I'm going to make a site to sell a graphics invention/product of mine online and need to set up online merchants account. Could some of the forum people here who have successful online stores please recommend some online merchant account providers that they are happy with. With my workhorsepainting business I have been providing services in person locally and taking checks. This online card thing is all new to me.

If you mean an eCommerce platform, I have had dealings with two. One is MIVA (miva.com). Their support is really good. The other one is 3Dcart (3dcart.bz). Their support is ok, not as quick as MIVA, but well, ok. I think perhaps that 3dcart is cheaper, because a client of mine went from MIVA to 3dcart, and I had to spend the whole of last summer learning it (OK, maybe I'm slow...). I have never set up downloadables with any of them, so I don't know how they score on that.

Thank you for reply Inger, I contacted someone recommended by my bank and they charged every possible charge and fee on the high sides. I was reading online advice on the matter and they made recommendations that if the provider wanted to charge this and that fee or charge to be warry of them and the bank recommended provider made all such fees and charges that were identified as to be wary of. There seems to be very many providers perhaps 100's or thousands. Also I believe that I need to provide this product world wide not just the US. Think I'm looking for the gateway. Perhaps some suggestions on what to read to find out.

ECWID provide both a platform for selling products and with payment gateway, there is a free version and a premium version.

Don't know if that's the sort of thing you are looking for, but maybe worth a look see.
I use them for my themes, easy to set up and easy to integrate into a website. No I am not associated or affiliated with them

What about Paypal?

Would an ecommerce theme be a platform? I am looking to do everything I possibly can using the CC applications. I'm not getting what is outside stuff required for ecommerce site that I need to obtain to have working ecommerce site for selling items. When you say platform is that not the ecommerce site itself? If I start bank account dedicated to the site, get 5yrs worth of government register or license for $50.oo for that domain name for the site, Create an ecommerce site for that product with site designer with forms and products listings and prices: exactly what outside stuff do I then need from an merchant and gate providers? I plan to use cards and paypal probably to provide more choices for payment. I have written down the suggestions and will contact them tomorrow, thank you all.

Attached a pdf explaining gateways