Virtual Terminal

This solution lets you accept card payments by phone, mail, or remote order using any web browser — no physical terminal required. Ideal for businesses that take orders remotely, need a secondary processing channel, or want a browser-based backup when hardware isn’t available. Brookside provides interchange-plus pricing on virtual terminal accounts with dedicated support and transparent cost visibility on every transaction. According to Federal Reserve interchange fee data, card-not-present transactions carry higher interchange rates than card-present — making pricing structure especially important for remote-order businesses.

• Browser-based card entry — no hardware required
• Manual card-not-present transaction processing
• Recurring billing and stored credential support
• Invoice generation and emailing
• Transaction history and reporting dashboard

Keyed transactions carry higher interchange rates than in-person transactions because the card isn’t physically present to be read. This is a structural feature of how interchange is set — not something processors control. What processors do control is the markup they charge on top of interchange.

Under interchange-plus pricing, you see the actual interchange cost for each card-not-present transaction and the processor’s fixed markup separately — so you can verify both and benchmark them against other providers. Under flat-rate pricing, Stripe charges 3.5% + $0.15 for manually keyed transactions. Under interchange-plus, the same transaction typically costs 2.2–2.6% depending on card type. For businesses processing $5,000+/month through remote card orders, the difference is meaningful. Use the Effective Rate Calculator to estimate savings at your volume. For why tiered and flat-rate pricing consistently cost more, see how tiered pricing works. See CFPB guidance on card payments for consumer protection context on card-not-present transactions.

Or, Dual Pricing for Remote Payments

For businesses taking orders by phone or mail, dual pricing lets you quote separate cash and card prices — shifting the processing cost to the card-paying customer. This works especially well for service businesses, contractors, and professional firms where pricing is quoted before the transaction. Read the dual pricing vs. cash discount comparison to see which model fits.

A virtual terminal works best when transactions happen by phone or mail, when customers aren’t present to tap or dip, or when a business needs a secondary processing channel alongside their primary POS. It’s also useful as a fallback when physical hardware is unavailable — a browser-based terminal can process payments from any computer with internet access, which matters for businesses that take orders during trade shows, events, or off-site appointments without bringing hardware.

If your business regularly processes $2,000 or more per month through manual card entry, a dedicated merchant account with interchange-plus pricing is almost certainly less expensive than flat-rate aggregator access. Understanding what a merchant account is and how it differs from payment facilitator platforms is worth reading before you make a decision. The bank merchant services call post explains why your existing banking relationship is rarely the best option for remote payment accounts. When you’re ready to switch, read how to switch payment processors without losing a day of sales. If you’re unsure whether a dedicated account makes sense at your volume, read do I need a merchant account.

Proper PCI compliance for these environments means understanding how card data is handled during manual entry. Brookside’s solution uses tokenization to ensure raw card numbers are never stored in your systems after the transaction is processed — limiting your compliance scope and reducing data security liability. For specific problems businesses encounter with Square’s keyed payment setup, read what happens when Square freezes your account and why individually underwritten accounts are structurally different.

These three terms are often used interchangeably but describe different things. A point-of-sale system is hardware — a physical terminal, card reader, or register that reads cards in person. A payment gateway is software infrastructure that routes transaction data between your system and the processor. A virtual terminal is a specific application built on top of a gateway — a browser-based interface that lets you manually key in card details without any hardware present.

For businesses that operate primarily in person, a POS is the right primary tool and a virtual terminal makes sense as a backup. For businesses that operate primarily by phone or mail order, a virtual terminal may be the primary processing channel with no POS needed at all. For businesses running e-commerce, a payment gateway integration handles transactions automatically — a virtual terminal is used for manual exceptions like phone orders that come in alongside the online store.

Interchange Differences by Channel

Card-present POS transactions qualify for the lowest interchange rates. Virtual terminal keyed transactions carry higher interchange because the card isn’t physically verified. Knowing this upfront helps you structure your account correctly from the start rather than discovering cost surprises on your first statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

See What You’re Overpaying on Keyed Transactions

A free statement review applies interchange-plus pricing to your actual keyed transaction data — showing you exactly what each card-not-present payment really costs before you commit to anything. No obligation.

Or call (833) 382-1992 · hello@brooksidepayments.com