September 24th, 2015 by Elma Jane
If you accept credit cards and don’t know what EMV is here is what you need to know.
EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa. A credit card that had a chip embedded in it is an EMV. EMV Cards have been standard in Europe for more than 10 years because they’re more secure than magnetic stripe cards. Magnetic stripe cards doesn’t change, it has static data, which makes them easy to clone. The chip embedded card makes it more difficult and costly to counterfeit because the data that is transmitted changes each time the card is read. This means less fraud.
Questions to ask to help you decide about terminal upgrade.
- Calculate your risk – Consider the cost of replacing your point-of-sale (POS) terminal vs. potential risk. Whether you replace it now or at a later time, eventually all businesses will have to replace their POS terminals.
- Educate your staff – Educated employees translate to better-educated customers. Merchants can help customers better understand this change and what it means for them.
- Upgrade your POS system – Consider using an EMV compliant credit-card reader on a wireless device for an ultra-secure mobile solution. This is also a chance to upgrade other options, such as near field communication NFC technology, which lets consumers use their mobile devices to make payments at the point of sale.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit Card Reader Terminal, Credit Card Security, EMV EuroPay MasterCard Visa, Mobile Point of Sale, Near Field Communication, Point of Sale Tagged with: chip, credit card reader, credit cards, data, EMV, emv cards, EuroPay, magnetic stripe cards, MasterCard, merchants, Mobile Devices, Near Field Communication, nfc, payments, point of sale, POS terminal, visa
August 27th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Merchant processing fees is one expense you should look at as an investment. If you try to avoid merchant processing fees, you risk antagonizing prospective buyers and losing opportunities.
If you limit payment options for customers, you run a real risk of losing customers.
In addition to losing customers, you can run the risk of not being able to close deals. If you don’t provide your customers with easy, hassle free ways to pay they will likely seek out other vendors that do offer more convenient ways to pay for the services they need.
Do yourself and your business a favor, offer prospective customers and existing customers easy ways to pay you. Your customers will appreciate it and in return, are more likely to become repeat customers.
We live in a nearly cashless society. Accepting credit cards is a requirement in today’s business trend.
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 Tagged with: cards, credit cards, merchant, merchant account, processing fees
August 20th, 2015 by Elma Jane
We live in a nearly cashless society. Accepting credit cards is a requirement in today’s business trend.
What are the benefits of accepting both credit and debit at your business? Check out NTC’s List.
Convey a sense of trust.
When launching a business, you won’t have the credibility of a well-established company, so gaining instant credibility by promoting that you’re able to accept credit cards will help your business evolve.
You’ll be able to acquire respectability and strong customer relationships, compared to companies that don’t accept credit cards.
The more payment options, the better the sales.
Why limit your customers to just cash? The number of people carrying cash decreases every day, accepting credit cards will open the door to more opportunities.
Credit Cards drive e-commerce.
Nearly every transaction made on the Internet is paid for by some sort of payment card, be it credit, debit or gift cards, so having a successful online presence and creating an excellent revenue stream is crucial for the growth of your business.
Plastic is better than a check.
Because of the high level of diligence done by Credit Card Processors, it’s less likely that you’ll be a victim of fraud when compared to accepting checks. Accepting one bad check can make a business susceptible to spending valuable time dealing with banks and trying to find the customer to get reimbursed.
National Transaction can help you with your Merchant account set up, making the application process as seamless as possible.
Our goal is to create a smooth, fast and secured transaction process, leading to a better relationship with your customers.
Customers tend not to hesitate with convenient, nice to have purchases when they use a credit card compared to harder-to-part-with cash.
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 Tagged with: checks, credit cards, debit, e-commerce, Gift Cards, merchant, merchant account, payment card, processors
August 17th, 2015 by Elma Jane
It can be hard to see the benefits of accepting credit cards for some startups and small business merchants – especially if the business has been cash only since opening day. However, there is a big downside to being cash only and you could really be limiting the customers you bring in.
While cash is the simplest form of payment, but it’s not always the best form of payment for small businesses.
Some consequences of accepting cash only.
