Learn How To Accept Credit Cards By Phone
By Shane Penrod
If your business is poised for growth, don’t be held back by a
fear of technology if you don’t know how to accept credit cards
by phone. E-commerce is the way to go if you want to stay ahead
of the competition and grow your customer base. Even if your
company does not own a piece of technical equipment, now is the
time to jump on the bandwagon to take advantage of easy ways to
increase your profits.
To accept credit cards by phone, you will first need to get a
merchant account. This is a special account offered by various
financial lenders and institutions to reliable merchants that
are looking to grow their business. A merchant account provides
linkages between your business and customers’ credit payments
via a bank processing system that ensures timely receipts and
secure transmissions. These can be handled in many different
ways, such as through a credit card processor sitting on a
cashier’s counter, a Website credit processor, a wireless unit,
or as discussed here, a telephone credit processing program.
When you get approved for a merchant account, you will be able
to choose the most appropriate service for your business, and
many companies are opting telephone ordering services that
provide a secure means of paying by credit card during a
toll-free phone call that is often automated.
You will need to get the best deal on a merchant account before
you can accept credit cards by phone. Shop for fees, terms, and
products, since these accounts can be very competitive and some
are laced with seemingly hidden costs, such as an application
fee, gateway fee, and annual membership fee, among others. Once
you find out what you will have to pay for a set-up and how much
it will cost to put in a phone ordering and payment system, you
will be able to negotiate a deal that will optimize your assets
without jeopardizing your investment. You may want to use a
toll-free number or even more than one number. It may be
automated or you might choose to staff the phone line with a
friendly customer service representative. It is important to
make sure the line is secure so customers can feel safe about
ordering and paying by credit card while on the phone with your
company.
To accept credit cards by phone, ask your merchant account
representative about the various options that you can choose
from. Find out how much each one costs both in terms of direct
and indirect expenses. Some may be billed at a certain rate per
transaction, while others are charged an overall low percentage
fee. It might even be a good idea to find out if your customers
will want to order and pay be phone, because if not, your
investment could dry up quickly. Be sure not to purchase more
equipment or support than you need to get started. You can
always add more features later as the business grows.
When you install a digital credit processing system, get ready
to accept credit cards by phone.
About the Author: Shane Penrod is the founder of
Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants
the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national
merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account
rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
How To Accept Credit Cards At Your Business
By Shane Penrod
Those who are still learning the ropes of running a small or
home-based business may be unsure about how to accept credit
cards for their goods and services. Perhaps you have sold
handmade items by mail order up to this point, receiving a
check in the mail as payment. Or you might run a small shop
where customers come in to shop and pay by check or cash. If
you are wondering how to accept credit cards, here are a few
basic guidelines.
1. Apply for a merchant account to find out how to accept
credit cards at your business. You can get one through many
banks and other financial institutions in your area. Visit
websites such of as many credit card merchants as possible.
Also visit websites of several banks to see if they offer
merchant accounts. Click on the link to find out what the
requirements are and whether you are eligible. If you don’t see
specific information for this type of account, email the contact
person and ask for information about how to obtain a merchant
account so you may start accepting credit card payments.
2. Demonstrate your fiscal responsibility. Submit copies of
documents that prove you are a good credit risk and ready to
manage the next step of upgrading your business by learning how
to accept credit cards. You may want to get a copy of your
company’s credit history, the last three or four company bank
statements, and the usual business documents that show your
company to be in good standing. Keep in mind that many
underwriters do not want to work with companies that are
involved with pornography, drug sales, spam, or other types of
questionable enterprises.
3. Companies involved with charge backs may experience a fee
adjustment. Give some thought to the types of expenses you will
incur when you learn how to accept credit cards. For example,
there may be set-up fees, monthly statement fees, gateway fees,
and others. You also may want to ask about wireless credit card
processing if you have employees that work at various
destinations or whose jobs are somewhat mobile as they collect
payments.
4. In learning how to accept credit cards, realize that you may
be bombarded with offers from companies who want your business.
They may offer terrific-sounding deals that will collapse when
it comes time to sign the contract. Or you may agree on terms
and then realize that the terms later change to your
disadvantage. Make sure you understand the contract’s fine
print before signing. Avoid purchasing unnecessary features
that will add to your cost but not necessarily to your profit.
5. When you learn how to accept credit cards, you will want to
be sure that your company’s Website stays up to date and
remains functional so that customers can use it at any time.
You may have to hire a service technician to oversee Website
content and to address any glitches from the company side or
the client’s side when problems are reported.
Moving your business into the e-commerce era is challenging and
exciting. Take time to become familiar with the various ways in
which customers can make electronic payments so that both you
and they can avoid errors and experience the convenience of
learning how to accept credit cards.
About the Author: Shane Penrod is the founder of
Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants
the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national
merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account
rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Shane Penrod
Those who are still learning the ropes of running a small or
home-based business may be unsure about how to accept credit
cards for their goods and services. Perhaps you have sold
handmade items by mail order up to this point, receiving a
check in the mail as payment. Or you might run a small shop
where customers come in to shop and pay by check or cash. If
you are wondering how to accept credit cards, here are a few
basic guidelines.
1. Apply for a merchant account to find out how to accept
credit cards at your business. You can get one through many
banks and other financial institutions in your area. Visit
websites such of as many credit card merchants as possible.
Also visit websites of several banks to see if they offer
merchant accounts. Click on the link to find out what the
requirements are and whether you are eligible. If you don’t see
specific information for this type of account, email the contact
person and ask for information about how to obtain a merchant
account so you may start accepting credit card payments.
2. Demonstrate your fiscal responsibility. Submit copies of
documents that prove you are a good credit risk and ready to
manage the next step of upgrading your business by learning how
to accept credit cards. You may want to get a copy of your
company’s credit history, the last three or four company bank
statements, and the usual business documents that show your
company to be in good standing. Keep in mind that many
underwriters do not want to work with companies that are
involved with pornography, drug sales, spam, or other types of
questionable enterprises.
3. Companies involved with charge backs may experience a fee
adjustment. Give some thought to the types of expenses you will
incur when you learn how to accept credit cards. For example,
there may be set-up fees, monthly statement fees, gateway fees,
and others. You also may want to ask about wireless credit card
processing if you have employees that work at various
destinations or whose jobs are somewhat mobile as they collect
payments.
4. In learning how to accept credit cards, realize that you may
be bombarded with offers from companies who want your business.
They may offer terrific-sounding deals that will collapse when
it comes time to sign the contract. Or you may agree on terms
and then realize that the terms later change to your
disadvantage. Make sure you understand the contract’s fine
print before signing. Avoid purchasing unnecessary features
that will add to your cost but not necessarily to your profit.
5. When you learn how to accept credit cards, you will want to
be sure that your company’s Website stays up to date and
remains functional so that customers can use it at any time.
