--- title: "Manual Credit Card Processing: How to Charge a Credit Card Manually" description: Want to learn how to charge a credit card manually? Learn about manual credit card processing (and the security measures necessary to protect them) here. image: https://blog.payjunction.com/hubfs/BLOG/FEATURED%20IMAGES/manual-card-processing.svg --- [tel:1-800-601-0230](tel:1-800-601-0230) 800-601-0230 - Features - Solutions - Developers - [Pricing](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/pricing.html) - Resources [See a Demo](https://www2.payjunction.com/tour-payjunction) Features - EXPLORE PRODUCTS [No-code Payments Integration®](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/no-code-payments-integration.html) [ZeroTouch Terminal](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/smart-terminal.html) [Portable Terminal](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/portable-credit-card-reader-terminal.html) - ACCEPT PAYMENTS [Invoices](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/electronic-invoices.html) [ACH Electronic Checks](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/ach-payments.html) [SmartSurcharge®](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/smart-surcharge.html) [Cards on File](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/store-credit-card-info.html) [Rapid Refunds](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/credit-card-refund.html) [Recurring Billing](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/recurring-payments.html) [Ecommerce](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/ecommerce-merchant-services.html) [Mobile App](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/payjunction/id1324839420?ls=1&mt=8) - EXPLORE CAPABILITIES [Overview](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/payment-processing-solutions.html) [Integration Marketplace](https://integrations.payjunction.com/) [Remote Signature](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/signature-capture.html) [Multi-Location](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/enterprise-payments.html) [Sales Reports](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/sales-reports.html) [Search and Export](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/transaction-history-search.html) [Customization](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/custom-payment-software.html) Solutions - [Veterinary Streamline payment workflows and get paid faster with up-front deposits and payment schedules for high-cost procedures. 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While it may be easy to simply gloss over these steps, especially when you’re on the phone with a customer and want to provide a fast, positive [customer experience](https://blog.payjunction.com/support-employees-experience/), it can be both a security and financial risk to manually accept credit card payments if done without the proper precautions. Card-not-present transactions represent the largest percentage of card fraud, and it’s [trending up](https://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2017/card-not-present-fraud-picking-up-in-us/). Fraudulent e-commerce transactions are expected to reach $19 billion in 2018, with card-not-present fraud accounting for 45 percent of all [U.S. credit card fraud](https://www.emc.com/collateral/white-papers/card-not-present-fraud-post-emv-env-wp.pdf). Why is this? Data breaches at Target, Home Depot and Equifax have equipped fraudsters with an almost unlimited supply of personal data. This includes credit cards that are ready to use and the cardholder information necessary to open new lines of credit. Simultaneously, the rollout of EMV has reduced fraudsters ability to commit fraud at the point of sale, and they have turned to card-not-present fraud to mitigate their losses. This is problematic for consumers and merchants alike. To help business owners reduce their risk of fraud, we’ll go through how to charge a credit card manually as well as discuss the best security measures businesses can incorporate into their protocols when accepting e-commerce or phone payments. Some of these fraud-prevention measures have the added bonus of [reducing your rates](https://blog.payjunction.com/how-no-code-payments-integration-saved-time-and-money-for-docterra-mobile-veterinary-services)(not to mention saving you money in lost merchandise and revenue should a fraudulent transaction occur). ## Payment Processing Demo Schedule 15 minutes with a payments expert Get a customized PayJunction product walk-through Understand requirements and pricing Determine your SAVINGS! GET DEMO NOW ## How to Charge a Credit Card Manually If you don’t already have a credit card terminal, you should absolutely [invest in one](https://blog.payjunction.com/smart-terminal-traits/). Processing in-person transactions manually takes time and undermines the fraud-prevention measures — especially [EMV](https://blog.payjunction.com/emv-liability-shift-explained/) — available for card-present transactions. Now, to manually accept credit card payments can vary in appearance and order depending on your provider, but generally entails these steps: 1. Enter the card number provided. 