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Chargeback Protection + Fee Optimization

See how it works: high-volume merchants get automated dispute evidence, interchange optimization, and real-time savings visibility.

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Fee Check

Browser-based MOTO

Virtual terminal payments for U.S. businesses

A virtual terminal lets authorized staff enter card payments through a browser when an order is taken by phone or mail. For U.S. businesses, the right setup connects that payment to the customer and invoice, applies the available verification controls, and gives managers clear access to refunds and payment records.

  • Secure MOTO entry without physical terminal hardware
  • Customer vault for repeat phone-order charges
  • Role permissions and full audit trail for every transaction
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RapidCents virtual terminal with keyed card fields and a Process Payment summary.
The RapidCents virtual terminal: payment details, card number, expiry and CVV keyed by hand on the left, with a payment summary on the right showing the amount, the estimated processing fee and a Process Payment button.
  • MOTO-compliant keyed flows
  • SOC 2 Type II
  • Permission-based access controls
  • Exportable audit logs
  • Instant email receipts

Who it's for

  • Call center order teams

    Agents capture phone payments while order details stay on screen.

  • B2B accounts receivable

    Apply open invoice payments without sending customers to a link.

  • Practices with mail-order renewals

    Charge saved cards for membership or policy renewals.

Core capabilities

  • Keyed card entry

    Enter PAN, expiry and CVV with AVS address verification, then take the approval or the decline reason on screen.

  • Tokenization

    The card number is replaced by a token the moment it is entered. Your systems hold the token, the vault holds the credential, and nothing reusable sits in a CRM note or a spreadsheet.

  • Card on file and customer vault

    Save a tokenized card against a customer profile with documented consent, then charge it again without reading the number back over the phone.

  • Recurring and scheduled charges

    Promote a saved card to a schedule when a phone order turns into a renewal, without re-keying anything.

  • Refund and void controls

    Full or partial refunds against the original authorization, limited to the roles you choose.

  • Transaction history and search

    Every keyed sale searchable by customer, amount, reference or last four, alongside terminal and online volume.

  • Audit logging

    Every login, sale, refund and void timestamped with the user ID that performed it.

  • Receipt delivery

    Email branded receipts immediately after approval, carrying the reference the customer quoted on the call.

How it works

  1. Enable virtual terminal access on merchant account.

  2. Create staff users with MOTO and refund permissions.

  3. Open browser terminal and enter sale or select saved customer.

  4. Complete AVS/CVV checks; issuer approves or declines.

  5. Receipt emails to customer; transaction logs to audit export.

Virtual terminal workflows

  • Phone order capture

    Agent keys card while reading order confirmation number aloud.

  • Saved card renewal

    Select vault profile and charge annual membership fee.

  • Partial refund adjustment

    Manager refunds shipping overcharge on original authorization.

  • Audit review

    Compliance exports MOTO activity by user for quarterly review.

Dashboard and reporting

Transactions, deposits and exceptions visible in the RapidCents merchant dashboard.

Watch how it works…Try it, edit values and click buttons

Merchant dashboard

Today
$4,218
Deposits
$12,482
Disputes
2 open
In-person
$842
Online
$1,104
Virtual terminal
$392

Demonstration data only

Integrations

  • RapidBridge

    Connects the virtual terminal to the software your team already works in, so an agent takes a card from inside your CRM, ERP or booking system instead of alt-tabbing to a second screen.

  • RapidCents APIs

    Key a payment through the interface or post it through the API against the same account, the same vault and the same reporting.

  • CRM pop-up

    Launch the virtual terminal from a customer record via SSO, with the customer already selected.

  • Accounting references

    Attach invoice or order numbers to keyed transactions so reconciliation matches without a lookup.

  • Dashboard search

    Keyed sales appear alongside terminal and online volume rather than in a separate report.

Works with Virtual Terminal

Capabilities on the same account, so the parts below connect without a second integration or a second contract.

Security

  • Tokenized storage

    Card numbers live in the PCI-scoped vault, not in your CRM, your notes or your database. Staff and integrations work with tokens.

  • AVS, CVV and 3-D Secure

    Address and security-code checks on every keyed sale, with issuer authentication where the transaction supports it.

  • Role permissions

    Separate permissions for key-entry, refunds, voids and user administration, so no single login can do everything.

  • Session timeout

    Automatic logout after inactivity, which matters on a shared order-desk workstation.

  • Audit exports

    CSV logs with user, action, timestamp and IP, which is what a compliance review actually asks for.

Implementation

  • User provisioning

    Create staff accounts with least-privilege permissions.

  • MOTO policy

    Document verbal authorization procedures for phone orders.

  • Training session

    Walk through sale, vault and refund flows.

  • Audit schedule

    Set quarterly export review for keyed activity.

Pricing

  • MOTO processing rates

    Keyed card-not-present rates apply. Vault storage included on standard plans.

For businesses in the USA

How a U.S. business takes a phone payment, offers another way to pay, and keeps the record with the sale.

