ecommerce recommendations and related topics
EDI
Short for Electronic Data Interchange, the transfer of data between different companies using networks, such as the Internet. As more and more companies get connected to the Internet, EDI is becoming increasingly important as an easy mechanism for companies to buy, sell, and trade information. ANSI has approved a set of EDI standards known as the X12 standards.
digital certificate
An attachment to an electronic message used for security purposes. The most common use of a digital certificate is to verify that a user sending a message is who he or she claims to be, and to provide the receiver with the means to encode a reply.
An individual wishing to send an encrypted message applies for a digital certificate from a Certificate Authority (CA). The CA issues an encrypted digital certificate containing the applicant's public key and a variety of other identification information. The CA makes its own public key readily available through print publicity or perhaps on the Internet.
The recipient of an encrypted message uses the CA's public key to decode the digital certificate attached to the message, verifies it as issued by the CA and then obtains the sender's public key and identification information held within the certificate. With this information, the recipient can send an encrypted reply.
The most widely used standard for digital certificates is X.509.
Also see SSL: Your Key to E-commerce Security in Webopedia's "Did You Know...?" section.
Anatomy of a Credit Card Transaction: The Basics
For a bigger understanding of a credit card transaction, the consequent is a
step-by-step breakdown: from the customer making a purchase using ECmerchant to
the merchant receiving an authorization on the value request. This not only
shows who is involved in this path , however it will highlight some considerations
in choosing an Internet value supply and establishing a merchant credit card
account.
Once the merchant account is in settle with an acquiring financial school
the merchant will desire to understand how money will be moved from the customers'
accounts to the merchant account. The best path to appreciate how an Internet
merchant gets paid is to follow a typical credit card transaction path . Fully
automated from end-to-end, in most cases it takes just seconds to entire.
1. A customer visits a web site, using average web browser software,
and fills her ECmerchant shopping cart.
2. The customer and ECmerchant exchange details online regarding
addresses, delivery and final value.
3. ECmerchant then displays the 'BUY' button to the customer, and a
transaction is initiated.
4. The customer clicks the 'BUY' button, prompting ECmerchant
to mail and electronic invoice.
5. ECmerchant provides transaction details in a form or the shopper's
browser automatically opens her online wallet, allowing her to select a value
instrument.
6. An encrypted charge value message is sent to ECmerchant.
7. When the server software receives the value message, it adds
merchant identification data.
8. The value request is encrypted and forwarded to gateway server
hosted by an ECommerce value supply corporation.
9. The gateway server decrypts the message and authenticates customers'
data and merchant validation.
10. A message is sent over secure, private financial networks to the
merchant's bank or authorized processor requesting charge approval.
11. Once the request is processed, a positive or negative response is
sent back to ECmerchant and on to the customer.
12. If the transaction is authorized, a digital receipt is delivered,
and the transaction is entire and captured.
