Merchant
What is a merchant?
A merchant is someone who sells goods or services for money.
They can be individuals or businesses-online or offline.
If you run an ecommerce store or use print-on-demand, you’re a merchant.
How Merchants Accept Payments
To accept credit or debit cards, merchants need:
- A merchant account - A special bank account for handling card payments.
- A payment gateway - A secure tool that processes those payments online.
Together, these tools make it easy for customers to pay-and for you to get paid.
What Is a Merchant Account?
A merchant account lets you accept electronic payments.
You get one through a provider who helps you:
- Process transactions
- Fight fraud
- Track and manage sales
Your merchant account connects with the buyer’s card and transfers money to your business bank account.
What’s an Example of a Merchant?
Let’s say you run a Shopify store that sells phone cases.
You accept Visa, MasterCard, and PayPal.
That makes you a merchant.
Your Shopify dashboard likely uses a merchant account or processor (like Stripe) to handle those sales.
Want to build a store like this? Check out our Shopify print-on-demand guide.
Or explore the top print-on-demand companies to find the best fit for your brand.
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