{"id":13684,"date":"2025-03-04T12:58:21","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T12:58:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/?p=13684"},"modified":"2025-03-04T12:59:46","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T12:59:46","slug":"payment-gateway-vs-merchant-account","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/blog\/payment-gateway\/payment-gateway-vs-merchant-account\/","title":{"rendered":"Payment Gateway Vs Merchant Account:  What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"13684\" class=\"elementor elementor-13684\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-b573d03 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"b573d03\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-eac37f9\" data-id=\"eac37f9\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cf3d956 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"cf3d956\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 15-07-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t<p>Payments can be a hassle if you don\u2019t have the required knowledge. Especially, when you\u2019re <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/blog\/card-machines\/accepting-credit-card-payments-small-businesses\/\">taking card payments online<\/a><\/span>, there may be a lot of new technology to digest. Two of the important elements in this regard are merchant accounts and payment gateway.<\/p><p>In this article about payment gateway vs merchant account, I will discuss the differences and similarities between the two and whether you can have an all-in-one solution for your business. Let\u2019s start. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aa0b34c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"aa0b34c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 15-07-2024 *\/\n.elementor-heading-title{padding:0;margin:0;line-height:1}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title[class*=elementor-size-]>a{color:inherit;font-size:inherit;line-height:inherit}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-small{font-size:15px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-medium{font-size:19px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-large{font-size:29px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xl{font-size:39px}.elementor-widget-heading .elementor-heading-title.elementor-size-xxl{font-size:59px}<\/style><h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_a_merchant_account\"><\/span>What is a merchant account?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a88dfeb elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"a88dfeb\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 15-07-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-image{text-align:center}.elementor-widget-image a{display:inline-block}.elementor-widget-image a img[src$=\".svg\"]{width:48px}.elementor-widget-image img{vertical-align:middle;display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"720\" height=\"477\" src=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-1.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-13693\" alt=\"What is a merchant account?\" srcset=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-1.png 720w, https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-1-300x199.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-822f384 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"822f384\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-6004407\" data-id=\"6004407\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ead3ec1 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ead3ec1\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/blog\/card-machines\/what-is-a-merchant-account\/\">merchant account<\/a><\/span> is a type of bank account that enables businesses to accept and process card transactions. When a customer makes a purchase, the funds are first temporarily held by the merchant before transferring them to the main business account. Any business accepting card transactions needs this account from their bank service.<\/p><p>What is the importance of a merchant account? Well, it allows the acceptance of card payments, which is integral in today\u2019s cashless society of the UK and the world. This capability not only broadens the customer base but also enhances cash flow and sales efficiency. Without a merchant account, a business would be limited to cash or check transactions,<\/p><p>Payment service providers (PSPs) are making it easier for businesses to accept card payments because they integrate the merchant account functionality into their system. That means you won\u2019t have to open a separate merchant account yourself. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-inner-section elementor-element elementor-element-4fd1064 elementor-hidden-mobile elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"4fd1064\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-inner-column elementor-element elementor-element-44f79d1\" data-id=\"44f79d1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-48c9ce8 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"48c9ce8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<p class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">Do you need a Payment Gateway<\/p>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-49e88c8 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"49e88c8\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-md elementor-animation-grow\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get Payment Gateway Quotes<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-75d0095 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"75d0095\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-5c8c55d\" data-id=\"5c8c55d\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-9a2c812 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"9a2c812\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 15-07-2024 *\/\n.elementor-column .elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--spacer-size)}.e-con{--container-widget-width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer{width:var(--container-widget-width,var(--spacer-size));--align-self:var(--container-widget-align-self,initial);--flex-shrink:0}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container{height:100%;width:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer{height:100%}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer>.elementor-widget-container>.elementor-spacer>.elementor-spacer-inner{height:var(--container-widget-height,var(--spacer-size))}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty{position:relative;min-height:22px;min-width:22px}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon,.e-con>.elementor-widget-spacer.elementor-widget-empty .elementor-widget-empty-icon{position:absolute;top:0;bottom:0;left:0;right:0;margin:auto;padding:0;width:22px;height:22px}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bd38012 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"bd38012\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_the_purpose_of_a_merchant_account\"><\/span>What is the purpose of a merchant account?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-8d560a5 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"8d560a5\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-160ee5a\" data-id=\"160ee5a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-17aba11 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"17aba11\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The question is valid. Why is a transaction payment not directly sent to the business\u2019s account? It\u2019s mainly to handle transaction-related processes like deducting any fee, managing any chargebacks, or potential delays before finalising the transaction payments. After a transaction is confirmed, the money is then sent to the main account so the business receives the total amount for the sale transaction. This makes it simpler for businesses to keep track of their income.