Shoppers easily make e-commerce purchases with a click of a button, but payment processing is much more complicated than that.

In order to choose the right payment processor, merchants need to do comprehensive research so that their company can quickly and securely process payments and get paid.

Amazon often sets the tone for the e-commerce industry. Since Amazon provides a seamless check-out process, it's important that other e-commerce companies follow suit.

Payment processors work the same for large enterprise companies as they do for small businesses, so merchants can create a positive payment experience for customers no matter their company size.

Payment processors sometimes get confused with payment gateways. Payment processors analyze and transmit payment data while payment gateways make sure all the correct information is present and secure, then authorizes or declines transactions. The reason people get these two things mixed up is because payment processing software includes or integrates with payment gateways.