Quick Answer
You can accept online payments without a physical store by setting up a payment gateway connected to your website or online store platform, plus a virtual terminal for phone or invoice-based orders. You don't need a brick-and-mortar location, a POS terminal, or even a full e-commerce site — an online checkout link or invoicing tool is enough to get started for many service and product businesses. Ready to set this up? Contact our team at Argent Payments.
Introduction
Online-only, service-based, and mobile businesses don't need a cash register or a card terminal to accept payments professionally. What they need is the right combination of a payment gateway (for website checkout), a virtual terminal (for phone or manually-keyed orders), and sometimes a simple invoicing tool. This guide covers what's actually required and how quickly you can get it running.
Key Takeaways
- A payment gateway is the core requirement for accepting payments through a website
- A virtual terminal covers phone orders and manually-keyed transactions
- Invoicing tools work well for service businesses that bill after work is completed
- You don't need a physical POS system if you have no in-person sales
- Setup can often be completed within a few business days once your application is approved
What You Actually Need
For most online-only or service-based businesses, three tools cover the full range of how customers pay:
- A payment gateway, connected to your website's checkout or shopping cart platform, for card payments made directly online.
- A virtual terminal, a secure web login where you or your staff can manually enter a customer's card for a phone order, over-the-phone deposit, or one-off charge.
- An invoicing tool, which sends a payment link by email — useful for service businesses that bill per project rather than per transaction.
You do not need a physical card reader or POS system unless you also plan to take in-person payments at some point. For a broader look at how these pieces relate to each other, see the main types of payment processing solutions and payment processors vs. payment gateways.
Matching the tool to how you sell
| Your Situation | What You Need |
|---|---|
| E-commerce website with a shopping cart | Payment gateway integrated with your cart platform |
| Service business billing after work is done | Invoicing tool with a payment link |
| Taking orders by phone | Virtual terminal |
| Selling on social media or via DM | Payment link or invoicing tool, no full website required |
What Argent Looks For
When an online-only business comes to us, we ask how they actually take orders today — website checkout, phone, invoice, or some mix — before recommending anything. A freelancer invoicing five clients a month doesn't need the same setup as an e-commerce store processing hundreds of transactions a day.
Getting Set Up
Setup speed depends mainly on underwriting — the review your processor does to approve your account. For most standard small businesses, this takes anywhere from same-day to a few business days. Specialized or higher-risk industries can take longer, since underwriters review additional documentation. Once approved, connecting a gateway to a common e-commerce platform is typically a same-day technical task. See how to choose the right payment processor for the broader evaluation process.
Ready to get your online payment setup running? Contact Argent Payments to get started.
How Argent Payments Approaches This
We help online and service-based businesses get a gateway and virtual terminal running without requiring a physical storefront or unnecessary hardware. See our virtual terminal solution for how phone and manually-keyed orders are handled, and our credit card processing solution for the underlying account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a business website to accept online payments?
No. Many providers, including Argent, support standalone payment links and invoicing tools that don't require a full e-commerce website — useful for freelancers, service providers, and businesses that sell primarily through social media or direct outreach.
What's the fastest way to start accepting payments with no physical location?
A payment link or invoicing tool is typically the fastest path, since it doesn't require integrating a gateway into a website. Once your account is approved, you can usually send your first payment link the same day.
Can I accept payments online if my business is brand new with no sales history?
Yes, though newer businesses may go through a more thorough underwriting review, and some processors set lower initial processing limits that increase as you build a transaction history.
Is a virtual terminal the same as a payment gateway?
No — a virtual terminal is a manual, login-based tool for keying in a card by hand; a payment gateway works automatically behind a website checkout with no manual entry required. Many online-only businesses use both.
Do card-not-present transactions cost more when I have no physical store?
Generally yes. Online and phone transactions (card-not-present) typically carry a somewhat higher processing rate than in-person transactions, reflecting the higher fraud risk when the physical card isn't presented.
Sources & Further Reading
- PCI Security Standards Council — pcisecuritystandards.org
- Federal Trade Commission — business guidance on payment processing, ftc.gov/business-guidance
Next Steps
You don't need a physical location to accept payments professionally — you need the right combination of gateway, virtual terminal, or invoicing tool for how your customers actually pay. Connect with an Argent Payments specialist to get set up quickly.