FAQ: eCommerce

> How Does NetBox offer credit card processing?

A web page is set up on NetBox's secure server. A form is placed on the server and a cgi script takes the output of the form to file on that server. The fields with the credit card information are extracted.

NetBox has a Verisign key which means that Verisign has authenticated, to a certain level, that the owner is who they say they are and their key can be 'trusted'.

For example we submitted paperwork and spoke to them on the phone and they checked out our business. We did not meet face to face, nor show them our passport or birth certificate [the US post office may take this approach].

Sitting on this same server are a collection of cgi scripts which are designed to send the credit card information extracted above, to Cybercash. They are sent, encrypted, with the key that has been verified by Verisign.

Once the information gets to Cybercash they decrypt the packets and send them along to the verifying authority, usually your credit card processing company. If they cannot contact the verification agency they send the message back with a sestion to try another time. If the verification agency's computers are online and the card is
authenticated, meaning it is good, they then create a record for later batch processing via a web site created on the secure server. Our clients typically go each morning to a private password protected web address, residing on our secure server, and batch process, meaning capture, for those goods or services that are to be billed.

Alternatively, accounts can be configured to authenticate and capture the funds immediately. This is the typical process for software or services sales.

Capture or later batching of the authenticated records is done directly from the web site. This results in the funds going directly in YOUR merchant account.

You are provided password protected web page for administration.

Therefore, in this solution, all the software and service reside on our server. If we are hosting the web site then the form resides on your web site. If we are not hosting your web site then you send your client, via a link, to the pre-determined url.

Generally providers of this service charge a set up fee and percentage of the transactions. As we never have access, or even know, your merchant ID, we send periodic bills for the charges.

If you chose to do this yourself you would become a Cybercash mall merchant. You can contact them and set up the service on your machine, installing their C level software. If you have an experienced webmaster, some programming knowledge, and a bit of patience, it is doable. Expect to pay fees to Verisign. We got to pay twice as we messed up the keys the first time:-) ox offer credit card processing -ecommerce?

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> Can I get access to the cgi-bin?

Generally we prefer to install cgi scripts ourselves. As cgi scripts run at high level on a Unix server errors in design are potentially serious. Just send us the script and we will insert it for you, no charge. If you are an experienced developer and must have access to the cgi-bin we will put your site on a server that has been set up for this purpose.