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7c554d9 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7c554d9\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-9eaf6ae\" data-id=\"9eaf6ae\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-05df41c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"05df41c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"what_is_a_payment_gateway\"><\/span>What is a payment gateway?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c2f5d2e elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"c2f5d2e\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"704\" height=\"464\" src=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-2.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-13694\" alt=\"What is a payment gateway?\" srcset=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-2.png 704w, https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-2-300x198.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 704px) 100vw, 704px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-40dc689 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"40dc689\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>A payment gateway is an online service that allows the secure transfer of payment information between a customer, a merchant, and the financial institutions involved in the transaction. Acting as a digital equivalent of a <span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/blog\/epos-system\/pos-terminal\/\">point-of-sale (POS) terminal<\/a><\/span> found in physical stores, a payment gateway encrypts and securely transmits sensitive payment data, such as credit card information.<\/p><p>How does a payment gateway work? It involves several steps.<\/p><ol><li>The gateway captures the payment information when a customer makes a purchase and encrypts it for security.<\/li><li>This encrypted data is sent to the payment processor which routes it to the customer\u2019s bank for authorisation.<\/li><li>Once approved, the approval is sent from the payment processor back to the payment gateway.<\/li><li>The merchant and customer are notified about the success of the payment.<\/li><\/ol><p>This entire process takes seconds to be executed. Payment gateways offer multiple payment methods to your customers, including credit cards, debit cards, digital wallets, etc. They also provide additional features like recurring billing and fraud detection. It\u2019s ideal for businesses of all sizes, especially e-commerce retailers and subscription-based services. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-c90d38c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"c90d38c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-02d143f\" data-id=\"02d143f\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-8ff2bc6 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"8ff2bc6\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-md elementor-animation-grow\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get Payment Gateway Quotes<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-f88d25e elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"f88d25e\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1c8bacb\" data-id=\"1c8bacb\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-afd542c elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"afd542c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-0e600bd elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"0e600bd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"payment_gateway_vs_merchant_account_the_differences\"><\/span>Payment gateway vs Merchant account: The Differences<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-ce93134 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"ce93134\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>To enable an online transaction, your business needs both a merchant account and a payment gateway. Although they both are part of the process, there are 2 main differences between them.<\/p><p>Firstly, a merchant account is a holding bank account where funds from the card transactions are deposited before being transferred to the business\u2019s bank account. On the other hand, a payment gateway acts as an online service\/technology that enables the secure transmission of payment data from the customer to the payment processor. It handles authorisation and encryption of data.<\/p><p>Secondly, obtaining a merchant account often involves a more rigorous application process as it requires a direct agreement with a merchant bank. Conversely, setting a payment gateway is typically more straightforward. Many payment gateways offer easy-to-use plugins, APIs, and integration tools that allow businesses to quickly add payment processing capabilities to their website or POS systems. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-ed8ad9d elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"ed8ad9d\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-1859dd3\" data-id=\"1859dd3\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-89d5e0f elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"89d5e0f\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"payment_gateway_vs_merchant_account_the_similarities\"><\/span>Payment gateway vs Merchant account: the similarities<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aed10ae elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"aed10ae\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"637\" height=\"481\" src=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-3.png\" class=\"attachment-medium_large size-medium_large wp-image-13695\" alt=\"Payment gateway vs Merchant account: the similarities\" srcset=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-3.png 637w, https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2025\/03\/Payment-Gateway-Vs-Merchant-Account-3-300x227.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 637px) 100vw, 637px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-490cd9b elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"490cd9b\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<ul><li>Both payment gateways and merchant accounts charge transaction fees for their service. These fees can generally range from 1.5% to 3% per transaction plus a fixed rate.<\/li><li>Both employ certain security measures. Payment gateways integrate encryption and tokenisation while merchant accounts stick to security measures like PCI compliance.<\/li><li>Both offer accessibility through mobile and web applications. <\/li><\/ul>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6be9bd3c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6be9bd3c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-181adb65\" data-id=\"181adb65\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b6c9a8a elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"b6c9a8a\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"payment_gateway_vs_merchant_account_functions_at_a_glance\"><\/span>Payment Gateway vs Merchant Account Functions: At a Glance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-16794224 eael-dt-th-align-center eael-table-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-eael-data-table\" data-id=\"16794224\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"eael-data-table.