October 30th, 2024 by Elma Jane

This is a question we encounter on a daily basis. Travel environments are unique in that your transactions are usually keyed, there is almost always a delayed delivery period, large ticket transactions are not uncommon since one cardholder may be paying for multiple tickets, they tend to be seasonal, with peak season months generating an unusual spike in their “average” monthly volume, and chargeback’s pose a potential threat by travelers who are unable to complete their trip. Combine even a few of these factors together and you have cause for a reserve, or even account termination.

Being a part of a MO/TO (Mail Order/Telephone Order) or Keyed environment carries an increased risk of potential fraud or unauthorized use of a credit card. Since the credit card and cardholder are not present at the time of the transaction, the merchant has a limited ability to ensure the card is not being misused or that the proper AVS (address Verification Service) information is provided. NTC stresses the use of Credit Card authorization forms in order to obtain the correct credit card number, expiration date, billing address, and signature of the cardholder.

Travel merchants tend to have periods of increased volume based on peak travel seasons, whereas most other industries tend to have the same average monthly volume every month. This can generate spikes in volume on the merchant account that can trigger security concerns with the processor. Helping the merchant to analyze their volume trends and reporting the trends to the underwriters helps eliminate the security concerns when these spikes occur.

Large transactions which exceed the average sale amount for the merchant account can also trigger security concerns. Merchants who do not inform their merchant processor of large transactions prior to charging the credit cards can trigger security concerns and cause funding delays and reserve holds. Educating and clearly communicating with the merchant how to handle large tickets, volume spikes, and group bookings, prevents reserves, funding delays and/or other merchant account issues.

Another concern from the underwriters is the delayed delivery time frame. Delayed Delivery refers to the amount of time between accepting a credit card payment (whether a deposit or full purchase) and the time the cardholder travels. The client’s credit card is billed and the travel agent is paid however, the trip the travel agent was paid for doesn’t generally take place for 2 to 3 months. This leaves a lot of time for things to change, and should the client not travel for some reason, the first thing they do if the travel agent does not issue a refund, is claim a chargeback. NTC offers quite a few tips that can help protect the travel agent from chargeback situations.

Most merchants do not realize that merchant processors carry a financial risk on merchant accounts, and normally fund merchants prior to receiving payment from the client’s bank. Essentially, a merchant account is an unsecured loan. The merchant runs a transaction and at the end of the day they settle their batch. Generally the merchant will receive the funds for that batch in their bank account within 2 business days even though the travel arrangements the client paid for do not take place right away.

Here at National Transaction Corp, we specialize in understanding what makes your transactions, as a travel agent, unique in how they affect your merchant account. Educating the merchant and ensuring they have a good understanding of what makes travel merchant account high risk, is one of our specialties. We have established a special relationship with our underwriting department which facilitates our ability to approve your high risk travel merchant account.

Contact your travel merchant account specialists at NTC today.

Mark Fravel
National Transaction Corp
Founder and President
888-996-2273

Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Travel
September 20th, 2024 by Elma Jane

Merchant Account Risks for Travel Agencies

The travel industry, with its high-value transactions and international clientele, faces unique challenges when it comes to credit card processing. While accepting plastic is crucial for smooth booking and customer convenience, travel agencies must be aware of the inherent risks and implement strategies to mitigate them. Here’s a breakdown of the key credit card processing risks and how to minimize them:  

1. Chargebacks:

  • The Problem: Travel plans change, flights get delayed, and unforeseen circumstances arise. This can lead to a higher rate of chargebacks, where customers dispute charges with their credit card company. Chargebacks can be costly, involving fees, lost revenue, and potential damage to your merchant account reputation.  
  • Mitigation:
    • Clear Cancellation Policies: Crystal-clear terms and conditions regarding cancellations, refunds, and travel changes are essential. Ensure these are easily accessible during booking.  
    • Thorough Documentation: Maintain detailed records of all transactions, customer communications, and travel itineraries. This provides evidence in case of a dispute.  
    • Proactive Communication: Keep customers informed about any changes to their travel plans and address concerns promptly.  
    • Secure Payment Processing: Utilize 3D Secure (like Verified by Visa or Mastercard SecureCode) for added authentication and fraud prevention.  