2. Enter the expiration date of the card. 3. Enter the amount to be charged to the account. 4. Enter the name of the cardholder. So far, these are simply the basics. To do yourself a favor and defend your business against card-not-present fraud, you should also implement the following steps: 1. Enter the billing address for the card. 2. Enter the ZIP code for the card. 3. Require that both the ZIP code and billing address match bank records. 4. Request the CVV on the card (a three-digit number on the back of Visa, MasterCard and Discover cards, or a four-digit number on the front of Amex cards). If you have a [customizable Virtual Terminal](https://blog.payjunction.com/virtual-terminal-customization/), you can specify that all this data must be entered for a transaction to be approved. CVV helps confirm that the customer is in possession of the physical credit card, whereas AVS helps confirm that the customer is, in fact, the cardholder. Capturing AVS also lowers your rates because it shows you did your due diligence to mitigate the risks associated with card-not-present transactions. Side-by-side comparisons of keyed-in transactions with and without AVS match showed a 17 percent [change in Interchange costs](https://blog.payjunction.com/avs-downgrades-impact/). If you accept credit card payments manually for a large portion of your transactions, a 17 percent increase in your rates can really add up. If you operate an e-commerce arm to your business, we recommend taking a glimpse at the shipping and billing addresses of your orders, as well. A transaction with a U.S.-based billing address that’s being shipped internationally might indicate fraud. If you trade in high-value commodities, you can save yourself precious inventory by spot checking the information your customers enter before you ship or by requiring the item be shipped to the billing address provided. ## Take Credit Card Processing Security Further Unfortunately, even if you configure your security settings exactly as above and train your staff on the best protocol to manually accept credit card payments, [you’re still susceptible to chargebacks](https://blog.payjunction.com/reduce-chargebacks-remote-signature) if you aren’t capturing signatures for your transactions. Understandably, this sounds like a major challenge for remote orders. Fax machines are becoming increasingly rare, and requesting a faxed [authorization](https://blog.payjunction.com/credit-card-authorization) of a purchase is asking a lot of a customer. Follow through of that process is largely out of your hands. Now, consider this alternative: an emailed receipt requesting a customer's signature, either by finger on a smartphone or by mouse on a desktop computer or laptop. Obtaining a remote signature is your best defense against chargebacks. By making it easy for your customers to sign for remote purchases, you can better defend your business in the event of attempted card-not-present fraud. ## Interested in a simple and secure manual credit card machine? Does your business currently accept credit card payments for card-not-present transactions? Do you have a protocol and recommended security settings in place to combat fraud? Let us know about your experiences in the comments section below. *Editor's Note: This post was originally published in October 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness and accuracy.* [E-Commerce](https://blog.payjunction.com/topic/e-commerce) [Security](https://blog.payjunction.com/topic/security) [Rates](https://blog.payjunction.com/topic/rates) --- ##### [![Understanding Credit Card Authorization vs. Credit Card Pre-Authorization](https://blog.payjunction.com/hubfs/BLOG/FEATURED%20IMAGES/credit-card-authorization.svg) Understanding Credit Card Authorization vs. Credit Card Pre-Authorization](https://blog.payjunction.com/credit-card-authorization) ##### [![How Beltone Hearing Center is Using PayJunction to Scale to 21+ Locations (With Just One Bookkeeper)](https://blog.payjunction.com/hubfs/Untitled%20design.png) How Beltone Hearing Center is Using PayJunction to Scale to 21+ Locations (With Just One Bookkeeper)](https://blog.payjunction.com/beltone-hearing-center) ###### About Author ![Picture of Christina Lavingia](https://blog.payjunction.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Christina%20Lavingia%2c%20Content%20Marketing%20Manager.jpg?width=200&height=200&name=Christina%20Lavingia%2c%20Content%20Marketing%20Manager.jpg) ### Christina Lavingia Christina Lavingia delights in crafting content that helps business owners fight fraud, reduce risk and process payments with ease. ###### Related Posts ## [![What Is MOTO Credit Card Processing?](https://blog.payjunction.com/hubfs/BLOG/FEATURED%20IMAGES/moto-processing-definition.svg) What Is MOTO Credit Card Processing? MOTO stands for Mail Order/Telephone Order and is a credit card processing pricing setup on a Tiered plan. MOTO credit card processing is best suited for businesses that primarily accept card-not-present transactions: Examples include e-commerce and delivery-based