So over the past few years, people have asked me if it's possible to do credit card processing directly from a MS Access database. Yes, it is. I've been doing it myself since I started this business over 20 years ago. I personally use PayPal for all of my credit card transactions. They have an API that's relatively easy to use... once you figure it out.
So far I haven't taken the time to put together a lesson on how to do this because I wasn't sure if enough people would be interested. Well, I'm finally putting it together. It's probably just going to be a template with an explainer video. I've covered a lot of the "how" this stuff works in my other lessons.
Bottom line... if you're interested in this template, post a comment below and let me know. The more people that are interested, the more elaborate I'll make the template (added features, etc.) Right now, I'm just plugging the basic credit card processing code into the TechHelp Free Template and adding some basic card verification stuff: check the digits, exp date, Luhn check, etc.
I'll be adding some SIMPLE security to it, like hiding credit card numbers with an input mask. You really shouldn't store credit card numbers in an Access database as it's not secure. You can use the techniques I cover in my Encryption Seminar to obfuscate the card number, but for real security, I strongly recommend SQL Server. I'll discuss all this more in the explainer video for the template.
OK, post below if you're interested.
And yes, if enough people are interested, I'll make a followup template for ASP to show how to process cards on your website directly. It's nearly the same API code.
Kevin Robertson 9 months ago
I am looking forward to this template.
After the basic template I would love to see feature updates in the future (when you have time).
Very interested and think it would be a great addition to ABCD.
Thomas Gonder 9 months ago
Count me in.
Joshua Johnson 8 months ago
I'm interested! The ability to process payments is such a crucial part of any small business.
Sandra Truax 8 months ago
I'm interested. I only take a credit card ocassionally for a Pug puppy sale, but it sounds like it would be a lot easier that what I do now.
Abraham Breuer 8 months ago
I am in.
please include how to connect it to a credit card machine to check out in a store.
Abraham Breuer 8 months ago
BTW, i assume this needs to be the final lesson of your old forgotten POS system that is still under construction:-)
Adam Schwanz 8 months ago
You're not going to be able to connect it to your credit card machine, the terminal at least. You might be able to with an api, but thats going to be unique to you and your credit card machine type and provider. If you want to keep the payments with your current provider and not use an online service, Your credit card processor probably offers an online gateway that you could use and program into access, but thats again unique to a certain processor
Abraham Breuer 8 months ago
Thanks Adam,
i believe its unique to process payments with pay-pall too...
you wont be able to process payments with Stripe same way as pay pall?
Adam Schwanz 8 months ago
(I've already seen the video/template so I'm speaking from my personal experience with it)
You would be able to process the same way between paypal and square. You would just need to change the connection method. In my case, my company didn't want to use the company for online processing from the video because they wanted to stay with just one company, so we were able to contact our provider and they offered an online gateway that we signed up for. I was able to just change a few settings in the connection string and still had everything work, because they're all online gateways.
I'm not sure if you're asking to send it directly to your credit card machine or just to stay with the same company. But I'm just saying it's too hard to make the video about physical hardware. Even if it's possible to do it, different model terminals and providers might differ between if the machine will accept the information, or if the provider will even let you do it (which I doubt they would, since they can just offer an online gateway and charge an extra 10 cents or whatever). Even if Rick had say a Deja Vu terminal from Transnational that happened to allow you to do that, your unique combination might not. Whereas every online gateway is going to allow you to do it, since that's the entire purpose of them, to take remote payments.
I was just saying if you are wanting it to interact with your physical terminal, there's no way to make the video apply to everybody. Whereas this video does cover every online gateway, and shows you what you need to do to be able to do it. You just might need to get your own connection information and modify it slightly if you want to use a different company.
Adam, it's good to know you were able to easily change it for Square. I would assume most companies use a similar setup. I've been using Paypal Gateway since I started my business back in 2002. In fact, at the time they were one of the only companies offering an online gateway like this. Internet merchants were still considered risky. LOL
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