- Being cash only can mean you will need to do additional paperwork come tax time. You must file Form 8300, Report of Cash Payments over $10,000 Received in a Trade or Business, if your business receives more than $10,000 in cash from one buyer as a result of a single transaction or two or more related transactions. This same rule applies to cash equivalents including traveler’s checks, bank drafts, cashier’s checks and money orders. The form does require that you have your customer’s name, address and social security number.
- Credit cards and debit cards are very popular; in fact, most people only carry a small amount of cash or no cash at all. Because of this, being cash only can cause your business to lose both existing and potential customers. A cash only policy can make them feel inconvenienced and cause them to take their business elsewhere.
- If your customers don’t have the cash to purchase an item they want from your business, then they are more likely to walk away from the purchase.
- Keeping a large sum of cash at your business can put you at an increased security risk. It can also increase the amount of time you will spend at your business managing finances because of the time it can take to count cash and change.
If your Business is ready to accept credit cards give us a call 888-996-2273 or go to our website www.nationaltransaction.com
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: bank drafts, cash, cashier’s checks, credit cards, debit cards, merchants, money orders, payment, transactions, traveler’s checks
July 14th, 2015 by Elma Jane
If you own a business, you should consider opening a merchant account. If you accept credit cards for transactions, you will take your business to a higher level, increase your revenue, and gain new customers. Most people nowadays use credit cards and debit cards to pay for their purchases, so no business should go without processing card payments. Electronic, Credit card processing payments are a must-have for any kind of business including Internet businesses.
If you accept several forms of payments, you will provide your customers with multiple options and you will enhance their experiences. If you do not accept credit cards, the people who prefer to pay for their purchases with credit cards and debit cards will go somewhere else, and you will lose the transaction. So many benefits are attached with merchant accounts and millions of small business owners have found success with them. If you have a merchant account, you will be able to accept Discover, MasterCard, Visa, and American Express from your customers.
With National Transaction, securing Electronic, Credit card payment processing service instore, online and on the go are easy to acquire. It will boost your income, so it is worth the investment. You can apply online for a merchant account, the applications will only take you a few minutes to complete, and you will find out if you have been approved for a merchant account in a day or so.
A credit card processing service will also protect your business and valued customers against fraud. Customers feel safe using credit cards because they know that if their cards get stolen, they can cancel them, dispute the purchases, and get their money back. Your customers will feel safe when they make purchases. Some consumers will not purchase from a company that does not accept credit/debit card.
National Transaction offers advanced payment processing solutions like Currency Conversion, EBT and Debit Cards Processing, E-commerce Gateways, Electronic Check and ACH Transfers, Gift Loyalty Card Programs, Loans and Advances, Mobile Processing and MediPaid, you will definitely benefit from opening a merchant account. National Transaction offers Free CRM and we can even help promote your business through Social Media Sites. We offer a very competitive rate and Customer/Technical Support to our Partners because we answer our phone.
Merchant accounts are a necessity for any kind of business, so don’t wait. Sign up for a merchant account right now and discover what your business can gain from accepting credit cards! With 73 percent of American households owning a credit card, it’s easy to think that everyday credit card usage is a way of life.
Give us a call 888-996-2273 or check our website www.nationaltransaction.com
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: ACH Transfers, Advances, card payments, credit card processing, credit cards, crm, Currency Conversion, debit cards, Debit Cards Processing, e-commerce, EBT, Electronic Check, gateways, Gift Loyalty Card, loans, MediPaid, merchant account, Mobile Processing, payments, transactions
June 26th, 2015 by Elma Jane
As you can tell from the name, Android Pay playbook is remarkably similar to Apple Pay. Android Pay will use an on-board Near Field Communication (NFC) chip and tokenization services from the major networks to deliver a token from the phone to an NFC-enabled point of sale. Just like Apple Pay. Android Pay is supported by more than 700,000 merchant locations and Android Pay will provide APIs for app developers to take in-app payments from the on-board wallet. Both Apple Pay and Android Pay have fingerprint scanners on phones, you can enable payments with just a fingerprint scan.