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"eael-data-table-wrap\" data-table_id=\"16794224\" id=\"eael-data-table-wrapper-16794224\" data-custom_responsive=\"false\">\n\t\t\t<table class=\"tablesorter eael-data-table center\" id=\"eael-data-table-16794224\">\n\t\t\t    <thead>\n\t\t\t        <tr class=\"table-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t            <th class=\"\" id=\"\" colspan=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"data-table-header-text\">Payment Gateway<\/span><\/th>\n\t\t\t        \t\t\t\t            <th class=\"\" id=\"\" colspan=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"data-table-header-text\">Merchant Account<\/span><\/th>\n\t\t\t        \t\t\t\t        <\/tr>\n\t\t\t    <\/thead>\n\t\t\t  \t<tbody>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"\" rowspan=\"\" class=\"\" id=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"td-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"td-content\">Transmits payment data<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"\" rowspan=\"\" class=\"\" id=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"td-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"td-content\">Holds funds before transfer<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t        \t\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"\" rowspan=\"\" class=\"\" id=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"td-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"td-content\">Easy setup process<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"\" rowspan=\"\" class=\"\" id=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"td-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"td-content\">Involves an agreement with a bank account<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t        \t\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"\" rowspan=\"\" class=\"\" id=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"td-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"td-content\">Handles encryption and authorisation<\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"\" rowspan=\"\" class=\"\" id=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"td-content-wrapper\"><div class=\"td-content\">PCI compliance to ensure security <\/div><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/td>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t        \t\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\n\t\t\t        \t\t\t    <\/tbody>\n\t\t\t<\/table>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t  \t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-dcb428a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"dcb428a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-a0fa2f1\" data-id=\"a0fa2f1\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-cfe1dda elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"cfe1dda\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4a06ae0 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"4a06ae0\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-md elementor-animation-grow\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get Payment Gateway Quotes<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e5b1ca3 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"e5b1ca3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-667b6f3 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"667b6f3\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-bd37dc3\" data-id=\"bd37dc3\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-3bf8f7c elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"3bf8f7c\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"payment_gateway_vs_merchant_account_functions_at_a_glance-2\"><\/span>Payment Gateway vs Merchant Account Functions: At a Glance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-50bb509 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"50bb509\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Yes, typically, you need both a payment gateway and a merchant account to handle electronic transactions effectively. The merchant account serves as the holding account while a payment gateway is responsible for gathering and securely transmitting the payment data from the customer to the payment processor.<\/p><p>However, many modern payment processors like PayPal, Square, etc., offer an integrated solution that combines the functionalities of both a payment gateway and a merchant account. These providers handle transactions without requiring you to have a separate merchant account. <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-9421c4a elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"9421c4a\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-3c7c848\" data-id=\"3c7c848\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-47c69dd elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"47c69dd\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"find_reliable_payment_gateway_options_in_the_uk\"><\/span>Find Reliable Payment Gateway Options In The UK<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-0141b68 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"0141b68\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-0f4a189\" data-id=\"0f4a189\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c70d9b9 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c70d9b9\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Want to set up a secure and reliable payment gateway on your website? ComparedBusiness streamlines this process for your business by connecting you with reliable payment gateway providers in the UK. Just submit your requirements in under 2 minutes and we will get back to you with quotes from them. This will cost you nothing.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-2559659c elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"2559659c\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;,&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-4608d9da\" data-id=\"4608d9da\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-88e2944 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"88e2944\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"faqs\"><\/span>FAQs<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6bd8c1be elementor-widget elementor-widget-accordion\" data-id=\"6bd8c1be\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"accordion.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.23.0 - 15-07-2024 *\/\n.elementor-accordion{text-align:start}.elementor-accordion .elementor-accordion-item{border:1px solid #d5d8dc}.elementor-accordion .elementor-accordion-item+.elementor-accordion-item{border-top:none}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title{margin:0;padding:15px 20px;font-weight:700;line-height:1;cursor:pointer;outline:none}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon{display:inline-block;width:1.5em}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon svg{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon.elementor-accordion-icon-right{float:right;text-align:right}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon.elementor-accordion-icon-left{float:left;text-align:left}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon .elementor-accordion-icon-closed{display:block}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon .elementor-accordion-icon-opened,.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title.elementor-active .elementor-accordion-icon-closed{display:none}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title.elementor-active .elementor-accordion-icon-opened{display:block}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-content{display:none;padding:15px 20px;border-top:1px solid #d5d8dc}@media (max-width:767px){.