You may have to hire a service technician to oversee Website
content and to address any glitches from the company side or
the client’s side when problems are reported.
Moving your business into the e-commerce era is challenging and
exciting. Take time to become familiar with the various ways in
which customers can make electronic payments so that both you
and they can avoid errors and experience the convenience of
learning how to accept credit cards.
About the Author: Shane Penrod is the founder of
Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants
the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national
merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account
rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Friday, April 27, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
Accept Credit Card Transactions
By Shane Penrod
If you are a small business owner or someone who works out of your home, wouldn’t it be great if you could accept credit card transactions? Well, now you can! All you need is a merchant services account and a little bit of ingenuity.
Anyone who wants to become eligible for credit card payments must be approved for a merchant account. Fortunately, many banks and lenders are willing to work with you to provide this service when you are able to convince them that your company is stable and that you can pay your bills on time. Finding a merchant account lender is a lot like opening a credit card account. You want the highest credit limit with the lowest interest rate. In the business world, however, it is usually a good idea to go slow and build your investment as profits begin to increase to justify the cost.
You can accept credit card transactions in a variety of ways through your business. The easiest way is to install a basic credit card processor so customers can swipe their favorite plastic card and push “yes” to approve the transaction. You print the receipt (which can be done through the processor terminal’s printing function) and the deal is done. Now you can join the big league merchants whose sales are going through the roof with the help of credit card processing equipment. If you are in the delivery business with products like pizza, dry cleaning, or even pet sitting, you can take along a wireless credit processor and have your customers sign at the point of sale. You won’t have to wait for the monthly payments or chase bounced checks anymore when you implement credit card processing options. Many customers prefer to pay with plastic at the time of purchase and be done with it instead of waiting for the bill to come in the mail, which then might get lost or misplaced—or never paid!
Another way to accept credit card transactions is by telephone. You can get a system hook-up that will let customers call your company at a toll-free number, order their merchandise by keying product codes or speaking to a company representative, and then keying a credit card number or giving it to the company rep. Even if you opt for an automated system that doesn’t require a live human staff member to interact with the client, you may want an employee on stand-by in case of problems or questions.
Perhaps the best way to accept credit card transactions is through a company Website. You can either design your own or pay a Web consultant to create one for you. Then register a domain name, pay a host site, and you’re in business. Customers can find you by using search engines with which you register. There are a number of marketing ploys you can use to bring the search engines to your company. When customers find you, make them want to come back by offering helpful advice, free tips, or product details. Any way you do it, customers will love you when you accept credit card transactions.
Shane Penrod is the founder of http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. Accept Credit Card Transactions
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shane_Penrod
http://EzineArticles.com/?Accept-Credit-Card-Transactions&id=127347
By Shane Penrod
If you are a small business owner or someone who works out of your home, wouldn’t it be great if you could accept credit card transactions? Well, now you can! All you need is a merchant services account and a little bit of ingenuity.
Anyone who wants to become eligible for credit card payments must be approved for a merchant account. Fortunately, many banks and lenders are willing to work with you to provide this service when you are able to convince them that your company is stable and that you can pay your bills on time. Finding a merchant account lender is a lot like opening a credit card account. You want the highest credit limit with the lowest interest rate. In the business world, however, it is usually a good idea to go slow and build your investment as profits begin to increase to justify the cost.
You can accept credit card transactions in a variety of ways through your business. The easiest way is to install a basic credit card processor so customers can swipe their favorite plastic card and push “yes” to approve the transaction. You print the receipt (which can be done through the processor terminal’s printing function) and the deal is done. Now you can join the big league merchants whose sales are going through the roof with the help of credit card processing equipment. If you are in the delivery business with products like pizza, dry cleaning, or even pet sitting, you can take along a wireless credit processor and have your customers sign at the point of sale. You won’t have to wait for the monthly payments or chase bounced checks anymore when you implement credit card processing options. Many customers prefer to pay with plastic at the time of purchase and be done with it instead of waiting for the bill to come in the mail, which then might get lost or misplaced—or never paid!
Another way to accept credit card transactions is by telephone. You can get a system hook-up that will let customers call your company at a toll-free number, order their merchandise by keying product codes or speaking to a company representative, and then keying a credit card number or giving it to the company rep. Even if you opt for an automated system that doesn’t require a live human staff member to interact with the client, you may want an employee on stand-by in case of problems or questions.
Perhaps the best way to accept credit card transactions is through a company Website. You can either design your own or pay a Web consultant to create one for you. Then register a domain name, pay a host site, and you’re in business. Customers can find you by using search engines with which you register. There are a number of marketing ploys you can use to bring the search engines to your company. When customers find you, make them want to come back by offering helpful advice, free tips, or product details. Any way you do it, customers will love you when you accept credit card transactions.
Shane Penrod is the founder of http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national merchant account providers. Accept Credit Card Transactions
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shane_Penrod
http://EzineArticles.com/?Accept-Credit-Card-Transactions&id=127347
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Auto Loan Factory
How To Start Accepting Credit Cards
By Michael Baker
How to start accepting credit cards in your business is almost a requirement in today's world. The amount of commerce transactions is increasing each day, year over year, especially in the category of e-commerce, that is, transactions on-line. Customers want the gratification of the instant purchase, or impule buy, and want it paid for right away. Don't take that away from them. If you accept credit cards, you can have the money in a matter of seconds, and the customer is just awaiting their package.
How to start accepting credit cards? It really is a simple process. It depends if you are a corporation, or an individual owner. If you are a corporation, you can apply for a merchant account, which is just an account to allow you to accept credit cards. They usually have the best rate that you are charges, typically 2.3%-2.6% per transaction, along with a .15-.25 cents fee per transaction. But, the downside, is they, being the merchant account holders, will have you sign an agreement for 1, 2, or 3 years, and charge you a monthly fee for their service. If you are doing monthly transactions of above $1000 and plan on growing, this is the right service for you. You can easily make your money back, and depending on the fee percentage, you will start to save money after $700 - $1000.
Another method to accept credit cards, are what we call 3rd party vendors. These are companies, which allow anyone to accept credit cards, but charge you, being the business, a higher fee. This is because they are the ones with the merchant account. So you may be charged 5.5% from a company, but they are only being charged 2.5% for their merchant account. So, they make 3% off of each transaction. There are many companies out there, but I will give you 2, which are above the rest:
PayPal is one of the largest 3rd party processors on the market. They have over 78 million accounts, and actually account for 25% of eBay's revenue. In other words, they are big. But, they are good. Their fee is 1.9%-2.9%, plus a .30 cent per transaction fee. Pretty comparable to merchants, without the monthly costs. I use paypal all the time, whether on ebay transactions, or if I need to email an invoice to someone, PayPal covers it all. And it is free to signup for PayPal
There are other companies out there, but this the one I use. I can use paypal to accept credit cards through websites, and through ebay auctions. This is how to start accepting credit cards.