While details are barely sufficient, rumor has it Google won’t charge banks a fee as Apple does on the transactions and that’s the difference. Additionally, technical differences in the operating systems underlying the payment system exist, but they won’t affect how every day users experience the system. Android Pay will suffer a slower upgrade path than Apple Pay, due to the lack of hardware support for the newer operating system (it can take Android twice as long to get users upgraded).
There is no war between Apple and google. NFC won the war! We are seeing all of the armies gather together under its flag. As consumers, we love to see better products. When it comes to payments, we need standards and reliability.
With the alignment of the two operating system platforms on NFC, on user experiences like fingerprint unlocking and on both in-app and retail payments, consumers, retailers, and app developers can build an ecosystem we can all understand. Credit cards work great because they are ubiquitous. Everyone can use them everywhere, and every retailer has incentives to be a part of the system.
An NFC-based mobile payments experience will have this same effect. Over the next five years more and more retailers will add NFC-capable terminals. More phones will be fully capable of NFC payments with fingerprint sensors. More consumers will carry those phones.
So if it’s not a war, are there any losers? Companies focused on plastic cards, but not NFC. Transitory technologies like Samsung Pay’s MST (magnetic secure transmission) also have a strong transition period as they enable payments at non-NFC enabled terminals. MST (magnetic secure transmission) is a strong player because the user experience is very similar (hold a phone to a reader), even if the technical method is not the same.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Near Field Communication Tagged with: banks, chip, credit cards, merchant, Mobile Payments, Near Field Communication, nfc, NFC payments, NFC-capable terminals, NFC-enabled, payment system, payments, point of sale, tokenization
June 15th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Merchants Provided Access to Digital Payments Innovations for Store-Branded Cards through Partnerships with Synchrony Financial and Citi Retail Services
Purchase, NY – June 15, 2015 – MasterCard today became the first payment network to provide tokenization services to private label (store-branded) credit card issuers, enabling merchants to take advantage of the latest digital payment innovations. BJ’s Wholesale Club, Kohl’s and JCPenney will be among the first retailers to bring mobile payments to their private label cardholders later this year. The company also announced partnerships with some of the largest private label credit card issuers in the U.S., including Synchrony Financial and Citi Retail Services, to enable consumers to use their eligible credit cards within participating mobile payment and digital wallet services.
According to Equifax’s National Consumer Credit Trends Report, the number of open retail credit card accounts exceeded the 195 million mark by the fall of 2014. As the only network to offer private label support for wallet service offerings, MasterCard continues to enable consumers to pay when, where and how they want – and on the device of their choice.
Tokenization support for private label issuers is made possible through the MasterCard Digital Enablement Service (MDES), which enables a connected device to be securely used for everyday shopping and payments. MDES supports contactless (NFC) payments with a mobile device at a physical point of sale, as well as from within a mobile app. Transactions are secured using industry-standard EMV cryptography and take full advantage of the most secure payments technology in the world.
“Thanks to our ongoing innovation and strategic partnerships, we are helping shape the future of how private label credit cards work in whichever digital wallet customers choose,” said Margaret Keane, president and CEO of Synchrony Financial. “It was recently announced that our retail partner, JCPenney, will be among the first to offer its private label credit cardholders the ability to checkout with Apple Pay later this year. We are committed to working with our retail partners, MasterCard, and key payments industry players to preserve the benefits of our private label credit cards and patented Dual Cards in third-party digital wallets.”
“We’re seeing significant momentum and innovation around digital wallets, and a key focus for MasterCard is that consumers can leverage these new offerings safely and securely. MDES was developed to ensure that any connected device can be used to make purchases, and deliver the simplicity, security and convenience people have become accustomed to when using a MasterCard account of their choice,” said Ed McLaughlin, chief emerging payments officer, MasterCard. “MasterCard is helping merchants capitalize on mobile payments, ensure the best possible consumer experience for their consumers and encourage both repeat business and customer loyalty.”
