Payment Gateway

A payment gateway is an application service provider that authorizes credit card, debit card and electronic check payments for businesses. A payment gateway facilitates the transfer of information between a payment portal (such as a website, mobile phone, or interactive voice response service) and the front-end processor or acquiring bank. When a customer orders a product from a payment gateway-enabled merchant, the payment gateway performs a variety of tasks to process the transaction.

Related Terms

  • Settlement Date

    The date an exchange of funds will be reflected on the books of the Federal Reserve Bank.

    Learn More
  • Surcharge

    A surcharge is an extra fee that’s added to the regular total amount.

    Learn More