Michael Baker is a provider of quality information on Financial Services for your Business.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Baker
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Start-Accepting-Credit-Cards&id=535946
By Michael Baker
How to start accepting credit cards in your business is almost a requirement in today's world. The amount of commerce transactions is increasing each day, year over year, especially in the category of e-commerce, that is, transactions on-line. Customers want the gratification of the instant purchase, or impule buy, and want it paid for right away. Don't take that away from them. If you accept credit cards, you can have the money in a matter of seconds, and the customer is just awaiting their package.
How to start accepting credit cards? It really is a simple process. It depends if you are a corporation, or an individual owner. If you are a corporation, you can apply for a merchant account, which is just an account to allow you to accept credit cards. They usually have the best rate that you are charges, typically 2.3%-2.6% per transaction, along with a .15-.25 cents fee per transaction. But, the downside, is they, being the merchant account holders, will have you sign an agreement for 1, 2, or 3 years, and charge you a monthly fee for their service. If you are doing monthly transactions of above $1000 and plan on growing, this is the right service for you. You can easily make your money back, and depending on the fee percentage, you will start to save money after $700 - $1000.
Another method to accept credit cards, are what we call 3rd party vendors. These are companies, which allow anyone to accept credit cards, but charge you, being the business, a higher fee. This is because they are the ones with the merchant account. So you may be charged 5.5% from a company, but they are only being charged 2.5% for their merchant account. So, they make 3% off of each transaction. There are many companies out there, but I will give you 2, which are above the rest:
PayPal is one of the largest 3rd party processors on the market. They have over 78 million accounts, and actually account for 25% of eBay's revenue. In other words, they are big. But, they are good. Their fee is 1.9%-2.9%, plus a .30 cent per transaction fee. Pretty comparable to merchants, without the monthly costs. I use paypal all the time, whether on ebay transactions, or if I need to email an invoice to someone, PayPal covers it all. And it is free to signup for PayPal
There are other companies out there, but this the one I use. I can use paypal to accept credit cards through websites, and through ebay auctions. This is how to start accepting credit cards.
Michael Baker is a provider of quality information on Financial Services for your Business.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_Baker
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Start-Accepting-Credit-Cards&id=535946
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
How To Accept Credit Cards
By Matthew Coers
If you plan to do business online, then your website will need
to accept credit cards. For many, the idea of applying for a
merchant account sounds like a daunting task, but the truth is
that building an online store is incredibly easy these days.
The major credit card processing companies have improved and
streamlined the process of setting up accounts, and software
companies have had several years to improve their software to
the point that it is easy for non-technical business owners to
create and operate an online store effectively.
3rd Party Processors – The inexpensive way to start
For the beginning web entrepreneur, the most important issue in
credit card processing is how much product you think you can
realistically sell in a month. If you are selling less than
$1000 per month, then you will want to go with a “third-party
processor”. PayPal is the most widely known and reputable third
party processor, and you can easily set up an account with them.
Unlike traditional merchant accounts, PayPal accounts are free
to set up and cost nothing on a monthly basis. You will pay
more per transaction with PayPal than you would with a
traditional merchant account, but for low-volume start-up
businesses making less than $1000 per month, you will gladly
choose higher transaction costs over account set-up fees,
monthly account fees, minimum charges, interchange fees,
gateway fees, and perhaps worst of all, account cancellation
fees (just to name a few).
Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A PayPal Account
Bank Account – you will need a bank account for PayPal to
deposit your funds into.
Apply for a PayPal Account
Traditional Merchant Accounts
If your processing volume will be higher than $1000 per month,
then you will probably want to go with a traditional merchant
account. Credit card processing companies generally charge a
minimum monthly fee that is approximately equal to the amount
of money you would pay to process $1000 per month. Generally
speaking you can expect to pay around $50 per month in minimum
charges for a merchant account. As you process more, your costs
will go up, but the percentage of your gross sales that you pay
for processing should go down.
Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A Traditional Merchant Account
It is not difficult to set up a traditional merchant account,
but you will need to follow several steps in order to pull it
off.
Get a business license
Get a business bank account at your bank
Make sure your web host supports your shopping cart system (you
might even be able to get your shopping cart system bundled in
with your credit card processing services for free).
Try to determine the amount of business you will generate. Your
credit card processing company will want to know how large each
transaction will be, and how many transactions you expect to
have per month.
Negotiate with merchant account providers and establish your
merchant credit card account (see list of merchant account
providers).
Following are several merchant account providers you may be
interested in contacting:
www.paypal.com
PayPal allows you to accept payments instantly without the need
to set up special accounts or sign long-term contracts. You will
want to strongly consider using this one if you are processing
less than $1000 per month.
www.totalmerchantservices.com
Total Merchant Services is one of the largest resellers of
merchant accounts both on and offline, and are trusted by
literally tens of thousands of businesses of all sizes. They
use First Data as their back-end processor.
www.merchantexpress.com
This is a well-respected processor that services both on and
offline businesses.
www.expandyourbusiness.com
CardService International provides a very helpful eBook that
you can download for free
Some Issues You Want To Consider
Generally speaking you will be more concerned with up-front and
recurring fees rather than the discount rate that processing
companies will quote most prominently. The hidden fees
generally eclipse the discount rates – especially for low
volume start-up businesses.
Try to accurately estimate your business volume when you fill
out your applications. The risk department at your processing
company can put a freeze on your account if your volumes move
significantly outside the estimates you have provided them.
If you do experience a sudden spike in orders, you should
contact the risk department of your processing company to make
them aware of the spike BEFORE it hits their system. They may
want to have you send them details about the orders and provide
proof that the orders are legitimate. As inconvenient as this
is, it is far better than getting your account frozen.
Make sure you understand what fees you will be responsible for
if you need to cancel your account before the end of your
contract. You may find that you need to shut down your account
for a variety of reasons, and you don’t want to find out about
exit fees after you get the bill!
In conclusion, you should start off your search for credit card
processing by making a realistic estimate of your processing
needs. If you believe you will be processing less than $1000
per month, then you will probably want to work with a
third-party processor like PayPal. If you will be processing
more than $1000 per month then you will want to work with a
traditional credit card processing company (see list of
processors above). You should be more concerned with upfront
and recurring fees than with the discount rate. Once you have
selected a processing company, you will want to make sure you
have your business license and business bank account. Finally,
you will need to make sure that your shopping cart system
supports your processing company.
About the Author: Mr. Coers specializes in helping
entrepreneurs build effective web businesses. His website,
http://www.profitchoice.com contains useful articles and
"how-to" guides to help organizations build their brands and
sell more effectively.
Source: http://www.isnare.com
By Matthew Coers
If you plan to do business online, then your website will need
to accept credit cards. For many, the idea of applying for a
merchant account sounds like a daunting task, but the truth is
that building an online store is incredibly easy these days.
