Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, means buying products or services over the internet. One way of doing so is by using a credit card and the way in which this process works is shown in the diagram below:

• The consumer visits the online web store to purchase your merchandise.
• The transaction details are then carried over a secure connection, or SSL, to the web host’s server.
• Their encrypted credit card details are handled by the Payment Processing Gateway, which manages the transaction.
• The movement of funds is processed by the merchant account.
• The funds are then debited from the buyers credit card account.
• Followed by the funds being deposited into the seller’s bank account.
  

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