in the world, Authorize.net was founded in 1996 and acquired by Visa, Inc. in 2010. The majority of Authorize.net’s user base is located in the United States, which hosts just over 93% of merchants using the service worldwide.
The Authorize.net payment gateway is frequently cited in online reviews as one of the most trustworthy payment gateway solutions on the market, alongside competitors such as PayPal and Stripe.
How Does Authorize.net Work?
As a payment gateway provider, Authorize.net acts as a bridge between a business owner’s website and the payment processor. Whenever a customer makes a purchase on your website, payment information is securely transmitted to Authorize.net, which sends a request to the issuing bank to confirm funds and authorize the card transaction. Once the transaction is approved, the funds are sent to the merchant account i.e. the business’s bank account at the acquiring bank.
Businesses choosing Authorize.net as their provider have two options: They can subscribe to an all-in-one payment plan that offers additional merchant services, or pay for the payment gateway only. If you’re choosing the latter option, you’ll need to set up your own merchant account in order to accept payments from your customers.
Key Features of Authnet Gateway Billing
Advanced fraud detection suite (ARBS)
Authorize.net’s in-built fraud detection system is included in every plan and makes it easy for businesses to monitor their merchant account for any suspicious activity. This includes unusual transaction patterns, geographic location, IP addresses, address verification, and more.
This tool is fully configurable to your unique needs via 13 different rules-based filters, such as payment velocity (how many transactions can be processed in a set period of time) and what currencies are accepted. Authorize.net is also fully PCI-DSS compliant, using full payment tokenization in its payment forms to ensure payment information stays secure throughout a transaction.
Automated recurring billing
A notable feature of Authorize.net is that recurring billing is included as a core feature, unlike many payment solutions. This makes it well-suited to subscription businesses or businesses that can require a recurring billing functionality, such as memberships or 1:1 professional services.
With Authorize.net, you can set up weekly, monthly, or annual billing for your customers without the liability of storing payment information yourself for easy subscription management. Merchants can also opt to sign up for Authorize’s dunning management system to update card details and avoid involuntary churn.
Customer Information Management (CIM)
Merchants using Authorize.net can create profiles for repeat customers, so they don’t have to re-enter customer information with every purchase. A CIM includes billing, payment, and shipping information, creating a smoother shopping experience at the checkout. CIM profiles can be integrated directly with your eCommerce website or CRM system via Authorize’s open API, which helps to simplify subscription management and identify key trends in sales activity.
Digital invoicing
If you’re a business offering professional or custom services, invoicing is an important part of ensuring consistent and reliable cash flow. Authorize.net’s digital invoicing system comes free with its payment gateway plan and makes it easy to create, email, and manage invoices for both one-time and recurring payments.
Invoice templates can be customized according to payment types, promotional discounts, or refunds. This can be managed directly from Authorize.net’s interface, which allows you to track in real time whether an invoice has been paid.
Multiple integrations
As one of the largest payment gateway providers, Authorize.net offers a variety of pre-built integrations for merchants and retailers, including eCommerce platforms, shopping carts, billing software, POS systems, and more. Authorize’s open API and developer support center also make it possible to build your own integrations from scratch using their developer guides.
Authorize.net integrates fully with Stax Pay for a seamless payment processing experience for your customers.
Authnet Pricing
Business owners can either opt to subscribe for a full plan with a merchant account, or for the payment gateway only. Both plans require a monthly fee in addition to per-transaction fees for credit card processing or ACH payments:
All-in-one plan:
$25 per month, 2.9% + $0.30c per transaction
Payment gateway-only plan:
$25 per month, $0.10c per transaction, 10% daily batch fee
Authorize.net also offers extra payment processing services at an additional fee. Businesses can sign up to process e-check payments for $0.75c per transaction. Suppose you’re interested in recurring billing capabilities. In that case, you can also subscribe to their account updater tool to automatically update CIM (Customer Information Manager) profiles with the correct credit card expiry date for $0.25 per card.
How To Set Up Your Authorize.net Account
You can create your Authorize.net account with the following steps:
1. Click ‘sign up’ and select which plan you want. You have a choice between the all-in-one plan with the merchant account included or the payment gateway plan only. Note that if you select the gateway plan, you will need to provide your own merchant account.
2. Authorize.net requires you to make a merchant application with certain details about your business. This includes personal details, business type, name and location, and the bank account you want your funds deposited.
- Activate your account after receiving your confirmation email.
- Test your payment connection in Test Mode before readying yourself for live transactions.
- To connect Authorize.net with your payment solution, you will need to generate a transaction key and API ID key.
- Select your chosen security settings i.e. CVV authentication or the payment velocity filter.
It’s also possible to set up your Authorize.net via your merchant services provider if you already have a merchant account, which can offer reduced rates.
Pros of Authorize.net
Accepts a variety of payment types
Authorize.net makes it easy for customers to pay the way they prefer by accepting a wide spectrum of eCommerce payment options. This includes all major credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, American Express) in addition to ACH, Apple Pay, PayPal, and eChecks.
Although not a major part of the business, Authorize.net also accepts in-person payments via mobile POS (point of sale) software and card reader. This is convenient for small businesses that need to process payments at a storefront as well as online.
24/7 customer support
Authorize.net offers 24/7 customer support through a variety of channels, including, phone, live chat, and an email e-ticketing system. Merchants also have access to an online support center with FAQ articles to assist them with troubleshooting problems independently.
Straightforward pricing
No one wants to be surprised by hidden fees when processing payments, as this can cause your overheads to add up quickly. Unlike many payment gateway providers, Authorize.net offers transparent pricing plans that include both a monthly fee and per-transaction fees. This makes it easy for businesses to understand how much accepting payments via an Authorize.net account is going to cost them.
Cons
High chargeback fees
Merchants that use Authorize.net should be aware that the service charges high chargeback fees at $25 per chargeback, which can be detrimental to profitability if this happens too often. This is because Authorize passes on the full cost of the chargeback from the merchant services provider.
If chargebacks are a persistent problem for your business, it’s important to ensure you are doing everything you can to combat chargebacks at the source. This includes having a descriptive billing identifier and ensuring that customers receive their goods as promised.
Clunky interface
Authorize.net’s merchant interface is quite outdated and not very intuitive to use compared with its competitors. Many customer reviews cite difficulties with reporting and understanding where to find different functionalities without contacting customer support. This could mean a slower implementation process for your business and more difficulty accessing features like recurring billing.
Not suitable for all countries
To use Authorize.net as a payment gateway provider, a business must subscribe to a merchant services provider located in either the U.S., Australia, or Canada. While merchants can still accept multiple global currencies and service customers in many regions, they will need to be located in these countries for Authorize.net to accept transactions.
Moreover, it’s also worth noting that Authorize.net no longer supports 3D Secure authentication, one of the most widely-accepted fraud protection protocols for online transactions. Since this system is a proven way to reduce chargebacks, you may want to consider a different payment gateway if this is important to your business.
Is Authorize.net the Right Option For You?
To sum up, Authorize.net is a widely-used payment solution that provides secure online payment processing and merchant services. It offers a range of value-added features and integrations, making it a popular choice for small and medium-sized businesses.
Which payment plan is best for your needs will ultimately depend on whether your business already has a merchant account, and if not, whether you would prefer to obtain one independently. If you do have a merchant account, the payment gateway-only option may be sufficient for your needs.
At Stax, we can help you find the best payment solution for your business.