The major credit card processing companies have improved and
streamlined the process of setting up accounts, and software
companies have had several years to improve their software to
the point that it is easy for non-technical business owners to
create and operate an online store effectively.
3rd Party Processors – The inexpensive way to start
For the beginning web entrepreneur, the most important issue in
credit card processing is how much product you think you can
realistically sell in a month. If you are selling less than
$1000 per month, then you will want to go with a “third-party
processor”. PayPal is the most widely known and reputable third
party processor, and you can easily set up an account with them.
Unlike traditional merchant accounts, PayPal accounts are free
to set up and cost nothing on a monthly basis. You will pay
more per transaction with PayPal than you would with a
traditional merchant account, but for low-volume start-up
businesses making less than $1000 per month, you will gladly
choose higher transaction costs over account set-up fees,
monthly account fees, minimum charges, interchange fees,
gateway fees, and perhaps worst of all, account cancellation
fees (just to name a few).
Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A PayPal Account
Bank Account – you will need a bank account for PayPal to
deposit your funds into.
Apply for a PayPal Account
Traditional Merchant Accounts
If your processing volume will be higher than $1000 per month,
then you will probably want to go with a traditional merchant
account. Credit card processing companies generally charge a
minimum monthly fee that is approximately equal to the amount
of money you would pay to process $1000 per month. Generally
speaking you can expect to pay around $50 per month in minimum
charges for a merchant account. As you process more, your costs
will go up, but the percentage of your gross sales that you pay
for processing should go down.
Steps You Need To Take To Set Up A Traditional Merchant Account
It is not difficult to set up a traditional merchant account,
but you will need to follow several steps in order to pull it
off.
Get a business license
Get a business bank account at your bank
Make sure your web host supports your shopping cart system (you
might even be able to get your shopping cart system bundled in
with your credit card processing services for free).
Try to determine the amount of business you will generate. Your
credit card processing company will want to know how large each
transaction will be, and how many transactions you expect to
have per month.
Negotiate with merchant account providers and establish your
merchant credit card account (see list of merchant account
providers).
Following are several merchant account providers you may be
interested in contacting:
www.paypal.com
PayPal allows you to accept payments instantly without the need
to set up special accounts or sign long-term contracts. You will
want to strongly consider using this one if you are processing
less than $1000 per month.
www.totalmerchantservices.com
Total Merchant Services is one of the largest resellers of
merchant accounts both on and offline, and are trusted by
literally tens of thousands of businesses of all sizes. They
use First Data as their back-end processor.
www.merchantexpress.com
This is a well-respected processor that services both on and
offline businesses.
www.expandyourbusiness.com
CardService International provides a very helpful eBook that
you can download for free
Some Issues You Want To Consider
Generally speaking you will be more concerned with up-front and
recurring fees rather than the discount rate that processing
companies will quote most prominently. The hidden fees
generally eclipse the discount rates – especially for low
volume start-up businesses.
Try to accurately estimate your business volume when you fill
out your applications. The risk department at your processing
company can put a freeze on your account if your volumes move
significantly outside the estimates you have provided them.
If you do experience a sudden spike in orders, you should
contact the risk department of your processing company to make
them aware of the spike BEFORE it hits their system. They may
want to have you send them details about the orders and provide
proof that the orders are legitimate. As inconvenient as this
is, it is far better than getting your account frozen.
Make sure you understand what fees you will be responsible for
if you need to cancel your account before the end of your
contract. You may find that you need to shut down your account
for a variety of reasons, and you don’t want to find out about
exit fees after you get the bill!
In conclusion, you should start off your search for credit card
processing by making a realistic estimate of your processing
needs. If you believe you will be processing less than $1000
per month, then you will probably want to work with a
third-party processor like PayPal. If you will be processing
more than $1000 per month then you will want to work with a
traditional credit card processing company (see list of
processors above). You should be more concerned with upfront
and recurring fees than with the discount rate. Once you have
selected a processing company, you will want to make sure you
have your business license and business bank account. Finally,
you will need to make sure that your shopping cart system
supports your processing company.
About the Author: Mr. Coers specializes in helping
entrepreneurs build effective web businesses. His website,
http://www.profitchoice.com contains useful articles and
"how-to" guides to help organizations build their brands and
sell more effectively.
Source: http://www.isnare.com
Monday, April 16, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
Advantages Of Having Credit Cards
By Rudy Hadisentosa
Credit cards have many advantages if used judiciously. It fulfills all your needs. You can buy anything with the cards. Because of various benefits the card provides to the users, everyone from teenagers to retirees in the United States has credit cards.
Convenient to shop: Credit card is very much convenient to buy anything anywhere. If you are on a shopping spree and want to buy so many things at different shops in a market, credit card will be convenient enough for shopping. If it is on-line shopping then, credit is the best. Some online stores only accept credit cards for payments. If you are in foreign countries, you can make purchases with the credit card without having to worry about local currency.
Meet emergent needs: In case of emergency, credit cards can be an extremely helpful. If you are short of funds and need money, the credit card will provide you the required amount. If you are away from your place or on a trip to some city and you have inadvertently emptied your pocket, there the credit card will act like a friend.
Keep record of your expenditure: Your spending on the credit card will give a statement at the end of a month, stating the detail on your expenditures. You need not keep record daily to know about the spending. Credit cards can also keep you under limit in expenses as you cannot spend or borrow beyond the credit limit. It will remind you on spending.
It is secured to carry credit card: It is not secured to carry a large amount of cash. If you lose your cash, you cannot retrieve that. If you lose a credit card, you can immediately inform the card company to cancel the card. You can have another card in few days. If you are traveling, whether in the town or country or outside the US, it will be convenient to carry the card instead of cash.
Benefits: Credit card providers offer various lucrative offers like cash back on purchases, rebates on products you buy on the card, additional warranty coverage for the items you purchase, travel concessions, various insurance covers, etc. Some credit card offers free air tickets, free hotel accommodations to the card users.
Balance transfer: With the credit card, you can transfer your balance from a card with high interest rate to a card where the APR is 0%. There are many card companies who offer 0% APR for the starting six to 12 months. You can take the benefits of the promotional periods. You can save hundreds of dollars by balance transfer.
Can build good credit history: You can build a good credit rating if use credit card judiciously. If you have good credit rating that will help you later in your life. You can take loan easily. Financiers will believe you if your credit rating is good.
Improve the standard of life: Credit card can improve your daily life. Your life will be easy enough if you are using the card judiciously. What you have to give is the payment at the end of the month and not every day for every purchase.
However, if you misuse your credit card you may fall under the debt trap. Credit cards should be used properly and seriously.
There are hundreds of financial organizations in the United States providing credit cards. Some of the most famous among them are American Express Co., Chase Bank, Discover Financial Services, HSBC, and Citibank of America. They offer different types of credit cards for different categories of people. If you are a business person and want credit cards which can facilitate your various business transactions, go for a business credit card. Likewise, there are student credit card, entertainment card, store card, gas card, airlines card, etc.
