Category: Mail Order Telephone Order
April 15th, 2016 by Elma Jane
Dynamic Currency Conversion
- Five supported currencies
- Retail, Restaurant, MOTO, E-commerce
- Price listed in merchant’s currency
- Customer is aware of currency conversion
- Customer may opt-out at the point of sale
- Conversion occurs at the point of sale
- Merchants may choose settlement method & time
- Supported by terminals, viaWarp and Virtual Merchant
- Merchant rebate up to 100bp
Multi-Currency Conversion
- 100+ supported currencies
- E-commerce only
- Price listed in customer’s currency
- Customer is not aware of currency conversion
- Customer may not opt-out at the point of sale
- Conversion occurs between the point of sale and settlement
- All transactions auto settle at 6pm (eastern) daily
- Supported by Internet Secure or direct certification
- No merchant rebate
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, e-commerce & m-commerce, Mail Order Telephone Order, Merchant Account Services News Articles, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: currency, Currency Conversion, customer, e-commerce, merchants, moto, point of sale, terminals, virtual merchant
January 21st, 2016 by Elma Jane
Merchant accounts are as varied as the merchants themselves and the goods being sold.
What kind of account would you fall under:
High Risk Merchant Accounts – Finding a processor who is willing to take your account can be more challenging. High risk merchants range from travel agencies to multi-level marketing companies, credit restoration merchants, casinos, online pharmaceutical companies, adult/dating merchants and many other.
Internet based merchant account (Ecommerce/Website order processing) – E-Commerce is a booming market, with so many people buying and selling goods online due to the wide reach and easy access to the internet.
Mobile or Wireless merchant account – This merchant is specifically designed for small businesses, solo professionals, and mobile services (including lawyers, landscapers, contractors, consultants, repair tradesmen, etc), who are constantly on the move and require a payment to processed on the spot.
MOTO (Mail or Telephone order) – This enables phone based or direct mail orders processing for customers who can buy your product or service from the comfort of their home. Since there is no card present there is no need for traditional equipment.
Multiple Merchant Accounts – Some businesses can have merchant accounts of a couple or all different types. Merchants who fall into this category are called multi-channel merchants as they sell their goods through a number of different channels. Most commonly this is related to retail stores who also have an online presence to sell their goods. This is very common in today’s competitive market where constant contact with customers is critical to success.
Traditional Account with Equipment – Most commonly used for retail businesses (grocery, departmental stores etc) where the transactions are processed in a face to face interaction also known as Point of Sale (PoS).
Interested to setup an account give us a call at 888-9962273
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, e-commerce & m-commerce, Mail Order Telephone Order, Mobile Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Point of Sale, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: account, card, card present, credit, customers, e-commerce, high risk merchant, internet, merchant accounts, merchants, mobile, mobile services, moto, multi-channel merchants, payment, point of sale, POS, processor, transactions, travel, travel agencies
November 17th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Within the payment processing industry, Merchant accounts are categorized according to how they process their transactions.
There are two primary merchant account categories:
Swiped (Card Present) and Keyed (Card-Not-Present).
Swiped or Card-Present Transactions: Are those in which both the card and the cardholder are present at the time the payment is processed, they physically swipe their customers credit card through a terminal or point-of-sale system.
The sub-categories within this group include:
Retail Merchants – Normally conduct their business in an actual storefront or office space. They primarily use counter-top terminals or Point-of-Sale systems. Restaurant Merchants – Requires a special set-up that allows for tips to be added to the final sale amount by settling the transaction with an adjusted price that will include the tip amount.
Wireless / Mobile Merchants – They use wireless terminals or mobile phones to run these transactions in Real-Time. Have the ability to accept credit cards transactions wherever they are located out on the road.
Hotel / Lodging Merchant – Will authorize a customer’s credit card for a certain sale amount.
Card-Present Transactions also include grocery stores, department stores, movie theaters, etc. Card acceptance settings where cardholders use unattended point-of-sale (POS) terminals, such as gas stations, are also defined as card-present transactions.
Keyed-In or Card-Not-Present Transactions: Whenever the transaction is completed and the cardholder (or his or her credit card) is not physically present to hand to the seller.
