To some doing business online can be an intimidating undertaking because it is assumed that you need to have an expensive merchant account to accept credit card payments from customers. Merchant accounts can be difficult to get and charge lots of fees for transactions that add up, especially when transactions vary from month to month. There are several options that you can pursue if you want to sell merchandise online or would like to accept credit cards as payment for services. Here is a list of options to consider:

PayPal: This is one of the most popular online payment services. Most people trust and use PayPal for everyday purchases. It can be used to accept or send payment for purchases. It is easy to set up an account. Fees are as low as 1.9% - 2.9% and .30 per transaction.

BidPay: This service is for those who buy and sell at online auctions. When an auction is over, winners visit Bidpay.com and simply enter the auction details and payment information. Payment is sent to the seller either by mailing a Western Union branded money order or, if the seller is located in the U.S., by sending a payment directly to the seller