CreditMe.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa, master cards, bank of America, orchard bank, discover, American express, citicards, visa credit cards, and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Compare credit cards at CreditMe.com now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Hadisentosa
http://EzineArticles.com/?Advantages-Of-Having-Credit-Cards&id=513224
By Rudy Hadisentosa
Credit cards have many advantages if used judiciously. It fulfills all your needs. You can buy anything with the cards. Because of various benefits the card provides to the users, everyone from teenagers to retirees in the United States has credit cards.
Convenient to shop: Credit card is very much convenient to buy anything anywhere. If you are on a shopping spree and want to buy so many things at different shops in a market, credit card will be convenient enough for shopping. If it is on-line shopping then, credit is the best. Some online stores only accept credit cards for payments. If you are in foreign countries, you can make purchases with the credit card without having to worry about local currency.
Meet emergent needs: In case of emergency, credit cards can be an extremely helpful. If you are short of funds and need money, the credit card will provide you the required amount. If you are away from your place or on a trip to some city and you have inadvertently emptied your pocket, there the credit card will act like a friend.
Keep record of your expenditure: Your spending on the credit card will give a statement at the end of a month, stating the detail on your expenditures. You need not keep record daily to know about the spending. Credit cards can also keep you under limit in expenses as you cannot spend or borrow beyond the credit limit. It will remind you on spending.
It is secured to carry credit card: It is not secured to carry a large amount of cash. If you lose your cash, you cannot retrieve that. If you lose a credit card, you can immediately inform the card company to cancel the card. You can have another card in few days. If you are traveling, whether in the town or country or outside the US, it will be convenient to carry the card instead of cash.
Benefits: Credit card providers offer various lucrative offers like cash back on purchases, rebates on products you buy on the card, additional warranty coverage for the items you purchase, travel concessions, various insurance covers, etc. Some credit card offers free air tickets, free hotel accommodations to the card users.
Balance transfer: With the credit card, you can transfer your balance from a card with high interest rate to a card where the APR is 0%. There are many card companies who offer 0% APR for the starting six to 12 months. You can take the benefits of the promotional periods. You can save hundreds of dollars by balance transfer.
Can build good credit history: You can build a good credit rating if use credit card judiciously. If you have good credit rating that will help you later in your life. You can take loan easily. Financiers will believe you if your credit rating is good.
Improve the standard of life: Credit card can improve your daily life. Your life will be easy enough if you are using the card judiciously. What you have to give is the payment at the end of the month and not every day for every purchase.
However, if you misuse your credit card you may fall under the debt trap. Credit cards should be used properly and seriously.
There are hundreds of financial organizations in the United States providing credit cards. Some of the most famous among them are American Express Co., Chase Bank, Discover Financial Services, HSBC, and Citibank of America. They offer different types of credit cards for different categories of people. If you are a business person and want credit cards which can facilitate your various business transactions, go for a business credit card. Likewise, there are student credit card, entertainment card, store card, gas card, airlines card, etc.
CreditMe.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa, master cards, bank of America, orchard bank, discover, American express, citicards, visa credit cards, and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Compare credit cards at CreditMe.com now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Hadisentosa
http://EzineArticles.com/?Advantages-Of-Having-Credit-Cards&id=513224
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
Advantages Of Having Credit Cards
By Rudy Hadisentosa
Credit cards have many advantages if used judiciously. It fulfills all your needs. You can buy anything with the cards. Because of various benefits the card provides to the users, everyone from teenagers to retirees in the United States has credit cards.
Convenient to shop: Credit card is very much convenient to buy anything anywhere. If you are on a shopping spree and want to buy so many things at different shops in a market, credit card will be convenient enough for shopping. If it is on-line shopping then, credit is the best. Some online stores only accept credit cards for payments. If you are in foreign countries, you can make purchases with the credit card without having to worry about local currency.
Meet emergent needs: In case of emergency, credit cards can be an extremely helpful. If you are short of funds and need money, the credit card will provide you the required amount. If you are away from your place or on a trip to some city and you have inadvertently emptied your pocket, there the credit card will act like a friend.
Keep record of your expenditure: Your spending on the credit card will give a statement at the end of a month, stating the detail on your expenditures. You need not keep record daily to know about the spending. Credit cards can also keep you under limit in expenses as you cannot spend or borrow beyond the credit limit. It will remind you on spending.
It is secured to carry credit card: It is not secured to carry a large amount of cash. If you lose your cash, you cannot retrieve that. If you lose a credit card, you can immediately inform the card company to cancel the card. You can have another card in few days. If you are traveling, whether in the town or country or outside the US, it will be convenient to carry the card instead of cash.
Benefits: Credit card providers offer various lucrative offers like cash back on purchases, rebates on products you buy on the card, additional warranty coverage for the items you purchase, travel concessions, various insurance covers, etc. Some credit card offers free air tickets, free hotel accommodations to the card users.
Balance transfer: With the credit card, you can transfer your balance from a card with high interest rate to a card where the APR is 0%. There are many card companies who offer 0% APR for the starting six to 12 months. You can take the benefits of the promotional periods. You can save hundreds of dollars by balance transfer.
Can build good credit history: You can build a good credit rating if use credit card judiciously. If you have good credit rating that will help you later in your life. You can take loan easily. Financiers will believe you if your credit rating is good.
Improve the standard of life: Credit card can improve your daily life. Your life will be easy enough if you are using the card judiciously. What you have to give is the payment at the end of the month and not every day for every purchase.
However, if you misuse your credit card you may fall under the debt trap. Credit cards should be used properly and seriously.
There are hundreds of financial organizations in the United States providing credit cards. Some of the most famous among them are American Express Co., Chase Bank, Discover Financial Services, HSBC, and Citibank of America. They offer different types of credit cards for different categories of people. If you are a business person and want credit cards which can facilitate your various business transactions, go for a business credit card. Likewise, there are student credit card, entertainment card, store card, gas card, airlines card, etc.
CreditMe.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa, master cards, bank of America, orchard bank, discover, American express, citicards, visa credit cards, and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Compare credit cards at CreditMe.com now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Hadisentosa
http://EzineArticles.com/?Advantages-Of-Having-Credit-Cards&id=513224
By Rudy Hadisentosa
Credit cards have many advantages if used judiciously. It fulfills all your needs. You can buy anything with the cards. Because of various benefits the card provides to the users, everyone from teenagers to retirees in the United States has credit cards.
Convenient to shop: Credit card is very much convenient to buy anything anywhere. If you are on a shopping spree and want to buy so many things at different shops in a market, credit card will be convenient enough for shopping. If it is on-line shopping then, credit is the best. Some online stores only accept credit cards for payments. If you are in foreign countries, you can make purchases with the credit card without having to worry about local currency.