The sub-categories within this group include:
Mail Order / Telephone Order (MOTO) – The customers card information is gathered via over the phone, fax, email or internet and then manually key-entered into a terminal or payment gateway software. Once the transaction is approved and completed, the product is then shipped to the customer for delivery.
eCommerce / Internet – Conduct ALL of their business over the internet through a web site. So all credit card transactions are processed online via a payment gateway in real-time. The payment gateway is integrated into the web sites shopping cart. The cardholders card is charged instantly.
Travel Merchants is one example of Keyed or Card-Not-Present Transactions.
Start processing credit card payments today whether Swiped or Keyed.
Give us a call now at 888-996-2273 so more details!
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, e-commerce & m-commerce, Mail Order Telephone Order, Mobile Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Point of Sale, Smartphone, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: Card Not Present transactions, card present, card-not-present, card-present transactions, cardholder, credit card, credit card payments, credit card transaction, ecommerce, keyed, Lodging Merchant, mail order, merchant accounts, merchants, mobile merchants, moto, payment gateway, payment processing, point of sale, POS terminals, Restaurant Merchants, Retail Merchants, shopping cart, swiped, telephone order, terminal, transactions, travel merchants
November 16th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Combat Fraud With Layered Approach!
Encryption and Tokenization a strong combination to protect cardholder data at all points in the transaction cycle.
Encryption – the strongest protection for card data when it’s in transit. From the moment a payment card is swiped or dipped at a terminal featuring a hardware-based, tamper resistant security module. Encryption protects the card data from fraudsters as it travels across various systems and networks until it is decrypted at secure data center. Encryption is ideally suited for any businesses that processes card transactions in a face to face or card present environment.
Tokenization – protects card data when it’s in use and at rest. It converts or replaces cardholder data with a unique token ID to be used for subsequent transactions. This eliminates the possibility of having card data stolen because it no longer exists within your environment. Tokens can be used in card not present environments such as e-commerce or mail order/telephone order (MOTO), or in conjunction with encryption in card present environments. Tokens can reside on your POS/PMS or within your e-commerce infrastructure at rest and can be used to make adjustments, add new charges, make reservations, perform recurring transactions, or perform other transactions in use.
A layered approach can be the most effective way to combat fraud. Security solutions that provide layers of protection, when used in combination with EMV and PCI-DSS compliance; to ensure you’re doing all you can to protect cardholder data from increasingly complex and evolving security threats.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit Card Security, e-commerce & m-commerce, EMV EuroPay MasterCard Visa, Mail Order Telephone Order, Mobile Point of Sale, Payment Card Industry PCI Security, Point of Sale Tagged with: card data, card present, card transactions, card-not-present, cardholder, e-commerce, EMV, encryption, mail order, moto, payment card, PCI-DSS, PMS, POS, telephone order, terminal, tokenization, tokens
October 16th, 2015 by Elma Jane
With the EMV liability shift that takes effect in October 2015, how much you’ll be affected depends on how you process credit card payments.
For Card Present Transactions
If you use POS hardware or terminal that you need to swipe the credit card, then you’ll be facing the same EMV environment as retailers. October 1st is the start of the liability shift for fraudulent charges made with the card present transactions. The party who hasn’t made an investment in EMV security features will be liable.
For the card issuer, they need to invest in EMV security features, that’s why they came out with the chip cards, where all credit and debit cards have this security chips that are harder to counterfeit than magnetic strips.
For the merchant, they need to invest in EMV capable terminals or POS hardware that can take advantage of the card’s security chip.
If both parties have made the investment, then liability will be resolved in a similar manner to how it was before the shift. However, if only one party has adopted EMV technology, the party that didn’t make the investment will be held liable.
For Card Not Present Transaction (CNP)
If you process credit cards online, over the phone, or through an online payment gateway integrated, the new EMV standards won’t directly change the way you do business. You’ll still be processing EMV cards based on the customer’s credit card number.
Chances are Card-Not-Present transactions will experience an increase in fraud. Because of the EMV-technology in the Card Present Transaction, fraudster will likely turn their attention to the next target which is CNP,
but payment gateways and banks concerned about the vulnerabilities, will begin to adopt new standards to minimize their exposure.
