A payment gateway is defined as a technology used by merchants to accept debit or credit card purchases from customers. This payment gateway also accepts direct payment processing for e-businesses, online retailers, bricks, or traditional brick and mortar retail stores. In other words, the payment gateway providers work as the middleman between your customer and the merchant, ensuring a secure transaction. As the middleman, the payment gateway providers manage the customer’s sensitive card details ensuring that the information is passed securely between the acquirer and the merchant.