ok, so they give me the information, and then what?

If you have a legitimate reason for doing so go ahead (in exchange for goods sold or delivered for their account duly signed off) otherwise you are going to jail.

Sign up for a merchant account through paypal. Its the safest and easiest way to conduct business on the internet. I have attached the following website for you to check out. Read up on it, its fairly simple.

you can't. You have to be set up through a major bank to be able to accept credit cards....they want their fees of course!

You can set up a Paypal account to accept all major credit cards, or contact you Merchant Service's Representative where ever you have your business bank account with. They will set you up with a merchant ID number, and will show you how to run your customers card through, and then the money will be deposited into your business bank account.

You obviously don't have a merchant account with a credit card company, and so the answer is, you don't. You tell them that you are not set up to accept credit cards, and so cash only please.