If you’re processing CNP transactions stay up-to-date on the newest security developments, online security standards find more effective ways to navigate the new credit card security frontier.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit Card Reader Terminal, Credit Card Security, EMV EuroPay MasterCard Visa, Mail Order Telephone Order, Point of Sale Tagged with: banks, Card Not Present Transaction, card-present transactions, chip cards, cnp, credit card, debit cards, EMV, merchant, payment gateway, payments, POS, terminal
October 9th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Credit card fraud is much more difficult to prevent in a card-not-present transaction. In a face-to-face setting the merchant can inspect the card to ensure that it is valid and can verify that the cardholder is an authorized user on the account. None of these actions can be performed when the payment is submitted online or accepted by phone. As we moved in adopting EMV Technology, majority of fraud is going to migrate away from counterfeit and stolen cards towards the card-not-present transaction as happened in other countries.
A combination of best practices and fraud prevention tools can provide card-not-present merchants with strong fraud prevention capabilities.
Steps to avoid fraud and protect your business for a card-not-present transaction:
- Email Verification: Send a message to the email address provided by the customer requesting that the customer verify the email address is correct, you can ensure that the email is associated with the other information provided.
- Maintain PCI compliance:All merchants accepting card payments are now required to be compliant with the requirements of the PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Standard) which sets the rules for data security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design and other protective measures.
- Security Code Verification. Requesting the three digit security code on the back of a credit card. Visa (CVV2), MasterCard (CVC 2) and Discover (CID) cards, and the 4-digit numbers located on the front of American Express (CID) cards. Card Security Codes help verify that the customer is in a physical possession of a valid card during a card-not-present transaction.
- Use an Address Verification Service (AVS): Enables you to compare the billing address provided by your customer with the billing address on the card issuer’s file before processing a transaction. AVS is good protection against card information obtained through means like phishing and malware because fraudster might not know the billing address.
- Use 3D Secure Service: MasterCard and Verified by Visa enable cardholders to authenticate themselves to their card issuers through the use of personal passwords they create when they register their cards with the programs. The liability of any fraudulent charges through the 3D service is picked up by the issuer, not the merchant.
- Verify the phone number and transaction information.Prior to shipping your products, call the phone number provided by the customer and verify the transaction information. Criminals may be unable to verify such information, because in their haste to max out the credit line before the fraud is discovered, they often order at random and do not keep records.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, e-commerce & m-commerce, Mail Order Telephone Order, Payment Card Industry PCI Security, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: American Express, card-not-present, card-security, cardholder, cnp, credit card, Discover, EMV, MasterCard, merchant, Payment Card Industry, payments, PCI, visa
September 11th, 2015 by Elma Jane
National Transaction Terminals with NFC (near field communication) Capability
To accept Apple Pay transactions at your business, you will need to adopt point-of-sale devices with NFC/contactless readers.
National Transaction offer a range of options to suite your specific needs:
Tablet solutions: Talech with iCMP device and NCR Silver.
Short-range wireless terminals for pay at the table: Bring the point-of-sale to your customers. Ideal for table-service restaurants, curbside pick-up, salons and more.
These terminals are all-in-one solutions with an integrated PIN Pad and printer. The short range terminals use secure, encrypted Bluetooth technology, allowing only the base and terminal to talk to each other, while also monitoring channels to prevent interference from other devices.
The Bluetooth terminals we offer are: VeriFone VX680B and Ingenico iWL220B. (Both Bluetooth Wireless)
Long-range wireless (cellular/mobile) terminals: Have a long-life battery and compact design, which allows you to process transactions anywhere your customers are ideal for deliveries, kiosks and more.
These terminals are all-in-one solutions with an integrated PIN Pad and printer. Phone lines and internet connections are not required to take advantage of our mobile payment solutions.
The GPRS wireless terminals we offer are: VeriFone VX680G and Ingenico iWL250G. (Both GPRS Wireless)
Countertop terminals:
Ingenico iCT250 – has a “magic box” cable management system that prevents cable tangle and clutter. The terminal boasts a color display for improved readability and ease of use.
