Virtual Terminal

What is a Virtual Terminal?

A virtual terminal is a web page that lets you enter a customer's credit or debit card details on their behalf. It can be useful for taking card payments by mail or telephone order (MOTO).

It is, in some ways, the online equivalent of a hand-held credit card terminal.

One important difference is that, with a payment made via a virtual terminal, there is less certainty about the identity of the card and person paying because (i) the on-card microchip is not being read and (ii) the cardholder is not entering their PIN.

How Can I Get a Virtual Terminal?

Virtual terminals are offered by a range of payment services companies, including highstreet banks such as HSBC and Barclays, and online-only providers such as SagePay and PayPal.

If you are already accepting payments via your website, you may be able to get a virtual terminal from the provider of your payment gateway.