  • Collect phone payments against the right invoice

    A U.S. business taking payment over the phone needs more than a place to enter a card number. Staff should confirm the amount and authorization, enter the billing details required by the payment flow, and attach the correct invoice or order reference. A billing ZIP code may support address verification where the card and issuer support it. Separate staff logins and refund permissions help the business see who processed a payment and who approved an adjustment. Confirm the settlement currency and funding schedule for the merchant account before quoting them to customers.

  • Give customers another way to settle an outstanding balance

    Slow collections are a real operating problem. In the Federal Reserve Banks' 2023 survey, 39% of responding small employer firms identified slow-paying customers as a challenge. For an invoice that does not require a live phone conversation, a payment link can give the customer a hosted page on which to enter their own details. Explain when your team should send a link and when an authorized employee should use the virtual terminal. These are different payment workflows, with verification and authentication options that depend on the configured service.

  • Keep payment records together with the records of the sale

    After payment, retain the transaction reference and receipt with the relevant invoice, order, or service record. Use the available reporting tools to reconcile payments and investigate later questions. An automatic receipt can reduce the need to prepare a separate payment confirmation, but it does not prove delivery or guarantee that a dispute will be won. For higher-risk orders, explain the checks your team uses, the records it keeps, and whether an eligible customer checkout supports additional authentication. Any statement about reduced handling time or fewer chargebacks should come from a documented RapidCents result.

Questions about Virtual Terminal

What is a virtual terminal?

A virtual terminal is a secure web page that turns any browser into a card terminal. Authorized staff key in a card number, expiry and security code for an order taken by phone, mail or email, and the payment is authorized through the same processor a countertop terminal would use. No hardware is involved.

Can I accept payments without a physical terminal?

Yes. A virtual terminal needs only a browser and a login. It is the standard way to take card-not-present payments when the customer is on the phone, when an invoice is being settled, or when a counter terminal would not fit the workflow.

What is the difference between a virtual terminal and a payment terminal?

A payment terminal reads a card that is physically present, so the transaction is card-present and priced accordingly. A virtual terminal takes the number without the card, so it is card-not-present: the rate differs, and AVS and CVV checks do the work the chip would otherwise do.

Can a virtual terminal store customer cards securely?

Yes, through tokenization. The card number is exchanged for a token the moment it is entered, the number itself stays in the PCI-scoped vault, and your systems only ever see the token. That is what makes charging a repeat customer safe without writing the number down.

Can I process recurring payments from a saved card?

Yes. A card saved from a phone order can be attached to a schedule, so a renewal or instalment plan bills automatically. Account Updater refreshes the stored credential when the card expires or is reissued, so the schedule does not break.

Can my existing software connect to the virtual terminal?

Yes, through RapidBridge or the RapidCents APIs. RapidBridge connects the terminal to software you already run so staff take payment without leaving it; the APIs let you post the same transaction programmatically against the same account and vault.

Is keying a card by phone PCI compliant?

It is, provided staff follow MOTO handling rules: the number goes straight into the terminal and is never written down or stored outside the vault. Because the virtual terminal keeps the number off your systems, most merchants stay on a short self-assessment questionnaire.

Who can issue refunds?

Whoever you decide. Key-entry, refunds and voids are separate permissions, and most merchants restrict refunds to supervisors while leaving key-entry open to the whole order desk.

What details do I need from the customer to key a payment?

The card number, expiry and security code, plus the billing address and postal code so AVS can check them. Take them straight into the virtual terminal while the customer is on the line. Nothing should be written on a notepad or pasted into a CRM note; that is what creates the compliance problem, not the phone call itself.

Can two agents work in the virtual terminal at the same time?

Yes. Each agent signs in under their own login, and every sale, refund and void is stamped with the user ID that performed it. Sessions time out after inactivity, which matters on a shared order-desk workstation where the next person to sit down should not inherit an open session.

Can a business in the USA take phone payments without a physical card terminal?

Yes. A virtual terminal allows authorized staff to enter a payment in a browser, subject to merchant-account approval and the supported payment setup. The transaction follows the applicable card-not-present workflow. The business still needs appropriate staff access, customer authorization, secure handling practices, and the required payment details.

What billing information should a U.S. business collect for a phone payment?

Collect the information required by the configured payment flow, which may include the card number, expiration date, security code, billing address, and ZIP code. Enter sensitive details directly through the approved workflow. Do not put card numbers or security codes into ordinary email, CRM notes, spreadsheets, or unapproved recordings. Confirm handling and retention requirements with your payment and compliance teams.

Should I use a virtual terminal or send the customer a payment link?

Use the virtual terminal when authorized staff need to process a phone or mail order. A payment link lets the customer enter their own details on a hosted page. Compare the verification options, customer experience, and recordkeeping for each flow. Neither method eliminates chargebacks. Eligible authenticated online transactions may receive specific fraud-liability protection under network rules, but other disputes can still occur.

Related products

Industries that run on Virtual Terminal

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