2. Fraud:

  • The Problem: The travel industry is an attractive target for fraudsters due to high transaction values and the potential for anonymity. Fraudulent activities can include using stolen credit card details, booking fictitious trips, or exploiting vulnerabilities in online booking systems.  
  • Mitigation:
    • Address Verification System (AVS): Verify the billing address provided by the customer against the address on file with the credit card company.  
    • Card Security Code (CVV): Always require the CVV code for card-not-present transactions.  
    • Fraud Detection Tools: Implement fraud screening tools that analyze transactions for suspicious patterns and flag potentially fraudulent activity.  
    • PCI DSS Compliance: Adhere to the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) to ensure secure handling of sensitive cardholder data.  

3. Currency Fluctuations:

  • The Problem: International travel often involves transactions in multiple currencies. Fluctuating exchange rates can impact your profit margins and create uncertainty in pricing.
  • Mitigation:
    • Dynamic Currency Conversion: Offer customers the option to pay in their home currency, providing transparency and potentially reducing chargebacks related to exchange rate discrepancies.  
    • Hedging Strategies: Explore financial instruments to mitigate currency risk, such as forward contracts or currency options.

4. High Processing Fees:

  • The Problem: Travel agencies often face higher processing fees due to the perceived risk associated with the industry.
  • Mitigation:
    • Negotiate with Processors: Shop around and compare rates from different credit card processors. Don’t hesitate to negotiate for better terms, especially if you have a high volume of transactions.
    • Consider Interchange-Plus Pricing: Opt for transparent pricing models like interchange-plus, which separates the interchange fee (charged by card networks) from the processor’s markup.  

5. Technological Challenges:

  • The Problem: Keeping up with evolving payment technologies and security standards can be challenging. Outdated systems can increase your vulnerability to fraud and data breaches.  
  • Mitigation:
    • Invest in Secure Technology: Use a robust and secure online booking system that integrates with reputable payment gateways.
    • Regular System Updates: Ensure your software and security protocols are regularly updated to address emerging threats.
    • Partner with Reliable Providers: Choose payment processors and technology vendors with a strong track record of security and reliability.

By understanding and proactively addressing these credit card processing risks, travel agencies can protect their business, enhance customer trust, and navigate the exciting world of travel with greater financial security.

Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Evolution of Electronic Payments
July 18th, 2024 by Elma Jane

The way we pay for goods and services has undergone a dramatic transformation. From bartering to coins to paper money, the journey of payment methods has been long and fascinating. But no shift has been as revolutionary as the rise of electronic payments. Let’s dive into this evolution and explore where this exciting technology might lead us next.

Early Days (1950s – 1970s):

  • 1950: The Diners Club card emerges as the first multipurpose charge card, laying the foundation for modern credit card systems.
  • 1958: American Express launches its charge card, initially paper-based, revolutionizing travel and expense tracking.
  • 1966: Barclays Bank in London introduces the first Automated Teller Machine (ATM), allowing customers basic account access outside banking hours.
  • 1970s: Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) systems gain traction, enabling direct deposit of paychecks and automated bill payments.

Rise of Digital Networks (1980s – 1990s):

  • 1979: Visa introduces the first electronic authorization system and point-of-sale (POS) terminal, paving the way for real-time transaction processing.
  • 1983: Debit cards become more prevalent, allowing consumers to access funds directly from their bank accounts.
  • 1994: First Virtual Holdings pioneers the first secure online payment system, marking the dawn of e-commerce.
  • Late 1990s: Online banking explodes in popularity, offering customers convenient account management and payment options.

The Internet Age (2000s – Present):

  • 1998: PayPal emerges, simplifying online transactions and boosting consumer confidence in online shopping.
  • 2003: Mobile payments gain momentum in various countries, driven by the increasing adoption of mobile phones.
  • 2010s: Near Field Communication (NFC) technology enables contactless payments, giving rise to mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.
  • 2020s: Biometric authentication adds another layer of security to electronic payments, using fingerprints and facial recognition. Real-time payment systems gain popularity, allowing for instant fund transfers.

