1. An online payment gateway is a secure portal that allows merchants to accept electronic payments from buyers through various payment methods. It transmits and processes card and account information to complete online transactions.
2. Merchants who sell goods or services online and buyers who make purchases online both need an online payment gateway to facilitate payments. Payment gateways also allow any parties to make online monetary transactions.
3. Popular security methods used in payment gateways include Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption and Secure Electronic Transaction (SET) protocols, which encrypt payment details and digital certificates to prevent unauthorized access to financial information.