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title{padding:12px 15px}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-title .elementor-accordion-icon{width:1.2em}.elementor-accordion .elementor-tab-content{padding:7px 15px}}.e-con-inner>.elementor-widget-accordion,.e-con>.elementor-widget-accordion{width:var(--container-widget-width);--flex-grow:var(--container-widget-flex-grow)}<\/style>\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1801\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1801\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-chevron-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" tabindex=\"0\">What is the main difference between a payment gateway and a merchant account?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1801\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"1\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1801\"><p>The main difference between a payment gateway and a merchant account is the data of the payment vs the actual money. For example, when you pay with a card, you have to provide your account details (account holder\u2019s name, account number and PIN). A payment gateway secures this data so it\u2019s kept safe without any breaches. On the other hand, when the money is deducted from your account, it is transferred to the merchant account so the business can receive it. A merchant account also allows you to claim a refund or ask for a chargeback.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1802\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1802\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-chevron-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" tabindex=\"0\">How do payment gateways and merchant accounts work together?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1802\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"2\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1802\"><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A payment gateway and a merchant account both work together to process payments efficiently for a business. The customer data is securely sent by the payment gateway for approval. Once the money is deducted from the customer\u2019s account, it is temporarily held in the merchant account. So, both act as a team to make sure your business gets paid safely.<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-accordion-item\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-title-1803\" class=\"elementor-tab-title\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"button\" aria-controls=\"elementor-tab-content-1803\" aria-expanded=\"false\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon elementor-accordion-icon-left\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-closed\"><i class=\"fas fa-chevron-right\"><\/i><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-accordion-icon-opened\"><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-accordion-title\" tabindex=\"0\">Why is a merchant account even needed in the first place?<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<div id=\"elementor-tab-content-1803\" class=\"elementor-tab-content elementor-clearfix\" data-tab=\"3\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"elementor-tab-title-1803\"><p>A merchant account acts as a subset of a business\u2019s main account. It is more for a business\u2019s benefit than a consumer&#8217;s. When a customer makes a payment, the money is kept in this account for a specific time to account for any potential refunds, deductions, and chargebacks. In this way, only the confirmed transactions are transferred to the business account.<\/p><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"FAQPage\",\"mainEntity\":[{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"What is the main difference between a payment gateway and a merchant account?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>The main difference between a payment gateway and a merchant account is the data of the payment vs the actual money. For example, when you pay with a card, you have to provide your account details (account holder\\u2019s name, account number and PIN). A payment gateway secures this data so it\\u2019s kept safe without any breaches. On the other hand, when the money is deducted from your account, it is transferred to the merchant account so the business can receive it. A merchant account also allows you to claim a refund or ask for a chargeback.<\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"How do payment gateways and merchant accounts work together?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p><span style=\\\"font-weight: 400;\\\">A payment gateway and a merchant account both work together to process payments efficiently for a business. The customer data is securely sent by the payment gateway for approval. Once the money is deducted from the customer\\u2019s account, it is temporarily held in the merchant account. So, both act as a team to make sure your business gets paid safely.<\\\/span><\\\/p>\"}},{\"@type\":\"Question\",\"name\":\"Why is a merchant account even needed in the first place?\",\"acceptedAnswer\":{\"@type\":\"Answer\",\"text\":\"<p>A merchant account acts as a subset of a business\\u2019s main account. It is more for a business\\u2019s benefit than a consumer&#8217;s. When a customer makes a payment, the money is kept in this account for a specific time to account for any potential refunds, deductions, and chargebacks. In this way, only the confirmed transactions are transferred to the business account.<\\\/p>\"}}]}<\/script>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-7a32396 elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"7a32396\" data-element_type=\"section\" data-settings=\"{&quot;_ha_eqh_enable&quot;:false}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-aee737a\" data-id=\"aee737a\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f18a524 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"f18a524\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-e6c6dd7 elementor-align-center elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"e6c6dd7\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-button-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-size-md elementor-animation-grow\" role=\"button\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Get Payment Gateway Quotes<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-bdec175 elementor-widget elementor-widget-spacer\" data-id=\"bdec175\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"spacer.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-spacer-inner\"><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Payments can be a hassle if you don\u2019t have the required knowledge. Especially, when you\u2019re taking card payments online, there may be a lot of new technology to digest. Two of the important elements in this regard are merchant accounts and payment gateway. In this article about payment gateway vs merchant account, I will discuss &#8230; <a title=\"Payment Gateway Vs Merchant Account:  What\u2019s the Difference?\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/blog\/payment-gateway\/payment-gateway-vs-merchant-account\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":13692,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[60],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13684","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-payment-gateway"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13684"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13684"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13684\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13702,"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13684\/revisions\/13702"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13692"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13684"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13684"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/comparedbusiness.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13684"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}