Since the announcement of MDES in 2013, millions of MasterCard accounts have been tokenized for use in popular digital wallet services. MDES currently provides tokenization services for credit, debit, co-brand, prepaid and small business cards, with private label tokenization beginning in the third quarter of this year.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants Tagged with: credit cards, digital paymets, Digital wallets, merchants, Mobile Payments, payment network, technology innovation, tokenization
June 5th, 2015 by Elma Jane
Traditionally, travel-related merchants have a difficult time obtaining merchant accounts. National Transaction Corporation (NTC) is a full service merchant account provider with extensive experience in the travel arena and related markets, servicing thousands of travel-related merchant accounts by specializing in non-cash electronic transactions. Our services include processing credit card transactions, gift card transactions, and e-commerce transactions, among others. We offer a full line of products including credit card terminals, cellular devices, supplies, and accessories for each model sold. We offer aggressive rates and pricing for mail/telephone order, retail/restaurant, wireless, and online transactions while specializing in the travel and high volume sectors of merchant processing, and we are proud to be the preferred merchant provider for ASTA.
NTC is dedicated to providing the highest caliber of service and solutions in the merchant processing industry. We actually answer the phone when you need assistance! NTC has a team of dedicated employees providing personalized service to each account holder and are available directly through their toll free number, never hidden behind a menu system. Our excellent service truly separates us from everyone else in the industry. The principals of NTC have extensive experience in the processing arena for over 25 years, with experience in all facets of operation, including credit cards, credit initiation, credit investigation, loss prevention, deployment, and customer and terminal support. We employ internal sales associates as well as independent sales agents who offer many opportunities through their referral reward services and Independent Sales Organization (ISO) programs.
NTC’s online gateway allows for processing transactions, reviewing account history, and interacting with various shopping cart and accounting applications such as QuickBooks, Peachtree, and many other titles. Reservation software such as Trams are compatible and integrate well with all National Transaction merchant accounts. Whether you are a travel agency or an independent agent, we offer many solutions that cater to the travel industry and will increase your revenue with quicker deposits into your bank account.
Travel environments are unique in that your transactions are usually keyed; there is almost always a delayed delivery period, and large ticket transactions are not uncommon since one card holder may be paying for multiple tickets. They also tend to be seasonal, with peak season months generating an unusual spike in their “average” monthly volume, and charge-back’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. National Transaction Corp specializes in understanding what makes your transactions unique, as a travel agent, and how they affect your merchant account.
The importance of customer service is something that is over looked when merchants compare the overall cost of monthly fees with their merchant account. That is, until the moment they need assistance with their account. Whether searching for missing deposits, having problems processing transactions, issuing refunds, processing voids, or questioning their billing statement, a merchant should always remember you get what you pay for. If you wonder why they can offer you no monthly fee, they are offering you no LIVE customer support. Customer support for them will come via means of email. You will wait hours for answers, and even days for a simple confirmation or general email, let alone a resolution.
National Transaction Corporation has over 17 years of dedication and experience in providing quality solutions in the credit card processing arena. From internet e-commerce applications to food stamp processing, from small start up businesses to fortune 500 companies, NTC has a complete product selection to customize a solution to grow with your business. We at NTC pride ourselves on being a full service, member service provider. It is our mission to provide the same dedication and service in maintaining your business as you experience in us earning your business. NTC will provide service after the sale. It is that service that sets us apart! For more information, contact NTC for world class service and solutions.
Contact National Transaction Corporation today at 888-996-2273 to see how we can help you with your travel merchant account, or visit us online at www.nationaltransaction.com for more information.
by Elizabeth Cody (Travel Research Online)
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit card Processing, e-commerce & m-commerce, Gift & Loyalty Card Processing, Merchant Account Services News Articles, Merchant Cash Advance, Travel Agency Agents Tagged with: ASTA, bank account, billing statement, credit card terminals, credit card transactions, credit cards, customer service, deposits, e-commerce, e-commerce transactions, electronic transactions, gift card transactions, Independent Sales Organization, ISO, merchant account provider, merchant accounts, merchants, service provider, travel, travel agency, travel agent, travel industry
All merchants that accepts, transmit or stores cardholder data are required to be PCI (Payment Card Industry) Compliant. Most believe that because they do not charge the credit cards themselves, they are exempt. Why all agencies are required to be complaint even when they don’t charge credit cards themselves, and some steps to ensure your agency is PCI compliant.
What is PCI compliance?