The Future of Electronic Payments:

  • Invisible Payments: Imagine a world where payments happen seamlessly in the background. Technology like Amazon Go is already showcasing this, with customers simply walking out of stores with their purchases.
  • Cryptocurrency and Blockchain: While still in its early stages, the potential of cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology to disrupt traditional payment systems is enormous. Expect to see more integration and wider acceptance in the coming years.
  • AI-Powered Payments: Artificial intelligence will play a crucial role in fraud prevention, personalized payment experiences, and the development of even more innovative payment solutions.
  • Increased Financial Inclusion: Electronic payments have the potential to bring banking services to underserved populations, promoting financial inclusion on a global scale.

The evolution of electronic payments is an ongoing journey. As technology continues to advance, we can expect even more exciting developments that will reshape the way we transact and interact with the world around us.

Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: , , , , , , , , ,

February 25th, 2024 by Admin

m-commerceWith smartphone users on the rise Nielson says that in 2012 47% of smartphone owners use mobile shopping apps in the Shopping / Commerce category. Although these do not account for actual mobile payment transactions they show that smartphone users are frequently turning to their mobile devices to find deals and purchase information.

But what exactly is m-commerce? M-commerce is a hybrid technology that takes web technologies that scale screens to mobile devices like Apple iPads and Android tablets. The commerce end of it comes from shoppers and merchants actually executing payment transactions over mobile devices of some form. Read more of this article »

Posted in Credit Card Security Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

June 11th, 2023 by Admin

Travel Agents prefer NTC ePay because they get paid faster with their very own “Buy Now” button or simply by requesting payments by email!

Travel-payment-processing-National-Transaction-CorporationIn our last installment, we shared how the security of NTC Payment Processing works for you. In this second part of our three-part series, we discuss the ways that the technology behind NTCePay helps your travel agency.

NTCePay offers travel agents the most innovative technology because it is fast, mobile friendly and easy to use.

Whether you use Quickbooks, Peachtree or any other accounting application, you can enter the invoice number into the ePay application for reconciliation, and you can customize your pricing to any amount you choose. Your agency can create invoice and payment links that can be posted to your website or any social media website for payment.

travel-merchant-pament-processing-national-transaction-corporation

Things flow better when everything seems to work together, making your day a lot easier? Technology is something that can get your daily workflow to go smoothly, and NTC ePay works for you. If you need a customized solution to go with your workflow, NTC can make most anything a reality for your business workflow.

National Transaction Corporation is one of the few travel payment processing companies that can directly integrate with both TRAMS and SABRE. You can perform your bookings like you always have but have the payment flow the way you need it to. We also integrate with many booking engines and shopping carts allowing you many options that are not available by host agencies.

NTC ePay is simple, secure and sets up in just minutes. It’s a web application, so you can use it on any device you already own: your desktop, laptop, tablet or phone. It lets you add inventory items or use the quick send feature for simplified invoicing.

Our ePay product was designed from the ground up with your security in mind. Even though we encrypt data back and forth to the payment gateway, we also use the gateway to handle the cardholder’s input. NTC’s cutting-edge technology doesn’t store credit card data, nor does it transmit that data. What that means to you is that the liability is 100% on the bank and not your business, as is typically the case. The application is written and hosted on our own servers, so you can set up and be in the e-commerce business within minutes.

By the way, there are also many customizations available to you with NTC ePay which can be set up very easily by your users. Inquire with your specific process and we will meet your specific needs in the travel payment scope.

Now, when you run a social media campaign you can leverage our NTCePay technology to help you increase sales. Use our ePay links to post vacation travel packages or special sales and have customers pay in two clicks.

Next week we will share the third reason in this series why National Transaction Corporation is the preferred choice for travel agents like you.

Remember, when you need a safe and technologically advanced gateway to manage all your travel agency payments, look no further than NTC.

Feel free to call us now at 888-996-2273, if you are ready to start using NTC ePay today.

Posted in Credit card Processing, Credit Card Security, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Internet Payment Gateway, Merchant Services Account, Mobile Payments, nationaltransaction.com, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

October 9th, 2020 by Admin

When you are first setting up a retail or an eCommerce endeavor, few decisions will be of as much importance as the payment provider that you choose. Your payment provider will handle each and every card transaction your online company makes, and if it doesn’t function properly, or if it has a lot of hidden fees, such as old legacy systems with long term contracts, you can be setting your business up to fail before you ever get started.

