> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.sellauth.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How to Accept Card Payments

> What you need in order to take credit and debit cards on your SellAuth shop, how to choose a processor, and what to do if you get declined.

SellAuth is the shop software and does not process payments itself. To take card payments you need an account with a **payment processor**, which you then connect to SellAuth. Money goes from the buyer's card into your processor account, and your processor pays it out to your bank on its own schedule.

So there is no single switch that turns cards on. You pick a processor, open an account with them, and connect it here.

## What a payment processor is

A payment processor is a company licensed to move money from a buyer's card to your account. Stripe, Square, Mollie and Adyen are all processors. They deal with the card networks, run fraud checks and pay out to your bank.

Each processor decides for itself whether to accept you as a merchant, based on what you sell, what country you are in, and whether you have a registered business. Getting through that approval is usually the hard part of accepting cards.

## Getting set up

<Steps>
  <Step title="Pick a processor">
    See the comparison below. If you have a registered business and no particular preference, Stripe is a reasonable default.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Sign up with them directly">
    On the processor's own website. They will ask for identity documents, business details and a bank account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for approval">
    Anything from minutes to several days. Some processors let you take payments while the review continues, and can reverse that decision later.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect the account to SellAuth">
    Add the payment method under [**Payment Methods**](https://dash.sellauth.com/payment-methods) and paste in the keys your processor gives you. Each processor has its own guide: [Stripe](/guides/payment-methods/stripe), [Square](/guides/payment-methods/square), [PayPal](/guides/payment-methods/paypal).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Place a real test order">
    Buy something cheap from your own shop with a real card, then check that the order delivered and the payment appears in your processor dashboard.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Once connected, buyers see a card button at checkout.

## Apple Pay and Google Pay

Apple Pay and Google Pay are wallets that store a card. The payment still runs through a processor, so you accept them by connecting a processor that supports them.

Most processors do. Stripe, Square, Mollie, Skrill, Revolut Business, MONEI, Adyen, Lemon Squeezy, Pandabase, Whop, Shopify, VenPayr and OVGC Payments all support Apple Pay and Google Pay with no extra setup. SumUp supports them once you enable **Hosted Checkout** on the method.

Authorize.Net, NMI, Overpay, Razorpay and Mercado Pago do not carry Apple Pay or Google Pay. Authorize.Net, NMI and Overpay take cards only, while Razorpay adds UPI and netbanking and Mercado Pago adds local Latin American methods. Choose one of the processors above if wallet payments matter to you.

The wallet button only appears when the buyer's device and browser support it, so an Apple Pay button missing on a Windows desktop is normal. Some processors also require you to verify your domain in their dashboard before Apple Pay works on a custom domain. If cards work but Apple Pay never appears on any device, check that setting.

## Which processor should I use

| Your situation | Look at |
| - | - |
| Registered business, EU or US, mainstream products | Stripe, Square, Adyen, Mollie |
| Selling mostly in Europe, want iDEAL and Bancontact | Mollie, Stripe |
| Selling in India, want UPI | Razorpay |
| Selling in Brazil, want PIX | MisticPay |
| Selling in Latin America | Mercado Pago |
| Want card payments settled to you in crypto | VenPayr, OVGC Payments |
| Already run a store on another platform | Shopify, Lemon Squeezy, Whop |
| Cannot get approved anywhere, or want to start today | [Crypto](/guides/crypto-wallets), [PayPal](/guides/payment-methods/paypal), or a [custom method](/guides/payment-methods/manual) |

The full list, with what each one needs from you, is in [Supported Payment Methods](/guides/payment-methods).

## If you cannot get approved

Processors classify some categories as high risk, and digital goods, game-related products, account sales and subscriptions often fall into them. Declines, and closures a few weeks after approval, are common in this market. The decision belongs to the processor and SellAuth has no influence over it.

Options when it happens:

* **Check the prohibited business list before applying.** If your product is on it, the application will be rejected, and reapplying rarely changes the outcome.
* **Try another processor.** Underwriting standards vary a lot across the processors in the list above.
* **Use crypto in the meantime.** [Crypto payments](/guides/crypto-wallets) need no approval and forward straight to an address you control.
* **Keep more than one method enabled.** If your only processor freezes the account, your shop cannot take payments until it is resolved.

<Warning>
  Describe your products accurately when you apply. Approval obtained by misrepresenting what you sell usually ends in frozen funds and a closed account once the processor reviews your transactions.
</Warning>

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can SellAuth process the payment for me?">
    No. SellAuth handles the storefront, checkout, delivery and orders, while the money moves through accounts you own. There is no SellAuth-held balance and no payout delay on our side.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do I need a registered business?">
    For most card processors, yes, or at least a sole trader registration. Requirements differ by processor and by country, so check theirs. Crypto and custom methods have no such requirement.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are the fees?">
    Your processor sets them and charges you directly. SellAuth does not add a transaction fee on top. You can pass a cost on to buyers, or discount a cheaper method, using the [percentage and fixed fee settings](/guides/payment-methods#settings-shared-by-every-method) on each method.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How long until the money reaches my bank?">
    Your processor's payout schedule decides that, typically a couple of days. Check the payout settings in their dashboard.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I accept Apple Pay or Google Pay on its own?">
    No. Both are wallets that store a card, so they still need a processor behind them. Connect a processor that supports them and they appear automatically. See [Apple Pay and Google Pay](#apple-pay-and-google-pay) above.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I accept several card processors at once?">
    Yes. Each one becomes its own button at checkout, and the others keep working if one account is frozen.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="A buyer's card was declined. Was that SellAuth?">
    No. Declines come from the buyer's bank or from the processor's fraud rules, and the processor dashboard shows the reason. Offering a second payment method resolves most of them.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Supported payment methods" icon="credit-card" href="/guides/payment-methods">
    Every processor, wallet and coin you can connect.
  </Card>

  <Card title="How checkout works" icon="cart-shopping" href="/guides/checkout">
    What buyers see, and what each order status means.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Crypto wallets and payouts" icon="wallet" href="/guides/crypto-wallets">
    Accepting crypto without processor approval.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Refunds and chargebacks" icon="rotate-left" href="/guides/refunds">
    What happens when a card payment goes wrong.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>


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