Shoppers Response to Cash Only Retailers

Here is a compilation of several posts from disgruntled customers on companies that do not accept credit cards, just another reason why it makes sense to accept debit and credit cards… Brent W. says: It’s definitely irritating as I rarely carry cash for my own personal issues with, well, carrying a load of cash on [...]

Quick Merchant Tips!

Not all providers are made equal Not all merchant service providers are made equal. Some only focus on specific business types while others are generalists. Some are upfront and straightforward while others are not. Some have best in class solutions while others have standard services. It will be helpful to ask the sales person your [...]

Don’t Let Price Be Your Only Guiding Factor

A very common approach for merchants new to the industry is to choose a provider solely based upon price. Getting competitive rates is important however, price is one of many factors that should be considered. Price usually ends up being the primary driver which can lead to some larger and more costly challenges. Even those [...]

Different levels of Merchant Accounts

There are different levels of data in merchant account business, buzzwords that a layman probably never hears about. However, they are fairly common in the industry and have been around for quite some time. This three level system decides whether or not a transaction is qualified. When changes are implemented in the credit card processing [...]

What to Look for in a Credit Card Processing Service?

It’s hard to determine which credit card processing solution is best for your business with so many choices available. Below are the criteria TopTenREVIEWS used to rank credit card processing services: Average Approval Rating This criterion, usually evaluated by percentage of approved applicants, refers to its approval rate, the processing speed and the fee to [...]

What Happens in a Data Breach?

Ecommerce stores may be forced to shut down if there is a data breach related to credit card processing, but it all depends on the circumstances. Why did the data breach occur? Where did the breach occur? What steps have been taken to prevent a reoccurance? Did the company meet PCI Security Compliance standards at [...]

The Magtek Swipe Reader – USB (Universally Sanctioned for the Betterment) of Your Business

The best way to introduce the topic is to have you take your credit card in hand and look at the back.  Do you notice the magnetic strip that runs across it?  Many merchants and customers don’t realize that there is a wealth of information encoded in the strip.  Indeed, the strip may contain three [...]

Manual Imprinter – Question & Answer Session

In the process of opening a merchant account, you will need to consider whether to obtain a manual imprinter.  The following hypothetical question and answer session between a merchant and a credit card processor may prove instructive in determining whether to obtain one. Merchant: What is a manual imprinter? Credit Card Processor: A manual imprinter, [...]

Credit Card Transactions New Way of Holiday Giving?

The Salvation Army of Washoe County on Saturday unveiled a new option for donating at a few of their Christmas kettle sites: swiping a credit or debit card. One credit/debit machine was put into service Saturday at the Damonte Ranch Walmart. “We have received three of the machines,” said Major Doug Williams, corps officer. “So [...]

What’s PCI Compliance?

While we all enjoy the benefits and convenience of living and working in a high-tech era, unfortunately we must realize high tech crime comes with it. Computers and phone lines around the world are being hacked into on a daily basis and this has the major credit card companies more than just a little concerned [...]