Merchant Service Processing Accounts

Archive for the ‘Merchant Account Credit Card Processing’ Category

Merchant Account Credit Card Processing – How to Avoid Fraud and Lower the Chargeback Rate?

Credit card fraud is a serious problem that results in significant loss to credit card companies and businesses that accept credit cards.

Credit and debit card processing companies use advanced technology that ensures secure processing of transactions. They have processes in place to detect fraudulent activities. Businesses also need to follow strict guidelines in handling credit payments. Thieves often get away with fraud because of the casualness of staff at checkout counters. Some steps businesses can take to protect themselves and customers from fraud are:

Verifying the genuineness of an unusual credit card activity
Credit or debit card processing companies keep track of the activity in an account to establish a pattern. If there is an unusual activity, such as a sudden increase in credit purchases volume, the processing company will detect it immediately and call the customer or business to check its authenticity. This helps in detecting fraud early before it could do much damage.

Verifying the address of the card holder
Many point-of-sale (POS) terminals have an option to verify the address on file. The option can be enabled or disabled. It is safer to keep this option on to have an additional check.

Training staff at checkout counters
Most businesses do not train staff adequately for handling credit transactions. A credit or debit card transaction is oversimplified as just a swipe and punching in of keys. The staff should be trained on the features of the POS terminals that can make transactions more secure. They should also be trained on practices such as verifying signatures, ID, etc. Making the staff aware of card fraud will make them more watchful.

Checking the ID of credit card holders
Asking for ID from the card holder is a simple and effective action to check fraud. Most businesses do not follow this practice consistently. Fox example a busy bar may not ask customers for ID every time they make a purchase.

Verifying signatures
Many businesses do not even glance at the signature to confirm the identity of the credit or debit card holder. Businesses must compare the signature at the back of the card with that on the receipt. A fraudster will be wary of a business that follows this practice consistently.

Businesses pay damages for negligence in credit transactions
In case of credit card theft or fraud, the customer is usually exempted from paying the bill and the card issuer has to bear the cost. However, credit processing at a business is treated differently. If the card processing company can prove that the business was negligent in handling the transaction, by not checking the ID or signature, the business is held responsible for the mishap. The business may have to pay fraud-related damages to the credit card company.

Common fraudsters rely on the negligence of businesses to get away with their crime. Credit card fraud is rampant, and the only way businesses can protect themselves is by following simple tips mentioned above and staying extra vigilant.

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How to Find the Best Merchant Account Credit Card Processing Rates

Which would you prefer to do? Spend a bunch of money accepting credit cards through a great merchant account – or spend significantly less for a fantastic merchant account that boasts identical features and services?

Well, unless you have recently had a serious blow to the head, I am sure you would rather pay less for the identical features. Any sane person would agree.

Unfortunately, in the merchant industry, it is not always as easy as comparing “A” to “B”. There are a plethora of diverse billing structures, charges, and fees that make it very difficult to understand just how one service stands up to another.

So why don’t we see how to find, compare and choose the ideal merchant account for your unique small business…

To start with, you have to locate a minimum of 3 separate financial institutions – these could include a bank or credit union who can sign you up for their merchant account. Also, you should locate different merchant providers by utilizing Internet search tools that provide particular benefits. There is a standard approval procedure that both the banks and the merchant services use. The following information will be required in order to process your application:

1. A business plan that is feasible,

2. A credit history free of significant blemishes, and

3. Proof that you are able to pay (and have to ability to continue to pay) the charges related to a merchant account.

It of great benefit to you to research the ins and outs of the fee structure charged by each of your potential merchant services companies and/or banks that supply merchant accounts. There are many providers who fail to fully disclose their terms and conditions until you actually sign up for the account – so you might need to ask them for a copy of their “T&C”. This way you are able to understand just how much it will truly set you back to use that account. In any case, make certain that you totally comprehend the terms and conditions before going with that company.