Meet emergent needs: In case of emergency, credit cards can be an extremely helpful. If you are short of funds and need money, the credit card will provide you the required amount. If you are away from your place or on a trip to some city and you have inadvertently emptied your pocket, there the credit card will act like a friend.
Keep record of your expenditure: Your spending on the credit card will give a statement at the end of a month, stating the detail on your expenditures. You need not keep record daily to know about the spending. Credit cards can also keep you under limit in expenses as you cannot spend or borrow beyond the credit limit. It will remind you on spending.
It is secured to carry credit card: It is not secured to carry a large amount of cash. If you lose your cash, you cannot retrieve that. If you lose a credit card, you can immediately inform the card company to cancel the card. You can have another card in few days. If you are traveling, whether in the town or country or outside the US, it will be convenient to carry the card instead of cash.
Benefits: Credit card providers offer various lucrative offers like cash back on purchases, rebates on products you buy on the card, additional warranty coverage for the items you purchase, travel concessions, various insurance covers, etc. Some credit card offers free air tickets, free hotel accommodations to the card users.
Balance transfer: With the credit card, you can transfer your balance from a card with high interest rate to a card where the APR is 0%. There are many card companies who offer 0% APR for the starting six to 12 months. You can take the benefits of the promotional periods. You can save hundreds of dollars by balance transfer.
Can build good credit history: You can build a good credit rating if use credit card judiciously. If you have good credit rating that will help you later in your life. You can take loan easily. Financiers will believe you if your credit rating is good.
Improve the standard of life: Credit card can improve your daily life. Your life will be easy enough if you are using the card judiciously. What you have to give is the payment at the end of the month and not every day for every purchase.
However, if you misuse your credit card you may fall under the debt trap. Credit cards should be used properly and seriously.
There are hundreds of financial organizations in the United States providing credit cards. Some of the most famous among them are American Express Co., Chase Bank, Discover Financial Services, HSBC, and Citibank of America. They offer different types of credit cards for different categories of people. If you are a business person and want credit cards which can facilitate your various business transactions, go for a business credit card. Likewise, there are student credit card, entertainment card, store card, gas card, airlines card, etc.
CreditMe.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa, master cards, bank of America, orchard bank, discover, American express, citicards, visa credit cards, and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Compare credit cards at CreditMe.com now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Hadisentosa
http://EzineArticles.com/?Advantages-Of-Having-Credit-Cards&id=513224
Friday, April 13, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
Increase Your Sales - Accept Credit Cards
By Sue And Chuck DeFiore
Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by credit card. If you want their business, you must be able to accept their credit-card payments.
In part one of this series we will discuss why you should accept credit cards, and the basics of getting merchant status. Part two will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Obtaining merchant status, which allows you to accept credit-card payments, might seem like an unnecessary hassle, especially for those in business where the majority of their customers pay by cash or check. But by not accepting credit-card payments, you lose sales. This is especially true if yours is a mail order business, or consulting business. Just look at the majority of business today, all of them accept credit cards, and becoming more and more popular all the time are debit cards.
As many businesses have found, up to 70 percent of people never mail the check, so accepting credit cards is crucial. When the customer places an order, he’s excited and eager to buy. Faced with the prospect of sending a check, waiting for it to clear and then awaiting shipment, his interest is likely to wane. In the meantime, you lose sales.
The Basics of Merchant Status
In order to accept credit cards, you need to work with a bank that will transfer the money into your account within a day or two of the sale, and then collect the money from the customer. In return, you pay the bank a commission of 1.5 percent to 5 percent for each credit-card transaction; a set, per-transaction fee; and a setup fee. You will also have to pay monthly support or equipment-rental fees for a point-of-sale terminal—the machine used to swipe the card—depending on the contract.
The fee is based on two things, the average amount per transaction and the total volume for the year.
When you apply for merchant status, the banks evaluate your business based on its sales track record, the type of business it is, your credit record, the business’s credit record and your overall financial picture.
Apply for merchant status when you get your start-up financing. This accomplishes several things. First, it shows that you’ve thought ahead. And you will probably have customers that you wouldn’t have otherwise. In fact, some people don’t pay with anything but credit cards.
Second, you show you’re taking steps to minimize the time and expense involved in recovering bad debts. If someone writes a bad check, for instance, it will cost you time and money to recover the loss. If you swipe a customer’s credit card through a point-of-sale terminal, you can be sure you’ll get paid. The machine contacts the issuing bank to authorize the transaction and runs the account numbers through a variety of fraud-protection procedures.
In part two of this series we will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Copyright 2004 DeFiore Enterprises
Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_And_Chuck_DeFiore
http://EzineArticles.com/?Increase-Your-Sales---Accept-Credit-Cards&id=3249
By Sue And Chuck DeFiore
Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by credit card. If you want their business, you must be able to accept their credit-card payments.
In part one of this series we will discuss why you should accept credit cards, and the basics of getting merchant status. Part two will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Obtaining merchant status, which allows you to accept credit-card payments, might seem like an unnecessary hassle, especially for those in business where the majority of their customers pay by cash or check. But by not accepting credit-card payments, you lose sales. This is especially true if yours is a mail order business, or consulting business. Just look at the majority of business today, all of them accept credit cards, and becoming more and more popular all the time are debit cards.
As many businesses have found, up to 70 percent of people never mail the check, so accepting credit cards is crucial. When the customer places an order, he’s excited and eager to buy. Faced with the prospect of sending a check, waiting for it to clear and then awaiting shipment, his interest is likely to wane. In the meantime, you lose sales.
The Basics of Merchant Status
In order to accept credit cards, you need to work with a bank that will transfer the money into your account within a day or two of the sale, and then collect the money from the customer. In return, you pay the bank a commission of 1.5 percent to 5 percent for each credit-card transaction; a set, per-transaction fee; and a setup fee. You will also have to pay monthly support or equipment-rental fees for a point-of-sale terminal—the machine used to swipe the card—depending on the contract.
The fee is based on two things, the average amount per transaction and the total volume for the year.
When you apply for merchant status, the banks evaluate your business based on its sales track record, the type of business it is, your credit record, the business’s credit record and your overall financial picture.
Apply for merchant status when you get your start-up financing. This accomplishes several things. First, it shows that you’ve thought ahead. And you will probably have customers that you wouldn’t have otherwise. In fact, some people don’t pay with anything but credit cards.
Second, you show you’re taking steps to minimize the time and expense involved in recovering bad debts. If someone writes a bad check, for instance, it will cost you time and money to recover the loss. If you swipe a customer’s credit card through a point-of-sale terminal, you can be sure you’ll get paid. The machine contacts the issuing bank to authorize the transaction and runs the account numbers through a variety of fraud-protection procedures.
In part two of this series we will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Copyright 2004 DeFiore Enterprises
Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_And_Chuck_DeFiore
http://EzineArticles.com/?Increase-Your-Sales---Accept-Credit-Cards&id=3249
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
How to Receive Payments for Your Online Sales
By Nowshade Kabir
Once you decide which products you are planning to sell on the
Internet, and what type of web store you are going to use in
order to display your products, next vital decision that you have
to take is to figure out how your customers are going to pay you.
