How safe is the Paymate Credit/Debit card processing

I occasionally get asked about the security of Credit/Debit Card payments. The system I have in place only allows for online card payments, and only through the Paymate facility which I've been using since about 2001.

(note: credit card payments cannot be accepted over the phone; they are only processed online, and only by the Paymate facility)

Who is Paymate?
They are an Australian payment processing gateway which was initially setup with the cooperation of e-bay Australia several years before the US based Paypal came here. Click here for more info.

Are there any extra fees or charges for customers?
I have it set my Paymate account to absorb all buyer fees, so that I pay them instead of the customer being charged the fee.

How does it work?
After placing your online order via the shop, you will be directed to a 'Thankyou for Purchase' page. On this page you will find a link to the Paymate facility. You must follow this link to make a credit card payment.

You do not need to register with Paymate, just fill in the required details using your name and current date as your reference number. You then pay Paymate, and usually within 24 hours they deposit funds to my account. Once I have the funds in my account, I then authorise my supplier to dispatch the order from their warehouse.

What about my card details?
As you are paying Paymate, I never receive your card details, and therefore I never have them on my computer, nor anywhere else in my business. Apart from your bank, Paymate are the only ones who have your details regarding this transaction.

Note: Payments, cancelled orders and refunds.

Please note that if any orders made are paid for via Paymate, and are subsequently cancelled by customer for any reason, then the refund amount shall be only for the amount paid to Johnno's Aussietint by Paymate. All buyer fees, transaction fees and processing fess charged by Paymate will be deducted from the amount customer initially paid to Paymate. Johnno's Aussietint will then refund only the balance after these fees have been accounted for.

Johnno's Aussietint does not issue cheques or cash refunds; the preferred method of refund is by direct transfer to customers nominated bank account. If the customer prefers a refund via 'money order', then the cost of 'money order' shall be deducted from the customers original payment before refund of balance is made.