Partners

What is a payment gateway?

A payment gateway is a software service that authorizes payments for eCommerce transactions. Imagine this to be the pipe that connects the end user credit cards that are issued by thousands of banks across the world (WellsFargo, Bank of America etc.,) with the card networks (Visa, Master, Amex, Discover etc.,) and eventually your bank account. Of course, there is lot that goes into what a payment gateway does including verifications, authorizations, fraud detection, currency exchange, settlements etc., but essentially it is a software component on the internet to help route money.

What is a merchant account?

A merchant account is a type of bank account that allows businesses to accept payments by debit or credit cards or bank transfers. It is a line of credit extended to businesses by the bank, after due risk assessment. End users can apply a chargeback and retrieve the money back, if the business fails to deliver the promised service. And the line of credit extended by bank is used to reimburse such chargebacks and recover it from business. This is why there is a risk assessment of business and certain restrictions are applied on a merchant account, unlike a standard bank account.

How do I get a merchant account?

You can directly apply with any of the payment gateway / merchant account providers. We can also assist you with introductions if you need help.

What currencies do you support?

We support all the popular currencies including USD, EUR, GBP, SWF, AUD, INR, SGD, AED and many others. If there is a currency you are looking for that is not available, drop us a mail and we will be sure to support it.

Can I export my data from Chargebee?

Yes. We have given export data option for subscriptions. For any other configurations, please send an email to support@chargebee.com and we will be happy to assist you.

What happens to all my data if I cancel my account?

We provide an open API, which you can use to export all your data. All the sensitive data like card information will be purged after the standard retention period. You can also request our support team to export all your billing data if you wish to migrate to another billing system.

Who is responsible for chargebacks?

As a merchant you are still responsible for chargebacks as the merchant account is owned by you. Chargebee helps you with the right tools to communicate often & communicate unambiguously to avoid chargebacks from your customers.

Do I need a CIM (Customer Information Manager) on my payment gateway?

No. With many of the gateways, you have the option to store credit card in the payment gateway vault, usually for an additional charge. When you use Chargebee services, this is not required as it is included in the charges for Chargebee.

Do I need Recurring Billing enabled on my payment gateway account?

No. You do not need the recurring billing module separately from your payment gateway. For example, Authorize.net offers an ARB (Automated Recurring Billing) that helps solve specific use cases for merchants who need recurring billing. However, when you use Chargebee solution, you do not need this. Just a standard account is enough.

Do you support multiple payment gateways?

Yes. You can even drive customers to be subscribed via different gateways, by just configuring the gateways. You would set one by default and then can control change of gateway for specific subscriptions.

How do I receive payments? Does Chargebee settle the money?

Consider ChargBee as your extended system to manage your subscriptions. We do not touch the money part. We take care of initiating the authorization, capture & refunds on your behalf with payment gateways. So the settlement happens to you directly by the payment gateway and not by Chargebee.

Have more questions?

You can find a more exhaustive list answered here. Or send us an email.