Verifone VX520 – has a built-in secure software authentication process which prevents unauthorized software applications from being downloaded.
Ingenico iCT220 with iPP320 external PIN pad – has a “magic box” cable management system that prevents cable tangle and clutter, along with a black and white screen for crisp visual clarity. Combine with an iPP320 for a consumer- facing solution to support contactless payments. (Note: the iCT220 device only supports contactless transactions when connected to this external PIN pad).
Whether you need a stand-alone POS terminal, want to take advantage of your existing tablet or PC, or require a wireless or mobile solution, National Transaction Corp., offers numerous user-friendly options. No matter how your customer wants to pay, NTC will help you enable quick and easy transactions from Traditional credit and debit cards, gift cards, smart cards (or EMV), mobile or digital wallets like Apple Pay and eCommerce or MOTO transactions.
Start growing your business quickly by accepting all kinds of credit card payments and debit cards. Choose a state-of-the-art solution so you can accept payment in store or on your mobile device. With transparent pricing, live customer support, no cancellation fees and a secure platform, you’ll be confident you made the right partner for your business with National Transaction Corp.
Learn how easy it can be to accept any contactless or Apple Pay transactions.
Click here for more information about Apple Pay.
For Merchant Account Setup give us a call at 888-996-2273 or visit our website www.nationaltransaction.com
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, e-commerce & m-commerce, Mail Order Telephone Order, Mobile Point of Sale, Near Field Communication, Point of Sale Tagged with: Apple Pay transactions, contactless readers, Countertop terminals, credit card, debit cards, Digital wallets, ecommerce, Gift Cards, mobile payment, moto, Near Field Communication, nfc, PIN pad, point of sale, POS terminal, smart cards, wireless terminals
August 20th, 2014 by Elma Jane
Loyalty Rewards Program and Gift Card Processing
GIFT CARD PROGRAMS
You have received gift cards, given them as gifts, and now you want to offer them for your business. The benefits for your customers are obvious, they are easy to buy, use, and offer your customers an incredible variety of choices. As a business owner, plastic gift cards offer increased security from fraud, the ability to track sales and buying trends, and gauge the effectiveness of your promotions. Electronic gift card processing increases revenue and attracts new customers. They also reduce labor associated with traditional paper gift certificates. National Transaction offers customized gift card processing merchant services tailored to your gift card processing needs. Gift cards provide added incentives to your customers and employees. Because no cash back required, Returns stay on the card and never leave your business.
LOYALTY CARD PROGRAMS
What are your best customers worth? Reward them and keep them coming back. NTC’s programs give you the information you need to maximize the impact of every marketing dollar spent by targeting your marketing efforts toward your current customers. Whether you are implementing a new customer loyalty program or trying to make your existing program more successful. NTC will work with you to create a system that is right for you and your customers. Let us assist you in all aspects of your reward program: Design, implementation and follow through.
Posted in Gift & Loyalty Card Processing, Mail Order Telephone Order Tagged with: Brand, card, cash back, customers, Electronic gift card, fraud, gift Card, Gift Card Processing, gift certificates, Loyalty Card, loyalty program, merchant, merchant services, program, rewards, Rewards Program, sales, Security
March 3rd, 2014 by Elma Jane
A solution for mobile commerce will be needed eventually, whether you’re an ecommerce merchant or you run a brick-and-mortar shop.
There are mobile payment platforms for digital wallets, smartphone apps with card-reader attachments, and services that provide alternative billing options. Here is a list of mobile payment solutions.
Boku enables your customers to charge their purchases directly to their mobile bill using just their mobile number. No credit card information, bank accounts or registration required. The Boku payment option can be added to a website, mobile site, or app. Price: Contact Boku for pricing.
Intuit GoPayment is a mobile credit card processing app from Intuit. It accepts all credit cards and can record cash or check payments. Intuit GoPayment transactions sync with QuickBooks and Intuit point-of-sale products. Intuit GoPayment works with iOS and Android devices and provides a free reader. Price: $12.95 per month and 1.75 percent per swipe, or 2.75 percent per swipe and 3.75 per keyed transaction.
iPayment MobilePay is a mobile payment solution from Flagship Merchant Services and ROAMpay. The service accepts all major cards and can record cash transactions. To help build your customer database, the app completes customer address fields for published landlines. The app can handle taxes, tips, and can record transactions offline. You can use the service month-to-month. The app and the reader are free. Price: $7.95 per month; Each transaction costs $0.19 plus a swipe fee maximum of 1.58 percent, or a key fee between 1.36 and 2.56 percent.
