Understanding Small Business Credit Card Terminology - Glossary of Important Terms

Acquiring Bank: Gives the merchant the capability forGateway: Connects the shopping cart to the card
handling credit cards. It communicates with theprocessor during an online transaction. (see Payment
customer's card to permit payment and moneyGateway)
transfer.Imprinter: A device that physically makes an embossed
Address Verification Service (AVS): Provides fraudimprint of a credit card on a transaction slip.
protection for the merchant by verifying the customersInterchange Fee: A fee charged to the merchant
billing address during a transaction where the card isaccount provider by the customer's card issuing bank
not physically swiped.for allowing the merchant to accept a credit
Authorization: Occurs when the merchant accountIssuing Bank: Issues card to the cardholder, usually a
communicates with the card customer's bank tobank or financial institution.
ensure that the customer has enough credit to makeKeyed: A method to enter credit card information by
the purchase.physically "keying" in the information rather than
Batch: Generally at the end of the business day, the"swiping" it.
authorized transactions that are stored in the merchantMerchant account: Allows the merchant to accept
account are processed in one group.paymentvia credit card.
Card network: Is the linkage between the customer'sMerchant Bank: (See Acquiring Bank).
card issuing bank and the merchant's account.Point Of Sale (POS) terminal: Is a device used when
Cardholder: Is the person that has been issued creditthe customer is physically present to magnetically read
by a credit card issuing bank, which allows them to usethe magnetic strip on the back of a card.
this credit for purchases.Payment gateway: Permits the merchant to accept
CVV2 (Cardholder Verification Value) or CVV2 (Cardonline credit card payments.
Verification Value): Are numbers printed on the card (3Shopping Cart: Used during online shopping to allow the
or 4 digits) for added security.customer to put a number of purchases together in
Chargeback: If a customer feels that they did notone group so that that group can be paid for with one
place the order or did not receive and good or servicecredit card payment.
they have the ability to bill the charge back to theSwipe: The method of getting a customer's card
merchant.information by reading the magnetic strip on the card
Discount Rate: Is a per transaction fee paid to theusing a POS machine.
merchant account provider for handling the transaction.