So, we are going to explain to you what you should be looking for when you reach this crucial decision in the setup phase of your business, and we will help you find a payment provider that meets your needs perfectly and sets you up to succeed in the business world.

As a general rule of thumb, there are three main factors that you really need to consider when you go to choose who you will be working with: The people involved in the transaction, the fees associated with each transaction, and how the transaction is handled behind the scenes. There are some smaller tidbits that can make a specific provider a better or worse choice, but those three factors will allow you to narrow your search down to a select few of top competitors that will truly help your company succeed.

The Parties Involved

Besides your bank and the customer’s bank, there are three different factors that go into every single one of your transactions, and a payment provider works with all three of them. There’s you, your customer, and the technology acting as a bridge between the two of you. We’ll go into more detail about all that, now.

The Customer

With this part of the transaction, we are really talking about the “issuing bank”. That’s your customer’s bank, and they handle lending the customer the money to make a purchase on your site, and they issue the card that the customer uses to make that purchase. This is your customer’s main form of interaction with the transaction process, and it’s one of the most important factors since it’s what starts the transaction in the first place. However, you have no control over this factor, and you can simply ensure that the technology, which we’ll talk about soon, makes their part of the transaction as smooth as possible.

The Merchant

This is you and your part in the transaction. You function as the merchant that the customer is engaging with, and in order to do that, you need a merchant bank to partner with and work as your company’s bank. A merchant bank functions differently than the bank you use in your day to day life. Instead of issuing you funds in advance for credit purchases and managing your checking and savings accounts, a merchant bank takes in your customers’ payments for you, and then puts those payments into a special merchant account that is a lot like a business’s checking account. Without a merchant bank, you won’t be able to succeed in the long-term with eCommerce.

The Technology Solution

Your technology, and the company handling it, is what makes a transaction possible in the first place, and there are two parts to this imperative factor: The payment processor and the payment gateway.

Processor

The payment processor is what actually handles the transaction. It moves the money between the different parties and delivers it to the banks and accounts involved. If your processor is subpar, your customer’s transaction experience will be, too. You need an up-to-date payment processor that functions smoothly and without any hassle placed on you or your customer to ensure that each customer enjoys a seamless transaction.

Gateway

The payment gateway is essentially what sends the transaction information to the payment processor. It links to your site’s shopping cart feature, and when a customer buys something, it connects to the payment processor and begins the transaction. In order to ensure that your transactions are smooth and effortless, this technological asset needs to be competent and able to easily satisfy your customers without being apparent.

How the Transaction Process Happens

The transaction process is fairly complicated, but it all takes place in a matter of seconds. In fact, it’s usually seemingly instantaneous.

Once a purchase is made, the payment gateway encrypts the transaction data to protect your customer and your business, and then it asks the customer’s bank if it will advance the funds for the customer’s purchase. If yes, the payment will be sent to your merchant account, and if not, the transaction will be denied and ended until a resolution can be found.

Once that step is completed, the funds typically end up being accessible by you the second your merchant bank acquires them and places them in your account, but you may be forced to keep a certain amount in the account to make sure you can cover any returns that pop up.

This part is not instantaneous. It can take a couple days to complete this part of the process.

Transaction Fees

This is easily the factor that you’ll want to pay attention to the most, because a lot of merchant service providers are downright misleading when they quote your rates, and you need to get a firm understanding of how a company sets up its fees to know what to actually expect from your bill.

Most often, companies will quote something like 1.8% rates to interest you and appeal to your more frugal side, but then they’ll apply all sorts of hidden fees that raise that rate as high as 11% without notifying you properly. As you can imagine, that can make your bill a bit more than what you thought it would be.

There are three rate models that are most often used:

Flat-Rate

You’re given a specific amount to pay, and whether that covers your total fees or not, that’s what you pay. You could be overpaying tremendously if you accept a quite a few low cost cards vs. the higher cost cards. The processor is banking on your acceptance of these lower cards to ensure all costs are covered.

Interchange Plus Pricing

This takes the interchange fee you pay and adds a small fixed rate on top of it. It’s not as consistent as a flat-rate fee because of the sheer amount of interchange fees out there and the number of different credit cards with all of the various reward and incentive programs.

