Third party merchants can accept credit cards without requiring a credit check

From: buyerzone.com

If the company is successfully invoicing customers, you may put off the costs of merchant services, which take a percentage of all your sales. However, avoiding potential loss from non-payment can quickly make up for the expense. Credit card merchant services allow funds to be transferred to your bank account in less than a week.
If you are selling to consumers, merchant services will allow you to expand your customer base and provide a more convenient method of payment than cash or checks. And if you are interested in selling over the Internet, credit card processing is a must-have. It is possible to accept credit cards over the Internet without establishing your own merchant account. However they typically batch your money into regularly scheduled payments, opposing the advantage of quick turnaround. In addition, their rates tend to be higher significantly higher, in some cases and they can make your business seem like a small-time operation.

Not every company needs to accept credit cards, though. If you’re per order cost is typically in the thousands of dollars and your customer base is stable or subject to credit checks, you may find it cheaper to continue invoicing your customers.