Accept Virtual Terminal Payments

What is a Virtual Terminal

A virtual terminal is a web-based application that lets you manually enter payment information to process transactions. There is no physical card reader or terminal hardware required. You log into a secure portal, type in the card number, expiration date, CVV, and billing address, and process the charge.

Virtual terminals are essential for businesses that take orders by phone, mail, fax, or email. Service businesses, B2B companies, and MOTO merchants rely on virtual terminals for a significant portion of their revenue.

Virtual Terminal vs. Payment Gateway

A payment gateway processes online transactions automatically through your website checkout. A virtual terminal processes transactions manually through a web portal. Many processors bundle both services together.

Virtual terminals also support recurring payment setup, customer profiles for repeat buyers, and batch processing for multiple transactions. Think of it as a cash register that lives in your web browser.

Security and Compliance

Virtual terminal transactions are classified as card-not-present (CNP), which carries higher interchange rates and fraud risk than card-present transactions. Mitigate risk by collecting the CVV, billing ZIP code, and using Address Verification Service (AVS).

All virtual terminal transactions through our partner network are PCI-compliant. Your team never handles raw card data because the secure portal tokenizes it instantly.

Getting Started with a Virtual Terminal

Setup takes minutes. Once your merchant account is approved, you receive login credentials for the virtual terminal portal. No software installation, no hardware purchase. Just open a browser and start processing.

Get a free quote to access our partner's virtual terminal with interchange-plus pricing.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a virtual terminal for payment processing?

A virtual terminal is a web-based application that allows you to manually key in credit card or ACH payment information to process transactions. No physical hardware is required.

How much does a virtual terminal cost?

Most processors include virtual terminal access as part of their payment gateway at no additional monthly fee. You pay standard processing rates on each transaction.

Is a virtual terminal PCI compliant?

Yes. Virtual terminals provided by reputable processors are PCI-compliant. Card data is tokenized in the browser before transmission, so sensitive information never touches your computer.

Can I process ACH payments through a virtual terminal?

Yes. Many virtual terminals support both credit card and ACH payment entry. ACH transactions through a virtual terminal have lower fees than credit card transactions.

Do I need a virtual terminal if I have a website?

If you take orders by phone, mail, or email, yes. A payment gateway handles website checkout automatically. A virtual terminal handles manual payment entry for offline channels.