Tiered Pricing

This is when the provider creates a few tiers of fees and charges you based on the tier your fees are in rather than each individual fee. The only bad thing about this is that the provider decides which fees go into which tier.

Other Important Things to Consider

Does your processor provide Data Security/PCI protection? What about financial breach protection, in the event you are breached?

Any business or other entity that stores, processes or transmits cardholder data must ensure that their processes meet the Payment Card Industry / Data Security Standard (PCI/DSS). Failure to do so can result in heavy fines being levied.

Understanding PCI/DSS

The PCI/DSS is a global standard defining acceptable practice for any entity involved in the storage, transmission or processing of cardholder data.

In recognition of the sensitive, confidential and valuable nature of this data the standard imposes strict regulations which must be met in full. The full requirements are detailed but are covered by 12 broad requirements. These are grouped into 6 broad control objectives as follows:

1. Build and Maintain a Secure Network and Systems
– Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect data
– Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters

2. Protect Cardholder Data
– Protect stored data (use encryption)
– Encrypt transmission of cardholder data and sensitive information across public networks

3. Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program
– Use and regularly update anti-virus software
– Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

4. Implement Strong Access Control Measures
-Restrict access to data by business need-to-know
-Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
-Restrict physical access to cardholder data

5. Regularly Monitor and Test Networks
-Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
-Regularly test security systems and processes

6. Maintain an Information Security Policy
-Maintain a policy that addresses Information Security

Any entity handling card transactions must meet the standard and be able to demonstrate (certify) that it does so. The level of certification is flexible and depends on how transactions are processed and in what volume.

A Summary of Benefits

Achieving full compliance with PCI/DSS standards is more than an obligation. It delivers genuine benefits to businesses:

– Lessen the risk of fraudulent transactions

– Prevent security breaches

-Lessen the impact should a breach occur

– Reduce your business’ exposure to risk and liability

– Provide peace of mind for your customers

– Avoid the negative PR associated with data loss

Why are These Requirements in Place?

Card transactions have grown enormously in recent years as cards become the number 1 preferred form of payment. Since no physical money is handled or exchanged as part of these transactions they are dependent on the transfer of data.

That data therefore becomes sensitive and valuable and must be protected. Failure to protect this data can lead to fraud and theft. These crimes often impact both the card holder and the merchant directly. They can also damage or even destroy the reputation of businesses or organizations involved in hacks or data breaches.

More widely card fraud has the long-term detrimental effect of eroding consumer confidence and trust – both in the individual companies affected and in the card payment industry more widely.

Millions of consumers and organizations worldwide are choosing to pay by card. And millions of businesses, professionals, traders and organizations are accepting and handling these payments. Instead of allowing an ad-hoc approach where each business sets its own level of security the PCI / DSS was imposed. This ensures a uniformly high level of data security throughout the worldwide card payment industry.

Keep your Data Secure – Don’t get caught without PCI Data Breach Protection

Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit card Processing, Credit Card Security, e-commerce & m-commerce, Electronic Payments, Financial Services, Internet Payment Gateway, Mail Order Telephone Order, Merchant Account Services News Articles, Merchant Services Account, Mobile Payments, nationaltransaction.com, Payment Card Industry PCI Security, Uncategorized, Visa MasterCard American Express Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , ,

November 1st, 2018 by Admin

We are officially 55 days until Christmas, time to take all of the tricks out of your hat to promote your business. Since we know you will be using social media, here are 30 random holidays you can use to promote your business with their Hashtag.

November 1st:
#ExtraMileDay: Show your customers how you will go the extra mile for them.

November 2nd
#LoveYourLawyerDay: Need we say more? This one is perfect for lawyers or anyone working with them.

#FountainPenDay: If you sell promotional items, this one is for you. It can also work if you want to post the latest contract signed.

#SandwichDay: Even if you don’t own a sandwich shop, Sandwich day can be used to share a more laid back look of your company. Maybe sharing a picture of your last company picnic or lunch will do. Remember to have a good looking picture!

First Sunday of November
#ZeroTaskingDay If you work for a spa or anything that promotes relaxation, this one would be a good one for you!

November 5th
#LoveYourRedHairDay Hairdressers, time to get those finished looks and share them on social media!

