What’s the difference between a payment gateway and payment processor?

A payment processor enables you, the merchant, to accept credit card payments. It acts as a go-between between you (the merchant), your bank (the acquiring bank), and the credit card issuing bank (the customer’s bank).

A payment gateway securely authorizes payments for e-commerce websites. Your payment processor may or may not provide you with a payment gateway. A payment gateway facilitates a payment transaction by the transfer of information between a payment portal (such as a website, mobile phone or interactive voice response service) and the front end processor or acquiring bank.