An Internet business can not take cash payments, but they can take checks. However, they will be losing a lot of potential customers by accepting only check payments. It is also safer for the consumer to use a credit card when purchasing on the Internet.

For new businesses, I highly recommend Google Checkout for your merchant account services. Google Checkout is a checkout process that you provide on your web site to enable your customers to buy from you quickly and securely, using a single user name and password. For a small business, Google Checkout is particularly advantageous, because it helps legitimize your brand.

With Google Checkout, there are no monthly, setup, or gateway service fees. When a purchase is made they charge the merchant 2% + $0.20 per transaction. However, If you advertise with Google AdWords, you will also be eligible for free transaction processing for some or all of your Google Checkout sales each month. For every $1 you spend on AdWords each month, you can process $10 in sales the following month for free through Google Checkout.

If you aren’t an AdWords advertiser, learn more about AdWords and sign up to earn free transaction processing with Google Checkout. The more you spend to promote your business through AdWords, the more you save on transaction processing fees with Google Checkout.

A merchant account service is critical for a successful business. It is a low risk way to make and accept payments electronically. If you are trying to establish your own business, you should make it a priority to have a merchant account . This will give you the proper payment processing options for the convenience of you and your customers.