Things to look out for are:

1. Charges to cancel (how much, details, contract duration)

2. “Variable” or Introductory Discount Rates – the discount rate is the largest component in deciding just how much the true charge will be to accept credit cards. Make certain that the rate is single, locked-in, and non-changing. If it’s on a sliding scale, or can be altered without notice – run, don’t walk…

3. Free Equipment Offers – their return policies on the equipment are the most important to find out in this respect – for example, if the equipment is “damaged” at all, many times you are liable to substitute it at full market value – this can be extremely costly….

Now that you have that rudimentary information, to get the best possible credit card processing rates shop many different companies. The options are plentiful, and pricing plans and incentives are available for setting up a merchant account – each one highlights a specific facility. Finding out which one suits you the best is to your advantage. Some companies waive the installation fee, but others have a one-time overall fee and throw in other facilities at no charge. Each provider charges a discount rate, ranging from 1% – 5% and up, based on the type of account. A transaction fee, ranging from .05 to .25, is generally included.

If you want to get the best deal on credit card processing rates, you will have to do your homework well. Thoroughly search for the best priced terms and conditions – but make certain the company has a good reputation. You certainly don’t want to get stuck with a company that is lacking in the customer service department, particularly when your money is on the line!

Things to consider when looking for a good merchant services company include your average number of transactions per month, your profit margin, your average order size, and number of times you will be taking credit cards from your customers. Obviously, retailers with a lot of volume will focus on lowering their discount rates and per-transaction fees as much as possible more so than their monthly fees. Conversely, small and micro-businesses with a bigger order size, but smaller transaction volume are able to be a bit more flexible with the discount rate and transaction fees. They turn their focus primarily on lowering monthly/minimum fees.

In any case, discuss the subject with your peers in your industry and contrast their opinions with the research into your prospective merchant providers that you have done on your own. Taking credit cards should be a good money making choice if you decide to use the right service.

Just be sure you double-check all those terms and conditions!

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Internet Merchant Account Credit Card Processing – What You Need to Know

The business world of today is one that is rapidly changing. If you’re doing things the same way you were doing them five years ago, you’re probably going out of business. No where is this more prevalent than in the online business world.  You have to act fast or go out of business.

With the power of the internet, customers can now buy everything from a new car to a pair of gloves.  With all of this buying power, there is a lot of money that changes hands without ever leaving the house. Did you ever stop to think about how that works? One of the big factors in this process is internet merchant account credit card processing. What is a merchant account and how does it help you as a business owner?

An internet merchant account is what allows you to make money online. You can have the most amazing product in the world at your disposal, but if you can’t accept money from anyone, you’re no better off than before you had the product. You have to be able to take credit card payments, check payments, debit cards and any other way that payment is possible. The more ways that you make it possible to pay, the more likely you are to make the sale.

Think about this for a minute. If someone comes to your website and they like what you are selling, they might click on the “Buy Now” link. If you only accept one form of payment, they might not be able to pay that way. If they can’t pay that way, the likelihood of them finding a way to buy it is unlikely. The customer will just move along to someone else who has what they want and can take their payment.

Internet customers are very rarely loyal. They’ll go after whatever has the best price and the most convenience. Having a payment gateway is the only way to be able to strike while the iron is hot. With the internet, you only have a few seconds to grab their attention and then convert them into customers. If you fail on the first attempt, they will most likely not give you another chance.

So how do you set up an internet merchant account credit card processing system? It’s actually quite easy. Once you have a product and a website to sell it on, you simply sign up with any number of credit card merchant services companies and they’ll walk you through it. After giving them your basic info, you’ll most likely be given a piece of code to paste into your website. This will create a “shopping cart” or merchant gateway where customers can pay for your product right then and there.

The internet merchant accounts company will charge you some sort of a minimal fee to run the transaction for you, but it is usually well worth it. If you didn’t have their capability, you would miss out on all of the sales anyway. Therefore, the small investment in an internet merchant account  credit card processing system is worth it.