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements designed to ensure that all companies that process, store or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. PCI applies to all organizations or merchants, regardless of size or number of transactions, that accepts, transmits or stores any cardholder data. Travel agents accepting, storing and transmitting credit card information to suppliers, are required to be compliant too. Suppliers reinforce this through their travel agent guidelines/contracts. Travel Agency must adhere to the applicable credit card company’s procedures for credit card transactions.
Consequences of Not Being PCI Compliant
If an agency is not PCI compliant, the agency can lose the ability to process credit card payments with that supplier. Not being able to pay with client credit cards can be a serious roadblock for agencies, and an inconvenience for clients.
If you have a merchant account and are found to be out of compliance, you can be fined.
How to be PCI Compliant
Don’t store the CCV security code from the client’s credit card. The client does not have the authority to grant you permission to store their CCV code. The credit card company explicitly forbid storage of the CCV code.
Make sure you securely store any client information, including their credit card number and expiration date. If you use a CRM, ensure that you have a strong password. If your CRM database is stored on your computer hard drive, encrypt it (there is a great encryption software that is free of charge). If you have an IT resource, talk to them about installing a firewall on your network, installing anti-virus and anti-malware protection, and any other steps that you can take to secure your client data even further.
If you keep paper copies of client information, keep it in a locked filing cabinet or desk drawer. When you no longer need their credit card information, cross shred it.
Home based businesses are arguably the most vulnerable simply because they are usually not well protected, according to the PCI Compliance Guide. Having strong passwords, encryption, a firewall, anti-virus and anti-malware protection are all inexpensive steps that you can take to protect your business and your clients’ sensitive data.
If you receive a courtesy call reminding you about PCI Compliance, don’t ignore it.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit card Processing, Credit Card Security, Payment Card Industry PCI Security Tagged with: cardholder, cardholder data, cards, CCV, CCV code, credit, credit card company, credit card number, credit card payments, credit card transactions, credit cards, crm, CRM database, data, database, encryption software, merchant account, Merchant's, network, Payment Card Industry, PCI, security code, transactions, travel agents
March 10th, 2015 by Elma Jane
If you can’t accept credit cards for your business, you are losing out on potential revenue. Most people don’t carry more than $20 in cash with them at a time, and people who use credit cards tend to spend more than their cash-carrying counterparts.
These days you can turn your smartphone or tablet into a credit card reader, but which service should you choose? What do you need to consider when deciding?
NTC is here to help you understand all the intricacies of taking credit card payments with your smartphone or credit card.
Credit card reader or Wedge are useful in a variety of industries and for businesses of all sizes. Arts and crafts business accepting credit card payments at conventions and other events. A pub that gives its servers credit card readers rather than having to pay for everything at the bar. POS systems with a mobile integration can swipe your card on the spot rather than taking credit cards over the phone when ordering delivery.
If you work in one of these fields it might be time to think about getting a wedge:
Arts and crafts vendors: Do you sell your wares at conventions, art shows, and other big events? You could be a book reseller, an artist, a jewelry maker, a clothing retailer, or even a makeup seller.
Food Service: Food trucks were among the earliest adopters of mobile card readers, but there is no shortage of restaurants that are using them now. There are companies both offer POS systems in addition to their mobile card readers, which is perfect for delivery services.
Service providers: If you don’t have a brick-and-mortar office or base of operation where customers visit you, or if you conduct your business in your customers’ homes (carpet cleaners, plumbers, lawn care, mobile dog groomers, exterminators, etc.), a credit card reader/wedge gives you flexibility as well as credibility, as well as added security.
Understanding the Costs of Accepting Credit Card Payments
In the traditional business model, to accept credit card payments you would have to set up a merchant account. A merchant account typically entails a detailed look at your credit history and business.
Credit card companies assess a small fee to merchants for processing payments. With merchant accounts and card readers, the cost is built in and deducted automatically, so you don’t have to worry about paying it yourself. With a merchant account, you typically get lower rates because of the decreased risk.
It’s not just the standard fees that you need to worry about when you want to accept credit card payments. There are costs hidden everywhere, so let’s address some of these issues:
Internet Availability Typically, smartphone and tablet card readers need some sort of Internet connectivity, via a cellular signal or Wi-Fi. Most smartphones these days are capable of becoming Wi-Fi hotspots, so you can create your own Wi-Fi. However, this option relies on your phone’s data plan. The more transactions you make, the more data you use.