ISIS mobile commerce platform enables brick-and-mortar stores to collect payments (via an NFC terminal) from the mobile devices of their customers. Provide your customers with a simplified checkout process through the contactless transmission of payments, offers, and loyalty integrated in one simple tap. Price: Isis does not charge for payment transactions in the Isis Mobile Wallet. Payment transaction fees will not be increased by working with Isis.
LevelUp is mobile payment system that uses QR codes on smartphones to process transactions. Use LevelUp with a scanner through your POS system, or use a standalone scanner with a mobile device. You can also enter the transaction through the LevelUp Merchant App, using your smartphone’s camera to read the customer’s QR Code and entering the amount to complete the transaction. LevelUp also provides tools to utilize customer data. Price: LevelUp charges a 2 percent per transaction fee. Scanner is $50; tablet is $200.
MCX is a mobile application in development by a group of large retail merchants. Details on the solution are vague, but MCX is intended to offer a customizable platform that will be available through virtually any smartphone. MCX’s owner-members include a list of merchants in the big-box, convenience, drug, fuel, grocery, quick- and full-service dining, specialty-retail, and travel categories. Price: To be determined.
mPowa is a mobile payment app to process credit and debit card transactions, and record cash and check sales. mPowa will soon launch its PowaPIN chip and PIN reader for the EMV (“Europay, MasterCard, and Visa”) card standard. (Developed in Europe, EMV utilizes a chip embedded in a credit card, rather than a magnetic strip.) The EMV standard is likely to gain footing to combat credit card fraud. mPowa is a good solution for merchants with a global presence. Price: 2.95 percent per transactions, or .25 percent or $0.40 per transaction when used as a current processor’s point-of-sale system.
PayAnywhere is a solution to accept payments from your smartphone or tablet with a reader. It features an automatic tax calculation based on your current location, discounts and tips, inventories with product images and data, and more. Bilingual for English and Spanish users. PayAnywhere provides a free credit card reader and free app, available for iOS and Android. Price: 2.69 percent per swipe, 3.49 percent plus $0.19 per keyed transaction.
PayPal Here gives you a variety of options for accepting payments, including credit cards, PayPal, check, record cash payments, or invoice. With PayPal Here, you can itemize sales totals, calculate tax, offer discounts, accept tips, and manage payment email notifications. Available for iOS and Android. The app and reader are free. Price: 2.75 percent per swipe and 3.5 percent plus $0.15 per manually-entered transaction.
Square is a simple approach to mobile credit card processing. Square provides a free point of sale app and a free credit card reader for iPhones and iPads. Square offers a selection of tools to track sales, taxes, top-purchasing customers, and more. Square’s pricing is on the higher end, but with no monthly fee Square may be a good fit if you have infrequent mobile transactions. Price: 2.75 percent per swipe and 3.5 percent plus $0.15 per manually-entered transaction.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Credit Card Reader Terminal, Credit Card Security, Digital Wallet Privacy, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Check Services, Electronic Payments, EMV EuroPay MasterCard Visa, Financial Services, Internet Payment Gateway, Mail Order Telephone Order, Mobile Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Near Field Communication, Point of Sale, Small Business Improvement, Smartphone, Visa MasterCard American Express Tagged with: accepts all credit cards, alternative billing, Android, bank accounts, brick and mortar, check payments, contactless transmission, credit and debit transactions, credit card reader, credit-card, database, Digital wallets, ecommerce merchant, EMV, free app, iOS, itemize, keyed transaction, mobile commerce, mobile credit card processing, mobile payment platforms, mobile site, mobile transactions, nfc terminal, point of sale, process transactions, qr codes, record transactions offline, smartphone apps card-reader attachments, transactions
February 24th, 2014 by Elma Jane
When someone asks what business you are in, how do you typically respond?