businesses. In contrast, Retail pricing is appropriate when the majority of transactions occur in-person.](https://blog.payjunction.com/moto-processing-definition) ## [![How the Way We Take Credit Card Payments Will Change](https://blog.payjunction.com/hubfs/BLOG/FEATURED%20IMAGES/evolution-credit-card-authorization.svg) How the Way We Take Credit Card Payments Will Change We’re all familiar with paper receipts. They’re so ubiquitous that you likely have one in your pocket or in your purse as you read this. For customers, they constitute a proof of purchase in case they want a refund or wish to verify the transaction amount against their credit card statements. For businesses, they provide the only evidence that a credit card payment was authorized, which is why businesses are weighed down by paper receipt copies — sometimes up to seven years’ worth — that are filed, boxed and stored.](https://blog.payjunction.com/evolution-credit-card-authorization) ## [![What Are Credit Card Processing Fees?](https://blog.payjunction.com/hubfs/BLOG/FEATURED%20IMAGES/what-credit-card-processing-fees.svg) What Are Credit Card Processing Fees? As a business owner, you need to make a profit from the goods and services you provide in order to stay in business. This is why fees, especially for the privilege of simply accepting credit cards, can be so frustrating.](https://blog.payjunction.com/what-credit-card-processing-fees) ## Meet a Payment System You’ll Love - ###### FEATURES [No-code Payments Integration®](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/no-code-payments-integration.html) [ZeroTouch Terminal](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/smart-terminal.html) [Portable Terminal](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/portable-credit-card-reader-terminal.html) [Invoices](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/electronic-invoices.html) [ACH](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/ach-payments.html) [SmartSurcharge®](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/smart-surcharge.html) [Cards on File](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/store-credit-card-info.html) [Recurring Billing](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/recurring-payments.html) - [Ecommerce](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/ecommerce-merchant-services.html) [Customization](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/custom-payment-software.html) [Remote Signatures](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/signature-capture.html) [Rapid Refunds](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/credit-card-refund.html) [Multi-Location](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/enterprise-payments.html) [Sales Reports](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/sales-reports.html) [Search and Export](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/transaction-history-search.html) [Mobile App](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/payjunction/id1324839420?ls=1&mt=8) - ###### BUSINESS SOLUTIONS [Auto Dealers](https://www2.payjunction.com/automotive-merchant-services) [Veterinary](https://www2.payjunction.com/payment-processing-veterinarians) [Dentistry](https://www2.payjunction.com/payment-processing-dentists) - ###### RESOURCES [Product Overview](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/payment-processing-solutions.html) [Integrations](https://integrations.payjunction.com/) [Blog](https://blog.payjunction.com/) [Guides](https://guides.payjunction.com/) [Support](https://support.payjunction.com/) [Service Status](https://status.payjunction.com/) [Tutorials](https://blog.payjunction.com/tag/pj-university/) [API](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/payment-api.html) - [Trust Center](https://trust.payjunction.com/) [Request a Demo](https://www2.payjunction.com/payjunction-demo) [Pricing](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/pricing.html) [About Us](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/about.html) [Careers *HIRING*](https://www2.payjunction.com/careers) [Press](https://media.payjunction.com/) - ###### RESOURCES [Integrations](https://integrations.payjunction.com/) [Guides](https://guides.payjunction.com/) [Tutorials](https://blog.payjunction.com/tag/pj-university/) [API](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/payment-api.html) [Request a Demo](https://www2.payjunction.com/payjunction-demo) [About Us](https://www.payjunction.com/payments/about.html) [Careers *HIRING*](https://www2.payjunction.com/careers) [Press](https://media.payjunction.com/) [Trust Center](https://trust.payjunction.com/) [Service Status](https://status.payjunction.com/) - ###### BUSINESS SOLUTIONS [Auto Dealers](https://www2.payjunction.com/automotive-merchant-services) [Veterinary](https://www2.payjunction.com/payment-processing-veterinarians) [Dentistry](https://www2.payjunction.com/payment-processing-dentists) ##### 800-601-0230 SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER  Become a better advocate for your business. 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