Content Shelf is ecommerce software for selling digital content, tangible products, services, and subscriptions. But in order to sell via Content Shelf, all online stores are required to have a payment processor.

What is a payment processor?

A payment processor is a third-party company appointed by a merchant (seller) to handle all credit card transactions for payments.

Content Shelf is certified with most payment processing vendors, including: PayPal, Stripe, Authorize.net, TrustCommerce, and First Data.   To help explain, we’ve described how each one works from the perspective of the buyer below.

Technical Note – Content Shelf is PCI Compliant for all transactions, including transactions that are handed off prior to the actual payment.

PayPal

Content Shelf offers three of PayPal’s most popular payment processing solutions. Even if a seller has another payment processor, he or she may want to consider adding PayPal to the lineup.  Why?  Because of the fact that sales may increase due to the sheer number of PayPal Users.

PayPal Standard

As PayPal’s most popular solution, PayPal Standard enables buyers to pay sellers directly with a credit card or PayPal account. The process is simple and works as follows:

1. Buyer completes account status and billing information at checkout
2. Buyer is transferred to PayPal to make payment
3. Buyer chooses to come back to the Content Shelf Confirmation Page for his or her download and a printable receipt
4. Buyer is sent an email confirmation

Note –If a buyer does not return to the Content Shelf Confirmation Page, Content Shelf still knows that the order was approved (through PayPal’s secure Application Programming Interface or API) and we will still send an email confirmation with the order and download information to the buyer.

PayPal Express Checkout

PayPal Express Checkout is similar to PayPal Standard, but the process is a bit different:

1. Buyer completes account status and billing information at checkout
2. Buyer is transferred to PayPal to complete order information
3. Buyer is transferred back to Content Shelf where he or she pays and receives a confirmation page, which supplies download information and a printable receipt
4. Buyer is sent an email confirmation

Note – All of the information that is provided by the buyer over at PayPal will be sent back to Content Shelf via PayPal’s secure Application Programming Interface (API).

PayPal Payments Pro

PayPal Payments Pro enables buyers to pay with their credit card directly at checkout. The process is clean and is the most straightforward for the buyer:

1. Buyer completes account status, billing, and payment information at checkout
2. Buyer receives confirmation page, which supplies download information and a printable receipt
3. Buyer is sent an email confirmation

Processing payments via PayPal Payments Pro requires PCI Compliance. But don’t worry; Content Shelf is PCI Compliant.

Stripe.com

Stripe is a cross between PayPal and a traditional credit card processor, meaning they provide credit card processing without all of the startup costs and monthly fees. Here’s how their solution works with Content Shelf:

1. Buyer completes account status, billing, and payment information at checkout
2. Buyer receives confirmation page, which supplies download information and a printable receipt
3. Buyer is sent an email confirmation

Stripe can also be used for recurring billing (great for subscriptions) because the payment information is stored at Stripe.com.  For each billing cycle of the subscription (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, etc…), Content Shelf communicates with Stripe and requests approval for the said dollar amount of the service/subscription.

Processing payments with Stripe.com requires PCI Compliance. Again, no need to worry; Content Shelf is PCI Compliant.

Authorize.net

Authorize.net is the largest traditional credit card processing provider on the web. Here’s how their solution works with Content Shelf:

1. Buyer completes account status, billing, and payment information at checkout
2. Buyer receives confirmation page, which supplies download information and a printable receipt
3. Buyer is sent an email confirmation

Authorize.net, with their Customer Information Manager (CIM) module, can also be used for recurring billing (great for subscriptions) because the payment information is stored at Authorize.net.  For each billing cycle of the subscription (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, etc…), Content Shelf communicates with Authorize.net and requests approval for the said dollar amount of the service/subscription.

Processing payments via Authorize.net requires PCI Compliance. But guess what?  No need to worry; Content Shelf is PCI Compliant.

Note – Sellers will need an existing merchant account in order to use Authorize.net.

TrustCommerce

TrustCommerce is by far the best credit card processing provider on the web for technical expertise. Here’s how their solution works with Content Shelf:

1. Buyer completes account status, billing, and payment information at checkout
2. Buyer receives confirmation page, which supplies download information and a printable receipt
3. Buyer is sent an email confirmation

TrustCommerce, with their Citadel module, can also be used for recurring billing (great for subscriptions) because payment information is stored at TrustCommerce.   For each billing cycle of the subscription (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually, etc…), Content Shelf communicates with TrustCommerce and requests approval for the said dollar amount of the service/subscription.

Processing payments via TrustCommerce requires PCI Compliance. No worries; Content Shelf is PCI Compliant.

Note – Sellers will need an existing merchant account in order to use TrustCommerce.

First Data Global Gateway & Global Gateway E4

First Data Global Gateway is part of the First Data Group, which is the largest credit card processing network on the planet. Here’s how their solution works with Content Shelf:

1. Buyer completes account status, billing, and payment information at checkout
2. Buyer receives confirmation page, which supplies download information and a printable receipt
3. Buyer is sent an email confirmation

Processing payments via the First Data Global Gateway & Global Gateway E4 requires PCI Compliance. Still no need to worry; Content Shelf is PCI compliant.

Note – Sellers will need an existing merchant account, which is offered by First Data, in order to use the First Data Global Gateway or the First Data Global Gateway E4.