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The Daily Insight Hub

How do online payments work for a credit card?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on February 15, 2026

User enters credit card information into the application. Credit card information is sent to the Payment Gateway via a secure channel. The Payment Gateway routes the credit card to the appropriate Internet Merchant Account. Internet Merchant Account connects to the Merchant Account for credit card processing.

How long does it take for an online payment to reach my credit card account?

It takes 1 to 3 business days for a credit card payment to post to your account if you pay online or by phone. Payments by mail will take a few days longer. If your credit card is linked to your checking account and both accounts are from the same bank, your payment may post immediately following the transaction.

How do payments get applied to credit cards?

Generally, your issuer divides your credit card payment into two parts: The minimum payment is the portion of your balance you’re contractually obligated to pay each month. The issuer can apply the minimum to whichever balance it wants. The excess payment is everything you pay above the minimum.

Can I buy something online with my credit card?

These days, almost any transaction that you’d make in person, you can make online without ever having to leave your home. While making online purchases is much more convenient, it does often require you to have a major credit card, debit card, or a prepaid card or gift card.

How long does it take for a payment to clear on a credit card?

The time that it takes for a merchant who accepts a credit card as payment until the time the funds are deposited into the merchant’s bank account can vary depending on the type of merchant account the business owner uses. Typically, a payment can take anywhere from 24 hours up to three days to process the payment.

How long does it take for a payment to process on a credit card?

Credit card transactions typically take 48 hours to settle. An authorization is issued immediately; however, it takes 48 hours for the money to be moved.

What is the average credit card payment per month?

Editorial and user-generated content is not provided, reviewed or endorsed by any company. The average monthly credit card bill is a minimum payment of $123.88, based on the average American credit card balance of $6,194 and the average minimum payment percentage of 2%.

How does online payment via credit or debit card work?

The merchant securely transfers the transaction information (including these card details) to their payment gateway. The payment gateway securely transfers the transaction information to the payment processor used by the merchant’s acquiring bank. The payment processor securely transfers the transaction information to the card association.

Can a merchant get new credit card info from a customer?

However, things can get tricky when a customer’s credit card is replaced, whether by routine expiration or due to a data breach. Merchants know if they contact customers by phone to find out their new credit card information, it might be hard to reach some who want to continue their contracts.

Can a seller accept credit card payments online?

In the simplest terms, a gateway allows you to accept online credit card payments. You can’t sell online without one. However, the concept of a gateway can become somewhat fuzzy because third-party processors such as PayPal and Stripe Payments combine their services with a built-in gateway.

Can a merchant get new card info from American Express?

All four of the major [&credit&] [&card&] companies — American Express, Visa, MasterCard and Discover — offer “updater” services to provide merchants with consumers’ [&new&] [&credit&] [&card&] [&numbers&] and expiration dates, as I discussed in an earlier column (“ [&Card&] updater services keep customers’ auto-payments flowing “).