#NachosDay Any day is a good day for Nachos, but on Nachos day you can show some humor as a way to connect to your customers. This one is great for restaurants.

November 8th
Guinness World Record Day: #GWRDay: Sharing a fun fact comes a long way in Social Media. Sharing a Guinness World Record that might relate to your industry can attract a new crowd online.

#CappuccinoDay: People love coffee, (search #CoffeeLover, and you’ll see) so why not share Cappuccino Day with your coffee loving crowd. Perfect for the coffee shop owner to the savvy consultant on the go.

November 10th
#SesameStreetDay: If you are in an industry that deals with children, this one is for you. Make the posts funny or just cute but remember you are targeting the parents at the end. Nostalgic posts work well too with this.

#VanillaCupcakeDay: Cupcake lovers beware, this hashtag might be for you. Perfect for the bakery owner and the all-time cupcake lover, there is no need to be a pastry chef to use this one.

November 11th
#origamiday This one might require some skill and imagination, but it can delight your online community and attract them more to what you do. If you use this one, be sure to send us a picture.

#SundaeDay Who doesn’t love Ice Cream Sundaes!

November 12th
#HappyHourDay Geared more for restaurants and bars, but with a bit of creativity, many can use this hashtag.

November 13th
#KindnessDay Show your kindness to others.

November 15th
#AmericaRecyclesDay We all need to take care for our planet. Show your support by sharing this with some facts and information about recycling.

 

 

November 18th
#PrincessDay: Pamper the princesses in your business or show appreciation of your customer.

#MickeyMouseDay Need we say more?

November 19th
International Men’s Day #MensDay: Men’s day is great to share information about current men’s health issues. Perfect for those in the healthcare industry

#PlayMonopolyDay: This one we feel is perfect for finance. “Don’t get caught in monopoly games and get your money safe” what do you think?

November 20th
#EntrepreneursDay Completely self-explanatory.

#NameYourPCDay Give some love to those PC users in your industry and have fun too.

 

November 21st
#HelloDay A great hashtag to introduce yourself and the team.

November 22nd
#GoForARideDay Whether it is a ride on a car or bike ride, many can use this hashtag if you are creative enough.

 

November 23rd
#FlossingDay perfect for those in the dental industry.

#EspressoDay Just like #CapuccinoDay, this hashtag can help greatly any account.

November 25th
#ShoppingReminderDay If you sell goods, this one is for you.

November 30th
#ComputerSecurityDay Technology always changes, this one can be an excellent reminder to keep online info safe.

All Month Long:
#PeanutButterLoversMonth When you ran out of ideas or inspiration this month, this hashtag can be a lifesaver. Remember that social media should entertain or educate and this one can help with that.

Bonus Holidays:
These might not be random but are always useful to add.
#Movember
#ThanksGiving
#CyberMonday

 

We hope these hashtags can help boost your business online presence and bring a little more creativity to your social media game. As always, have fun and use your to see if any of these can help your business.

Posted in Small Business Improvement Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 24th, 2018 by Admin

Having a product or service based business can be easily manageable when you are pricing your business correctly. But can it be done? Before processing, consider pricing.

What does that mean? Before you pick your payment processing service, consider pricing them correctly. Pricing can be tricky sometimes. If you charge too much, you might have a harder time selling your product but if you charge too little people might not honestly see the value of what you have to offer.

 

There are a certain number of things you need to consider that can make your life easier when it comes to pricing. Knowing your market can, by far, be the most important thing of all. Without knowing your market, you cannot correctly know whether your product or prices will be good.

 

Knowing your market can greatly positively impact your business. It can help you figure out anything from pricing to branding and including what you can do to grow the business. Start by building up your perfect customer or “avatar” write what your ideal client would enjoy, dislike, what age, gender (if applicable), and even area where they would live.

Once you have this, it will give you a better idea on how to price your services. Consider this:

You sell handmade bags. Although it does not take you too long now to make the bags, the materials are costly, and you need to maximize its use. Your ideal client would not hesitate in buying them, is into fashion, and although anyone can buy them, you have seen many girls ages 18-25 falling in love with them as you walk around with your bag.

 

Knowing the age group, you know how and where to market and can figure out how much are they willing to pay for your bags. You can also research how much are you competitors charging and see if you price matches, is under-priced or over-priced based on this research.

