Get paid faster and put more money in your pocket

Higher sales, fewer headaches

Never miss a sale

Get the best credit card processing solution for small businesses. The way your customers shop and pay keeps changing — give them the flexibility, security and convenience they crave.

No set up, service, or  software fees* 

Accept all the ways your 

 customers want to pay 

Getting paid has never been easier. Enjoy fast, flexible processing for the broadest range of payment types, so you can boost sales, satisfy customers and save time.

• Credit card payments
• Debit card payments
• Gift cards
• Digital wallets
• Mobile payments
  
• QR codes
  
• ACH
  
• Checks and eChecks
  
• Online payments

What is payment processing?

Payment processing is a technology businesses use to accept electronic payments from customers. It’s essentially a series of steps that take place behind the scenes when a customer electronically authorizes funds to be transferred from their account to the seller’s account.

What is the purpose of payment processing?

The purpose of payment processing is to move transaction data through the stages of the card authorization network. This transaction process makes paying and getting paid via non-cash payment methods possible.

What are the steps involved in payment processing?

After a customer makes a purchase via credit/debit card, the payment processor sends an authorization request to the acquirer. The acquirer then routes the transaction request through the issuing bank for approval.

From there, the issuer verifies the transaction is valid, whether the cardholder account has sufficient funds and if the merchant’s account is in good standing. If the transaction is denied, the purchase ends here. If the transaction is approved, the merchant receives authorization and the issuer places a hold for the appropriate amount on the customer’s account.

The acquirer collects the funds from the issuer and deposits them in the merchant’s bank account. The acquirer bills the merchant for all interchange fees and related transaction fees or processing fees. Finally, the cardholder pays the issuer for the purchase, including any interest and fees.

What happens in payment processing?

While payment processing touches many parts of the payments ecosystem, three key things happen: 1) The payment gets authorized. 2) The card issuer verifies or authenticates the payment is valid and not fraudulent. 3) The funds get transferred to the acquiring bank in the settlement process and finally get put in the merchant’s bank account.

Why should I accept credit cards at my business?

There’s no doubt about it: If you’re not accepting card payments, you’re missing out on sales. By accepting credit cards, you open your business up to bigger benefits, including increasing sales, delivering the convenience customers crave, expanding your market, improving cash flow and staying competitive.

What is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliance?

PCI DSS compliance is the set of security standards all businesses that accept debit card payments or credit card payments must abide by in order to safeguard cardholder data. These standards are set by the Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council (PCI SSC), which is comprised of card networks, including Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and JCB International. If you don’t comply, you could be financially liable for the consequences of a data breach and potentially be banned from accepting card payments.

Hear what entrepreneurs are saying about Heartland

You’ll be in good company

“Heartland has been so transparent, and it makes for a smooth and open and honest relationship, and we feel like it’s something that we can trust.”

Denise Tran, Bun Mee

“As a business owner, every week is different. The relationship with Heartland has always been very immediate when we need answers to questions. The most valuable part of that was how quickly they got us up and running.”

Jeff Jacobs, Carrol’s Creek

Rusty White, Wrong Iron

“Heartland is a great partner to have for the business that I have now, but also for the ones I want to start in the future. It’s very comforting to know that I can take them along with me.”

How do I choose a payment processor?

No matter what provider you choose, you deserve to be treated with fairness, transparency and respect. That’s why we created the Merchant Bill of Rights — to help you tell the difference between a provider that has your best interests at heart and one that’s hiding behind smoke and mirrors.

Take payments whenever, wherever

• Create digital invoices on demand, including one-time payments, recurring payments and estimates
• Use our online invoicing dashboard to effortlessly keep track of the status of every invoice
• Build a library of billable line items, product or service bundles and discounts

• Sync transaction data with QuickBooks® Online using our easy integration
• Automate your accounts receivable process and reduce errors
• Leverage our cloud-based Accounting Sync add-on — no additional software or hardware needed

Breeze through invoicing

Stay synced without the stress

Let Payments Manager+ do the heavy lifting

Process with peace of mind

• Save on interchange fees with Level 2 and 3 processing
• Get more detailed transaction data, including customer code and tax amount to help verify authenticity
• Include line-item details, like product codes, quantities and unit prices for large B2B transactions
  

Gain insights into your business

• Report on payments by method, card brand, transaction source or approval status
• Filter any report by date range for a zoomed-in view — 24/7, on any device
• See customer name and ID, transaction date, payment amount and approval response on every report

Free your money

• Get paid on your schedule with instant, same-day and next-day funding*
• Benefit from lightning-fast transfers and flexible deposit options
• Enjoy 365 funding, even on holidays and weekends
  

*Merchants on certain processing programs are not eligible for next-day funding; funding may be delayed by Heartland Credit or Risk departments at any time. Not all merchants or transactions will qualify for flat-rate pricing; additional fees may apply. Increases in assessments by card associations may apply.

*All trademarks contained herein are the sole and exclusive property of their respective owners.

*Eligibility and certain restrictions may apply. Offer valid until 12/31/2024 for new Payments Manager+ customers only. Sales quote applies for 15 days upon receipt. Merchant must process payments through Heartland. All accounts subject to credit approval. Card processing fees apply.

Contactless payment options

 customers will love 

Invoice and get paid  your way 

Payment processing  FAQs 

Get ahead and stay ahead with Heartland Payments+