Whatever you plan to sell online, accepting credit card
transaction is a must! A full 90 percent of all online sales
occur through credit card payments.
There are two ways you can add e-commerce capabilities to your
website:
1. Having your own merchant account
2. Using third party processors
What is a merchant account?
A merchant account is a special kind of bank account where funds
received from credit card transactions are first routed to the
special account and held there before being remitted to your
business account. You as an online merchant will need an account
called “Card Not Present Merchant Account”.
Having the merchant account is, actually, the first step in
processing credit cards online. You will also need a payment
gateway. A payment gateway is a service provided by billing
processor which allows real time authorization of online
transactions. The payment gateway you choose to work with has to
be compatible with your shopping cart. Three top payment Gateway
providers are AuthorizeNet (http://www.authorizenet.com/),
Verisign (http://www.verisign.com/) and USAePay
(http://www.usaepay.com/). All payment gateway providers have
their own merchant solutions. Most banks, today, work with
partner payment gateway providers and are fully capable of
furnishing with a merchant solution.
If you are just starting an online business and you don’t think
that your sales will generate more than a thousand dollars a
month, you will be better of with a third party processor.
However, once your sales become a few thousand you will save a
bundle by switching to a merchant account.
PayPal
With 72 million accounts worldwide and payment volume which is
growing at a rate of 44 percent each year, PayPal by far is the
most popular third party processor on the Internet.
PayPal is a simple and affordable payment solution for those
online merchants who are unable to or don’t want to go through
the complex process of setting up a bank merchant account.
At present, PayPal has four unique solutions for merchants.
PayPal Website Payments Standard: This solution allows you to
accept credit cards on your website. However, the transaction is
processed on the PayPal secure server. The customer can choose to
pay either by credit card or PayPal. If you don’t have shopping
cart as yet, you may get one from PayPal; or you can integrate
PayPal solution to your existing shopping cart.
Cost: No monthly fee. No setup fees. No cancellation fees.
Transaction Fees are 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 US$.
PayPal Website Payments Pro: This solution is virtually same as
having your own merchant account. If a customer pays by a credit
card, PayPal works as a payment gateway for you. The customer
does not leave your website at anytime if she pays you by a
credit card.
Cost: $20.00 US$ monthly fee. No setup fees. No cancellation
fees. Transaction Fees are 2.2% to 2.9% + $0.30 US$.
PayPal Email Payments: This is the payment system PayPal started
with. You send invoice to your customers by email and get paid on
PayPal.
Cost: No monthly fee. No setup fees. No cancellation fees.
Transaction Fees are 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 US$.
PayPal as an Additional Payment Option: If you already have a
merchant account and you would like to add PayPal to your
existing payment solutions, you can use this option.
If you are planning to sell products through eBay, you definitely
should have PayPal option. According to eBay, three out of four
eBay customers choose to pay by PayPal.
When you use PayPal as your primary processor, make sure that you
have at least one more alternative payment solution handy. The
reason is many disgruntled former users of PayPal claim that
PayPal might freeze your account anytime without any apparent
reason. Read http://www.PayPalsucks.com for more information.
However, According to a new report, Merchant losses from fraud on
PayPal are now only 0.17% of revenues, vs. 1.8% for online
merchants that accept credit cards through merchant accounts.
This gives one more reason to use PayPal.
WorldPay
If you are facing problems to get a merchant account due to the
factor that you are not located in the US, WorldPay could be the
solution for you. WorldPay is a one-stop solution for your
merchant account, payment gateway and store front. The payment
option comes with fraud protection and risk management
applications to safeguard your business. Based in England,
WorldPay is a division of Royal Bank of Scotland.
Cost: If you compare with PayPal, WorldPay’s fees are pretty
stiff. 50 US$ monthly fee. 400 US$ setup fee. Transaction Fees
are 3.25% + $0.40 US$. The charge for multicurrency processing is
5.25% per transaction.
2Checkout
2checkout.com works as an online distribution center. When
customer buys a product from your website through 2checkout, you
actually make your sale to 2checkout for immediate resale to your
customer. Customers are billed by 2checkout not you. 2checkout
accepts vendors from virtually all over the world. You can also
set up recurring billing through 2checkout.
Cost: No monthly fee. 49 US$ setup fee. Transaction Fee:
5.5% + $0.30 US$.
ClickBank
For selling e-books, reports and other similar digital products,
ClickBank.com is probably your best option. The great thing about
ClickBank is it has over 100 thousand affiliates promoting
products available on the ClickBank marketplace. By listing your
product with ClickBank, you automatically tap into a huge
potential market. ClickBank accepts all major credit cards and
PayPal.
Cost: 50 US$ set up fee. Depending on the percentage of the
commission you pay to your affiliates, transaction fee varies
from 2.5% plus 0.33 US$ to 7.5% plus 1 US$.
There are many other third party processing companies available
on the Internet. Two of them worth mentioning are
http://moneybookers.com and http://www.ikobo.com.
Since fees fluctuate considerably from one solution to another
depending on your location, products and other needs, make sure
to do a thorough research before signing up with any of the
mentioned providers.
Nowshade Kabir, is the founder, primary developer and present
CEO of Rusbiz.com – a Global B2B Exchange with solutions to
create e-catalog, Web store, business process management and
other features to run a business online. You can read various
articles written by Nowshade Kabir at http://ezine.rusbiz.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nowshade_Kabir
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Receive-Payments-for-Your-Online-Sales&id=47687
By Nowshade Kabir
Once you decide which products you are planning to sell on the
Internet, and what type of web store you are going to use in
order to display your products, next vital decision that you have
to take is to figure out how your customers are going to pay you.
Whatever you plan to sell online, accepting credit card
transaction is a must! A full 90 percent of all online sales
occur through credit card payments.
There are two ways you can add e-commerce capabilities to your
website:
1. Having your own merchant account
2. Using third party processors
What is a merchant account?
A merchant account is a special kind of bank account where funds
received from credit card transactions are first routed to the
special account and held there before being remitted to your
business account. You as an online merchant will need an account
called “Card Not Present Merchant Account”.
Having the merchant account is, actually, the first step in
processing credit cards online. You will also need a payment
gateway. A payment gateway is a service provided by billing
processor which allows real time authorization of online
transactions. The payment gateway you choose to work with has to
be compatible with your shopping cart. Three top payment Gateway
providers are AuthorizeNet (http://www.authorizenet.com/),
Verisign (http://www.verisign.com/) and USAePay
(http://www.usaepay.com/). All payment gateway providers have
their own merchant solutions. Most banks, today, work with
partner payment gateway providers and are fully capable of
furnishing with a merchant solution.