 

The next thing you need after figuring out the age and market is your materials. How much do you spend per product? You would need to consider if the price covers the cost of making it and gives you profit.

 

Having all of these factors will help you price your items correctly so that you are on your way to business success. Once all of these are set up and taken care of, then it is time to set up your account with National Transaction to have a personable and secure payment processing service to start earning on your business.

 

Posted in Small Business Improvement Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , ,

October 7th, 2018 by Admin

National Transaction Celebrating 21 years

National Transaction is celebrating 21 years in the business today. Founded in 1997 National Transaction (NTC) purpose is to serve businesses of all sizes with their cash flow with the highest levels of professionalism and care.

This 21 year anniversary would not be possible without our leader, Mark Fravel and we want to take you back to his why and the reason we are still here today.

The beginnings:
Mark, a single parent of 3 beautiful daughters, wanted to provide for their kids without being on the road all the time. And so, with this passion in mind, a desire to serve and commitment to his family, National Transaction was born.

NTC began like many business and passions, with no customers and only one employee but quickly grew and Mark knew that leading with confidence and excellence will drive this business somewhere.

The Present:

Now, NTC often ranks in the top 10 of many data and technology awards. This Excellence has also earned us an A+ rating in the Better Business Bureau.

This 21 years would not be possible without our desire to help a business grow and give them the right tools for their transactions. We love being on the phone with our customers, we love getting to know them and how we can provide our best service.

 

National Transaction at the ASTA Global Convention

The Future

Mark started this with a desire to be a family man, and so, this family feeling has stayed with our company. We treat our team like family, and we are excited about what our future holds the next 21 years.

Thank you for celebrating 21 years of customer service, passion, connection and above all, quality. We will continue to provide you with the best service we know how to give, and we will uphold our promise and mission to make digital transactions reliable and simple to the merchant and familiar to the consumer, reducing the complexity and expense to both.

Thank you for being part of the National Transaction Corporation‘s family.

Posted in nationaltransaction.com Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

April 23rd, 2018 by Admin

credit-card-processing-service-national-transaction-corporationHave you ever had issues with your credit card processing provider only to get turned around and around by the rep on the phone? IF you can even get someone on the phone. You hang up feeling frustrated, angry, and without any answers.

Sometimes it’s a small problem, but what happens when they “misplace” your money, or there’s a problem with your account and you can’t receive any payments – and no amount of calling, emailing, or “chatting” seems to help you resolve anything?

There’s a better alternative to credit card payment processing, a company that’s been around for a long time, and is backed by one of the biggest banks in the country. National Transaction Corporation. And we have live, knowledgeable, friendly advisors waiting to pick up your calls and help you with your questions – no runaround, no excuses, no delays.

That’s the NTC way: Help when you need it, on a human level.

You may have had to make a lot of phone calls about chargebacks if you are using one of the more familiar service providers like PayPal, Stripe or Square. Chargebacks are a primary cause of business owners’ complaints with these companies, because these services will usually side with the cardholder in the event of a dispute as they arbitrate the chargeback themselves.

NTC does business fairly and sensibly. When you process your credit card sales through NTC, you will be dealing with Visa, MasterCard, American Express or other credit card companies directly.

When you work with those other service providers, you may be worried about where your money might end up – especially if you’ve read all the nightmarish complaints that business owners like you have posted on trusted sites like the Better Business Bureau and Consumer Affairs.

Imagine you’ve processed a credit card transaction, and the cash seems to disappear? You call and you write and you chat, but no one has anything helpful to offer you and you wonder just where your money went, and what will happen to it now.

NTC knows that’s not how you build trust with your customers. We pride ourselves on our outstanding customer support, ease of use of our services, and the confidence and integrity that comes from being backed by one of the biggest banks in the country, US Bank.

National Transaction Corporation aims to make growing your business easier and more profitable by tailoring our services to your specific needs. We do this because we like you to establish a long-term partnership with us.

Whether you are a florist, a restaurant, or any other kind of merchant, remember to look beyond just the advertised rate when looking for the best credit card payment processing service provider.

If after reading this article and you would like to speak to one of our live customer service representatives, simply call NTC today at 888-996-2273.

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