I have a new tip for you today: Feel free to use third-party payment processors such as PayPal or Google Checkout.

You can get your own merchant account. If you process a lot of payments, it will probably be cheaper. But if you do not do that many, it may cost more because there is usually a lot of setup fees. Also, it takes a lot more technical knowledge.

For a newer and smaller internet business, you may think having your own merchant account will make you look more reliable. But it may scare potential customers, making them not buy from you. If your company does not have a big reputation, people may not want to give you their credit card numbers. Major third-party processors such as PayPal are trusted by customers.

I would recommend sticking with third-party processors until your business is big enough to warrant going through the trouble of getting your own merchant account.

What do you think?

Also, please note that I am not endorsing any specific company or processor. I personally use PayPal, but only because I believe it is most well-known to my customers. You want to do your own research, and find the payment processor that is best for your specific business.