Overview

The Authorize.net Virtual Terminal is a browser-based payment processing tool that enables your business to manually accept and process credit card and electronic check (Automated Clearing House, ACH) transactions from any internet-connected device. No dedicated hardware or point-of-sale equipment is required.

The Virtual Terminal is especially useful for merchants processing mail order or telephone order (MOTO) payments, where the cardholder is not physically present. You can submit charge transactions, configure which fields appear during checkout, and manage completed transactions — all from within the Authorize.net Merchant Interface.

This article covers the following topics:

• Submitting a charge transaction using the Virtual Terminal
• Configuring and editing fields in the Virtual Terminal
• Available Virtual Terminal fields by category
• Finding, editing, voiding, and refunding transactions
• Frequently asked questions
• Glossary of key terms

This article applies to: Merchants using the Authorize.net Classic Merchant Interface (1.0) with an active Virtual Terminal feature enabled on their account.

This article does not apply to: Merchants using the New Experience (2.0) interface, or those processing transactions exclusively through an integrated shopping cart or API.

Submitting a Charge Transaction Using the Virtual Terminal

Use the following steps to manually submit a charge transaction through the Virtual Terminal. Ensure you are logged in to the Classic Merchant Interface (1.0) before proceeding.

At minimum, the payment processing networks require a credit card number, expiration date, and transaction amount for credit card transactions. Some Merchant Service Providers (MSPs) may require additional customer data such as name or billing address. Confirm specific requirements with your provider before processing.

Procedure

1. Sign in to the Merchant Interface.
2. Switch to or confirm you are in the Classic Merchant Interface (1.0).
3. Select Virtual Terminal in the main left-side menu.
4. Select the Payment Method for your customer.
5. Select the Transaction Type.
6. Enter the required payment and customer information based on the payment method selected:
   • Credit card transactions — enter:
     • Card number
     • Expiration date
     • Amount of charge (use the International Organization for Standardization, ISO, currency code format — for example, USD 100.00)
   • Bank account (ACH/eCheck) transactions — enter:
     • ABA routing number
     • Account number
     • Name on bank account
     • Bank account type
     • eCheck type
     • Amount
7. Select Submit to process the charge.
8. Review the results of the charge attempt on the confirmation page that follows.

Note: eCheck is an additional service. Enrollment in the eCheck service is required before this payment method is available in the Virtual Terminal. For enrollment information, refer to: What is eCheck and how do you apply for it? - Classic Experience (1.0) and New Experience (2.0)

Configuring and Editing Fields in the Virtual Terminal

You can customize the fields that appear in the Virtual Terminal to control which information is visible, editable, or required when processing transactions. Field configuration is managed through the Virtual Terminal settings in the Merchant Interface.

Regardless of your configuration, the following fields are always required and cannot be removed:

• Transaction amount
• Credit card number and expiration date (for credit card transactions)
• ABA bank routing number and account number (for ACH/eCheck transactions)

Procedure

1. Sign in to the Merchant Interface.
2. Switch to or confirm you are in the Classic Merchant Interface (1.0).
3. Select Settings in the main left-side menu.
4. Select Virtual Terminal in the Transaction Submission Settings section.
5. Configure each field using one of the following options:
   • View/Edit: The field is visible and editable in the Virtual Terminal but is not required to complete a transaction.
   • Required: The field must be completed before a transaction can be submitted.
6. Select Submit to save your Virtual Terminal settings.
7. Review the confirmation message to verify your settings have been applied successfully.

After updating your settings, select Virtual Terminal in the main menu to view the updated transaction form. The fields displayed will reflect your saved configuration. Confirm with your processor whether any additional fields are required for your account.

Available Virtual Terminal Fields

The table below lists all configurable fields available in the Virtual Terminal, organized by category. Use this reference when setting up or updating your Virtual Terminal field configuration.

^* Enable and require this field to perform Card Code Verification (CCV). For more information, refer to: What is Card Code Verification (CVV) and how to use and configure it? - Classic Experience (1.0)

^** Enable and require these fields to perform Address Verification Service (AVS). For more information, refer to: What is Address Verification Service (AVS) and how to use and configure it? - Classic Experience (1.0)

^*** Enable and require this field for Level 2 data processing. For more information, refer to: What Is Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 credit card processing data?

Finding, Editing, Voiding, and Refunding Transactions

After processing transactions through the Virtual Terminal, you can search for, review, and manage those transactions directly within the Merchant Interface. Use the resources below to complete these actions.

• Search and reporting: To find and search for transactions, including Virtual Terminal transactions, refer to: What reporting and search options are available in the Merchant Interface? - Classic Experience (1.0)
• Voiding transactions: For steps to void a transaction, refer to: How do I void transactions? - Classic Experience (1.0)
• Issuing refunds: For steps to issue a refund, refer to: How to issue a refund transaction? - Classic Experience (1.0)

Frequently Asked Questions

• • What is the minimum information required for a credit card transaction?
  • The credit card number, expiration date, and transaction amount are required at minimum. Your Merchant Service Provider (MSP) may require additional information such as the cardholder name or billing address. Confirm requirements with your provider before processing.
• • What is the minimum information required for a bank account (ACH/eCheck) transaction?
  • The following fields are required for ACH/eCheck transactions: ABA routing number, account number, name on the bank account, bank account type, eCheck type, and transaction amount.
• • Can I customize which fields are required in the Virtual Terminal?
  • Yes. You can configure which fields are required or optional through the Virtual Terminal settings in the Merchant Interface. The transaction amount and core payment fields (credit card number and expiration date, or ABA routing number and account number) are always required and cannot be removed or made optional.
• • How do I enroll in the eCheck service?
  • Enrollment in the eCheck service is required before the bank account payment method is available in the Virtual Terminal. For enrollment steps, refer to: What is eCheck and how do you apply for it? - Classic Experience (1.0) and New Experience (2.0)
• • How do I perform Card Code Verification (CCV) or Address Verification Service (AVS) through the Virtual Terminal?
  • Enable and set the Card Code field to Required in the Virtual Terminal settings to activate CCV. Enable and set the address fields (Address, City, State, Zip Code, Country) to Required to activate AVS. Refer to the linked support articles for detailed configuration steps.

Glossary

The following terms and abbreviations are used throughout this article:

• ACH — Automated Clearing House: A US electronic network used for financial transactions, including direct deposits and electronic check payments.
• AVS — Address Verification Service: A fraud prevention tool that verifies the billing address submitted during a transaction against the address on file with the card issuer.
• CCV — Card Code Verification: A security feature that validates the card security code (also referred to as CVV) printed on a payment card to help prevent fraudulent transactions.
• eCheck — Electronic Check: A digital version of a paper check used to process payments electronically through the ACH network. Enrollment in the eCheck service is required to use this payment method in the Virtual Terminal.
• ISO — International Organization for Standardization: An international body that defines global standards, including currency codes used in payment processing (for example, USD for US dollars).
• MOTO — Mail Order/Telephone Order: A transaction type where the cardholder is not physically present and payment details are submitted remotely via mail or phone.
• MSP — Merchant Service Provider: A company that provides payment processing services to merchants, including the management of credit card and ACH transaction capabilities.