[AmandaM]

Hello,

I'm utterly confused about what I'm sure is a simple issue. If anyone would be so kind as to make sense of it for me, I'd appreciate it.

I have Zen Cart installed on my site. If I install a Payment Gateway (like authrorize.net or cardservice.com) to accept credit cards , do I also need to buy a SSL cert separately? Isn't the Payment Gateway secure?

[Just_Rob]

The gateway itself is but you want to secure things from your site to the gateway.

[Samrc]

You can use the shared SSL certificate or purchase one of your own.

This comes from the TCH HELP pages:

Quote

Well, the difference is a matter of appearance, if you ask me. But I'm not the expert.

With shared, your visitor's address bar will reflect an address that is not 'originating' from the same site. With dedicated, your visitors will always see your domain name in the address bar of their browser.

Which company would you feel more comfortable completing a transaction with:
https://tchmachines....ll/checkout.php-or-
https://billusa.com/checkout.php

[stevesh]

I strongly recommend you buy your own SSL certificate.The cost isn't that much, and potential buyers can be put off by the box that pops up with a shared certificate. If you have no certificate at all, the 'padlock' on your customer's browser will be open, and most people have learned to look for a locked padlock before they submit credit card info.

Steve

[Samrc]

Your own SSL looks more professional. Looks more like a business than a hobby.