How do accept credit cards?

[TechStuff4Less]

Hi, I am only a few hrs. new to this site. I have a few items listed already and still learning. I know I have Paypal as a payment option, but not sure if I can accept credit cards. I thought Paypal is like using a credit card? Anyway how do I setup to accept credit cards?
Here is a link to my products.
http://us.ebid.net/perl/main.cgi?wor...arch&type=user

[JanetB]

Welcome to eBid.

You can use your Paypal account to accept credit cards. It is automatic that PP accept CCs so you don't have to do anything. Remember to enter your PP username and email address in your My Personal Details area at the bottom of the page. Then, when you send an invoice, your customers will be able to click on the Paypal button to pay.

[rokins_toys]

Most people whom use paypal have their credit card or bank account set up with paypal so they will use paypal to pay you and paypal deal with the transfer of funds so to speak

If you wish to directly accept credit card payments via listings or over the phone then you will need to use one of paypal's other facilities that is set up for business operators but you will have to pay a monthly "membership" with paypal to be able to do this you to enter the buyers credit card number and security info (from the signature part of the card) and valid from/to dates to process the transactions.

Your bank can also help you set up to directly accept credit card payments but it is expensive as you will require equipment to be able to process credit card payments directly where as I think paypal do it differently without the need for card reading devices and I think paypal do it via forms online, I have not read up on it myself but I know paypal can set you up quickly so you can directly accept credit card payments.

You can always accept direct bank payments/transfers as this only involves a small amount of information, bank account number, sort code (or equivalent depending on country). You give the buyer your bank info and they set up a transfer from their end and they can do this online if they have access to or have already signed up for online banking.

[Idealproductsales]

I suspect the confusion may be to do with the fact that in payment options in the "my defaults" there is an option to accept credit cards - so the question would be, how would THAT be set up, as it implies a separate payment method (I.E. a business with their own merchant account) where payments would be processed through some processor or the other (such as USAepay, for example) and finds cleared directly to seller's bank account upon settlement of transactions. (like we take CC in the shop through the swipe terminal.)