Payment & SSL confusion

Please forgive the simple question but I really am lost in the documentation. I have Zen Cart setup with the USAePay payment module. Does the payment module submit securely the credit card information for processing or do I really have to spend the big bucks to get a SSL certificate?

Thanks for any clarification you can offer.
Lisa B.

An SSL is required to "Securely accept this information on your site". As a customer, if I do not see that I am transferred to a secure connection (https:// and a valid lock symbol) I put my Credit Away, and quickly leave the site. There are many SSL's for under $100 US/year.

Ok, that makes sense.

USA ePay has script that allows you to post a form to their secure server without using a shopping cart. Is it possible to have Zen Cart setup to pass the total amount of the bill to USA ePay, and have the customer put their credit card information in USA ePay's secured payment area?

Crossing fingers,
Lisa B.

This would be best answered by USA ePay, as I do not know what their script is written in or looks like.