For many online sellers, the answer is likely I sell (name of the product), I’m an ecommerce merchant or I’m an online retailer.
Make the focus of your business your customers and its value proposition, not the fact that you sell online. It’s time to simply answer the question of what business you are in with a response that is more or less, “I am a (distributor, retailer, reseller) of (name your products) for (name your market).”
Back then, most business owners who sold products online described themselves as “ecommerce businesses” or “online retailers,” to differentiate from brick-and-mortar or catalog retailers. Most operated their own pure-play online stores. Some sold products on eBay. Amazon’s marketplace was mostly comprised of larger retailers. There’s an evolution in how e-commerce owners describe themselves.
Today, you will still hear many online sellers describe themselves as “ecommerce businesses” or “online retailers.” But, in 2014, those terms don’t really apply. Whatever you sell, you are delivering a set of products to meet the needs of a specific market. “Ecommerce” or “online retailing” is simply a technology and a sales channel.
There is now no difference between “ecommerce” and “commerce.” It’s time to get rid of the “e” in ecommerce. Most businesses participate in ecommerce in some fashion. You engage your customers in many different channels — your own e-commerce site, brick-and-mortar, online marketplaces. Regardless, you and virtually every other B-to-C or B-to-B company are selling goods to customers across those channels.
Why Worry about Labels?
Today, commerce is multichannel and highly competitive. It’s done online, on the phone, face-to-face, and on desktop, mobile, and tablet devices. Make sure your business has an omnichannel strategy, so your shoppers can find you. Make sure the information about your company and products is consistent regardless of the channel. Focus on whom your prospective customers are, what they want to buy, and how much they are willing to pay.
Business owners should think strategically. Part of strategic thinking is focusing on the bigger picture, such as having the right products and ensuring that your buyers can find them.
Omnichannel Focus
Think about omnichannel commerce every day. Get your brand and products in front of your target customers regardless of where they are shopping. Below are some things to consider to facilitate an omnichannel strategy.
Chat and phone. If you don’t offer online chat or take phone orders, consider doing so.
Marketplaces. If you aren’t selling your products in marketplaces outside of your own online store, consider doing so.
Mobile. If you don’t have a mobile strategy, you need one.
Payment options. If you only take credit cards for payments on your website, add alternative payments like PayPal, Google Wallet, or Amazon Payments.
Social media. If you don’t have a social media presence, your market share is likely declining.
Customer Focus
Twenty-five years ago, if you asked a brick-and-mortar retailer or a catalog vendor what business she was in, she would likely respond as, say, “jewelry retailer,” “men’s clothing store,” “a department store,” or “hardware store.” She knew her target customer niche, how to reach them, and what products they wanted to buy. Those businesses that did the best job of (a) matching products to the consumer, (b) offering low prices, and (c) utilizing the right distribution likely won most of the business.
It’s time to get back to that focus. It’s more challenging than it used to be because the purchase cycles are far more complex than in 2002. There is no longer a straight path from identifying the need to research to purchase. Consumers typically identify a need and purchase intent, research products, research prices, research products further, conduct social media research, and then purchase a product and demand instant gratification and free shipping.
To be successful in 2014, commerce – not just ecommerce – requires the following.
Emphasize your value proposition. Regardless of how a shopper finds you, be sure he can quickly find out that you are a leading retailer of products in your market. Being clear on what your business is will also help establish trust with your shoppers.
Execute the 4 Ps of sales and marketing – “product,” “price,” “promotion,” and “place.”
First, make sure you know your target customers and what problems they are trying to solve or the need that you fulfill with your products. Know their demographics, their buying cycles, price tolerance, and where they research and shop.
Know your competitors.
Posted in Credit card Processing, Digital Wallet Privacy, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Internet Payment Gateway, Mail Order Telephone Order, Mobile Payments, Small Business Improvement, Smartphone Tagged with: alternative payments, Amazon, brick and mortar, catalog retailers, catalog vendor, commerce, credit cards for payments, e-commerce site, ebay, ecommerce, ecommerce merchant, mobile and tablet devices, omnichannel, omnichannel commerce, online retailer, online sellers, online stores, phone orders, sales channel, sell online
