Verify the merchant account or payment terminal supports credit card payments
Set up a credit card processing method (merchant account, payment gateway, or card reader)
Connect the payment method to your checkout system or POS
Ensure you can capture required details (card number, expiration date, CVV as applicable)
Display accepted card types and follow your processor’s requirements
Use secure handling for card data (tokenization or processor-hosted forms)
Submit the charge through your processor (authorize or charge)
Confirm the transaction result (approved, declined, or error)
Provide the customer a receipt and any required transaction details
Handle declines with the processor’s decline codes and retry or alternate payment method
Capture the authorized transaction if you used separate authorization/capture steps
Refund or void transactions through your processor when eligible
Reconcile settlements and match payouts to transaction records
Maintain PCI DSS compliance as required by your processor