Quote:
Originally posted by Cal
How can billing software not be tied to the gateway or merchant bank? I'm a little confused, since you need it to interface with whatever custom API you are working with.
It sounds like you're asking for ... gateway software that doesn't use a gateway?
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Technically, the software I'm looking for will still tie into the gateway but only to tap it for approvals/declines. The gateway will also have it's own admin interface/managment section, but this would be separate. I'm not too worrried if the software I'm looking for can't do refunds since I can still do these by hand when needed (I'm not even sure gateways can do these "transparently" by using our own software to issue them).
Sort of like a shopping cart, when it taps the gateway for approval/declines it comes back with an answer. According to this answer (and any other variables possibly passed through) the customer might see "Thank you" or "Fuck you and you're no-good credit". At this point, the software I'm looking for might show "Welcome to the member's area" upon approval and also log this new member's info into a database of our own somewhere. Naturally, it would need to update the password file and grant the customer access somwhere alkong the line.
This way, if our member-base grows and the gateway goes belly up (or just pisses us off) we can simply take our members database and point it at another gateway elswhere like a machine gun.
I really don't like the fact that IPSPs have so much pull with everyone simply because they control the credit card info of our clients. Reading the boards, I see they can also process using our own merchant accounts (wish I'd known THAT earlier
) but at this point I'm debating which way to go for the long haul. I'm sure there are some downsides to using our own merchant account besides the specious "you risk your ass" claim (you risk your ass now in either case). A couple off the top of my head:
1) Having to manage the billing/software
2) Surfers may not be as trusting - but may know IPSP names
Some of the pro's are:
1) control is returned (software, scrubbing, card info)
2) much lower percentage rates
Anyway, I will probably jump through the Visa IPSP hoops but, at the same time, I'm now looking to get over half of our eggs out of the IPSP basket. If there was more time I'd probably write the software myself -- even if it had to start off fairly bareboned. Instead, we've all got a few weeks to assess the situation and implement our battle plans.
