Rick, Thanks so much for your input! That was a big help!

>>What we would like to do is enable our app to charge via the internet even though the app and order entry are not web based. Using routines from Rick Strahl's IPStuff we can Post information to a web-based payment gateway such as Authorize.Net.
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>Yes, you can do this, but you will need an online CC provider like Authorize.Net etc. that provides the interface. Most of these providers (like Verisign, LinkPoint) have an API that they publish that you talk to, to pass the transaction data to the their Web server. Their server acts as a gateway and processes the transaction and returns some sort of result code back to you.
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>I've built a front end class in our Web Store app that talks to various of these backends - AccessPoint, Verisign Payflow and Linkpoint (because I've used all of these). Others work in a similar way.
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>Some like AccessPoint use pure HTTP interfaces, which IMHO is the best way to do this because you can completely control how you interact with their server.
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>If you have a fat client VFP app then you won't need SSL - SSL is only required if you take CC cards in a Web app so that the info is secure when submitted. You will communicate with the processing server using SSL, but in this case you're only the client and don't need a certificate for that.
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>I posted some info on the typical credit card validation process for Internet based processing at:
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>http://www.west-wind.com/articles.asp
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>The document is pretty old but the concepts are still valid.
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>+++ Rick ---
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>>My lack of understanding will show up here, but I'm a bit confused as to whether or not WE need to have an SSL Certificate. My understanding is that we would need an SSL Cert if we wanted customers to enter their credit card information online on our website but that Authorize.Net would need SSL to encrypt the stuff being sent to and from them.
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>>I'm guess I'm a little confused about SSL and where encryption takes place, etc. Could someone help clear up my confusion on this?
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>>Thanks in advance.