Compatibility You also need to make sure that your devices are compatible with the card reader. Check the list of compatible devices before you commit to one service over another.
Also note that you’re going to usually have to enable location services on your phone.
Card Compatibility, Manual Entry Fees, Location There are card readers that seems to work best with a specific device. You’re typically going to pay more for manually entering credit card numbers because of the greater risk – the card doesn’t have to physically be present to complete the transaction.
Likewise, you’re usually going to pay more for accepting international cards, and you’re not always going to be able to accept payments outside the U.S.
Taxes and Tips Several mobile credit card readers will let you add sales tax to the base purchase without requiring you to calculate it, which is handy if you’re not fond of math or just want the transaction to go more quickly.
As an alternative, you can build the sales tax into the listed prices, which some of your customers might appreciate.
Finally, depending on your industry, you may want to check that the credit card reader you use allows your customers to add a tip.
Time to Get Your Money The final cost to consider for credit card readers is more of a convenience fee than anything — it’s the time before you can access your money.
If you’re in a high-risk industry or have a high volume of business, you are probably better off obtaining a merchant account and using one of their mobile solutions.
You’re also going to want to worry about refunds and chargebacks. If, for whatever reason, a consumer complains to his or her credit card company and there’s a chargeback.
Features to look For in Your Credit Card Reader Features-wise, you can at least expect the basics to remain consistent across smartphone credit card readers: you can swipe cards, manually key them in, and issue receipts. It’s the little things that will ultimately set one service provider apart from the rest. Some of the things you may want to look out for include:
Record-Keeping for Cash and Checks Sure, you can manage your cash intake the old fashioned way and let your bank deal with checks. But some credit card readers, (which doesn’t actually require you to swipe cards, but more on that later) will let you create digital receipts for cash and check transactions as well.
POS Integration Depending on your needs, you might want to look for a service that has easy POS integration.
E-Commerce Integration Likewise, look for easy integration with an online store, if you have one. Easy integration is ideal for centralizing your accounts.
Accounting Integration & More Do you use an accounting service? If so, you might prefer the ability to transfer your data directly from your card swiping service to your accounting software.
Invoicing If you do custom orders, offer services, or provide goods to a business, you’re all too familiar with invoices. With some services, you can generate invoices through them and send them to clients via email. The biggest advantage to this is simply that you get your money quicker because there’s no need to cut a check and send it through snail mail.
Voids and Refunds It’s unfortunate, but you do need to make accommodations to process refunds and void transactions. Sometimes your finger slips on a key and you don’t notice until afterward, and sometimes the customer just changes their mind. Make sure that you understand how to use these features in whichever service you choose.
Card Reader Design Needless to say there is more than a bit of awkwardness trying to balance a phone with a 5.1-inch screen in your hand while also stabilizing the card reader while swiping the card. Especially when you’re working with limited table space. It’s worth looking at the card reader and the device it’s attached to and making sure that the design works for you.
Permissions for Multiple Users Do you have several employees? The ability to give permissions to multiple users comes in handy here. With it, you can enable employees (or your friends) to accept payments without giving them full access to your account. This is great if you happen to have multiple booths at events, or if you send multiple employees out on location and each one needs to be able to accept payments.
Accepting credit card payments doesn’t have to be a terrifying prospect, even if you’re running just a small-time business. You can get a mobile credit card reader for free in many cases, and while you won’t pay the lower fees associated with traditional merchant accounts, the costs are still readily manageable. What you need to consider are the hidden costs — not necessarily in the service providers, but the ones that come from using a data connection, or requiring Wi-Fi. How soon you get your money should also be a top priority.
Posted in Best Practices for Merchants, Credit Card Reader Terminal, Mobile Payments, Mobile Point of Sale, Smartphone, smartSD Cards Tagged with: (POS) systems, card reader, chargebacks, credit card reader, credit cards, e-commerce, high risk, merchant account, Merchant's, mobile card readers, mobile integration, POS, processing payments, Service providers, wedge
