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Protect Your Merchant Account With Secure Payments
Are your current payment processing methods secure? The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards were created to make sure payment gateways keep your data secure. Payment Card Industry payment gateways are fully compliant with all Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards. This gateway system provides vital protection for e commerce merchants that process credit cards. Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) is the world wide standard for consumer data protection across the payment industry. The regulation is used to protect credit card information from being stored, processed or transmitted by non PCI certified entities. PCI standards require organizations that handle bank cards to conform to security standards and follow certain levels of requirements for testing and reporting. The Standard offers a single approach to safeguarding sensitive data for all card brands. Each card type has a different name for PCI. Master Card - Site Data Protection (SDP) Program. VISA - Cardholder Information Security Program (CISP). American Express - Data Security Requirements. Discover - Discover Information and Security Compliance (DISC). Consequences for failing to comply with all data security regulations are very serious. Fines and penalties, starting at $25,000, may be accessed against the merchant banks. The banks immediately pass responsibility and liability for the fines directly to the merchant. Merchant accounts may be restricted and can be terminated on a permanent basis. The easiest way to guarantee protection for your business and your customers is to use a PCI certified e commerce processing gateway. A PCI certified gateway meets all the stringent standards demanded for PCI compliance. The gateway automatically updates all changes to PCI security, keeping you continuously protected. Using a PCI certified gateway is simply the smart way to safeguard your online business. Tina Brandon has been involved in the payment processing industry for the past 15 years. During that time she has worked with US and international banks, processors, sales organizations offering a range of electronic payment processing solutions. She is currently Vice President of TransNetSecure. www.Transnetsecure.com 972-986-8450
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Accepting Credit Cards Payments For Offline Businesses
Any smart business owner knows that accepting credit cards as a payment option will dramatically increase revenues. Not only do credit cards offer customers the convenience and ease of not having to carry around cash or checks, it lends a sense of professionalism to your establishment as well. The process of applying to become a credit card merchant can be a bit confusing and frustrating, so let’s take a look at how it all works. The Credit Card Account The credit card account that you will use is called a merchant account. These accounts are different from a regular business checking account in that they are accounts that have been secured through a bank that offers credit card processing. This account enables you to process your credit card transactions through their banking establishment. This is a safe and secure process which provides both you and the buyer security and protection from the beginning of the transaction right through to the end. Since most of the merchant accounts are offered by a third party vendor, you are not obligated to use any specific bank or institution. You are free to choose the one that offers the options that will work best for you and your company. What you do need to pay attention to are the fees. These fees will come in three different forms. First, the initial setup fee (pretty self-explanatory), moving on to the percentage fee (the provider will take a percentage of each transaction based on amount of sale), and then ending with the monthly service fee. Read the fine print of any contract before signing it. Pay attention to all three fee categories, not just one. Also, look for contract obligations. Some providers will offer you great deals but will want you to sign on with them for a long period of time. You need to be aware of what, if any, penalties will be charged for getting out of the contract if things don’t work out. How Do I Actually Get Paid Obviously, this is pretty important. If a customer has used a credit card, no money has actually changed hands. Since more and more customers are now using credit cards, how that money gets into your account and how fast has become vitally important. Any of the reputable merchant account providers will provide the business owner with payment into their account within the first 24 to 48 hours of the initial transaction. Whether that customer has a balance on that card is not a concern of yours. The bank will pay you anyway. If the customer disputes the said transaction, the bank is usually under no obligation to pay the business owner, especially if that dispute has been deemed acceptable. If a business owner has a high number of legitimacy claims against them, the provider may just drop them. The majority of the time, though, things go as planned and the money shows up in your account within a day or two. Keith Baxter made it his mission after college to educate as many people as possible to the advantages and disadvantages of credit through a widespread re-education initiative. You can find out more about Keith and what he's up to at <a href="http://www.credit-card-debt-consolidation.net" target="_blank">http://www.credit-card-debt-consolidation.net</a>
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Credit Card Merchant Account Services
Did you know that credit card merchant account services could possibly multiply your sales receipts within a matter of weeks or months? Of course, other factors will play a role in the overall success of this strategy, but many company owners claim that the simple step of accepting credit card payments increased their income dramatically in a relatively short amount of time. That is why you need to know more about the benefits of credit card merchant services. Basically, the premise of using credit card merchant account services works like this. You find a trusted lender with experience in merchant accounts. You might even want to check with customers at some of the lending institutions to see if they are satisfied with their merchant account services. You also can find online testimonials, although these may be biased when situated at the Websites of various lenders. You could visit chat rooms devoted to topics like this one that are sure to be discussed among entrepreneurs or start-up business owners. After getting objective feedback on several possible lenders, you can choose the one that seems like the best bet for your company. It is a simple process to apply for credit card merchant account services. After reducing your possible underwriters to three or four after searching the Internet or checking with colleagues, it then becomes a matter of comparing and contrasting benefits with fees. Some companies are so well known that they can afford to charge more for their merchant account services. Others have recently added this option, so they might reduce, avoid, or omit certain fees in order to get your business. However, you may have to pay these fees after the first year or another type of trial period. Read all the terms carefully so that you understand how the account works, how much it costs, and what the potential glitches might be. Contact the lender with any questions or uncertainties before applying for an account. Then, when approved, you should feel confident that you have made a good investment. Obtaining credit card merchant account services will let you accept credit card payments from your customers in a variety of ways. If you own or operate a store, for example, they can pay onsite with a credit card processor that you can plug into a wall outlet. But if you deliver goods or services to homes or businesses, you may want to take along a wireless credit card processor. Depending on how your customers like to pay and the level of involvement you want to pursue, you can add a pager and an e-check or debit processor right away or later on, depending on equipment cost and your need. Being approved for a merchant services account will help you expand the way you do business. Many consumers prefer to pay by credit card, so accepting payments via this method will attract that segment of buyers and increase your volume of sales. Soon your profit margins should increase as well. Start thinking now about adding credit card merchant account services to your business. Shane Penrod is the founder of <a href="http://www.Merchant-Account-Quotes.com" target="_blank">http://www.Merchant-Account-Quotes.com</a> Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account rates and fees, please go to <a href="http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com" target="_blank">http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com</a>
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