If you are just starting an online business and you don’t think
that your sales will generate more than a thousand dollars a
month, you will be better of with a third party processor.
However, once your sales become a few thousand you will save a
bundle by switching to a merchant account.
PayPal
With 72 million accounts worldwide and payment volume which is
growing at a rate of 44 percent each year, PayPal by far is the
most popular third party processor on the Internet.
PayPal is a simple and affordable payment solution for those
online merchants who are unable to or don’t want to go through
the complex process of setting up a bank merchant account.
At present, PayPal has four unique solutions for merchants.
PayPal Website Payments Standard: This solution allows you to
accept credit cards on your website. However, the transaction is
processed on the PayPal secure server. The customer can choose to
pay either by credit card or PayPal. If you don’t have shopping
cart as yet, you may get one from PayPal; or you can integrate
PayPal solution to your existing shopping cart.
Cost: No monthly fee. No setup fees. No cancellation fees.
Transaction Fees are 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 US$.
PayPal Website Payments Pro: This solution is virtually same as
having your own merchant account. If a customer pays by a credit
card, PayPal works as a payment gateway for you. The customer
does not leave your website at anytime if she pays you by a
credit card.
Cost: $20.00 US$ monthly fee. No setup fees. No cancellation
fees. Transaction Fees are 2.2% to 2.9% + $0.30 US$.
PayPal Email Payments: This is the payment system PayPal started
with. You send invoice to your customers by email and get paid on
PayPal.
Cost: No monthly fee. No setup fees. No cancellation fees.
Transaction Fees are 1.9% to 2.9% + $0.30 US$.
PayPal as an Additional Payment Option: If you already have a
merchant account and you would like to add PayPal to your
existing payment solutions, you can use this option.
If you are planning to sell products through eBay, you definitely
should have PayPal option. According to eBay, three out of four
eBay customers choose to pay by PayPal.
When you use PayPal as your primary processor, make sure that you
have at least one more alternative payment solution handy. The
reason is many disgruntled former users of PayPal claim that
PayPal might freeze your account anytime without any apparent
reason. Read http://www.PayPalsucks.com for more information.
However, According to a new report, Merchant losses from fraud on
PayPal are now only 0.17% of revenues, vs. 1.8% for online
merchants that accept credit cards through merchant accounts.
This gives one more reason to use PayPal.
WorldPay
If you are facing problems to get a merchant account due to the
factor that you are not located in the US, WorldPay could be the
solution for you. WorldPay is a one-stop solution for your
merchant account, payment gateway and store front. The payment
option comes with fraud protection and risk management
applications to safeguard your business. Based in England,
WorldPay is a division of Royal Bank of Scotland.
Cost: If you compare with PayPal, WorldPay’s fees are pretty
stiff. 50 US$ monthly fee. 400 US$ setup fee. Transaction Fees
are 3.25% + $0.40 US$. The charge for multicurrency processing is
5.25% per transaction.
2Checkout
2checkout.com works as an online distribution center. When
customer buys a product from your website through 2checkout, you
actually make your sale to 2checkout for immediate resale to your
customer. Customers are billed by 2checkout not you. 2checkout
accepts vendors from virtually all over the world. You can also
set up recurring billing through 2checkout.
Cost: No monthly fee. 49 US$ setup fee. Transaction Fee:
5.5% + $0.30 US$.
ClickBank
For selling e-books, reports and other similar digital products,
ClickBank.com is probably your best option. The great thing about
ClickBank is it has over 100 thousand affiliates promoting
products available on the ClickBank marketplace. By listing your
product with ClickBank, you automatically tap into a huge
potential market. ClickBank accepts all major credit cards and
PayPal.
Cost: 50 US$ set up fee. Depending on the percentage of the
commission you pay to your affiliates, transaction fee varies
from 2.5% plus 0.33 US$ to 7.5% plus 1 US$.
There are many other third party processing companies available
on the Internet. Two of them worth mentioning are
http://moneybookers.com and http://www.ikobo.com.
Since fees fluctuate considerably from one solution to another
depending on your location, products and other needs, make sure
to do a thorough research before signing up with any of the
mentioned providers.
Nowshade Kabir, is the founder, primary developer and present
CEO of Rusbiz.com – a Global B2B Exchange with solutions to
create e-catalog, Web store, business process management and
other features to run a business online. You can read various
articles written by Nowshade Kabir at http://ezine.rusbiz.com.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nowshade_Kabir
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Receive-Payments-for-Your-Online-Sales&id=47687
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
How To Protect Yourself From Pre-Approved Credit Card Offer?
By Cornie Herring
Have you received before a pre-approved credit card offer that sent to you through your email address? If you are not, then you are the lucky one. Most of people who have access to email are receiving dozens of "good offer" from credit card companies. Low-internet rate and higher credit limit are among the good deals in the offers and the best part is: it has been pre-approved to you. Sound good? Well, before you go ahead and accept one. Ask yourself whether you really need it or not. According to the credit card site CardWeb.com, average American household are holding a $10,000 credit card debt. Don't let you be one of the statistics.
The best way to keep credit card debt down is not to use a credit card. But if you do receive a pre-approved card that intrigues you, at least know what you are getting into before signing on the bottom line:
What interest are you paying? Make sure you understand the interest rate you will be paying for. There are two types of interest rates, fixed-rate annual percentage rate (APR) and variable rates that swing according to the market rate. A better option would be APR because credit card companies have to notify you before raising rates.
The low interest rate being offered is usually only an "introductory rate" which means the rate can - and probably will - increase significantly at the end of the introductory period. This means that balances transferred from higher interest rate credit cards to the new, low introductory rate card could, over the long run, actually cost you more in interest payments. So, be aware of the terms and conditions before you sign to accept the card.
Know that a credit card may carry more than one rate. You may not aware that most of credit cards carry more than one rate. The balance transfer and cash advance normally have higher interest rate. Interest rate shows in the offer normally is the interest rate of your purchases with credit card. Hence, at the end you probably pay higher interest rate if you have balance transfer or withdraw any cash advance with your credit card.
Credit card companies may raise the interest rate if you have late payment. Some credit card companies will immediately raise your interest rate from introductory teaser rate to the regular rate if you are late just one time.
Don't accept the new credit card offer if fee involved. If there is fee involved with your new credit card, don't accept the offer. Why pay a fee for a credit card when, with good credit, you don't have to? If you have good credit, there are many other better offers which you can choose from.
Many of these cards are just preliminarily approved. This means that when you actually apply, the credit card company will reviewing your credit report in full as well as verifying information provided on your application. Terms and conditions may change according to your qualification, such as higher interest rate or smaller credit line. And if your application is rejected, it could cause at least minimal damage to your credit report.
So, in order to protect yourself, you need to carefully read all of the fine print in the offer and, if you don't fully understand and like everything you read, throw the credit card offer away. Even if you fully agree with the stated terms and conditions, do some calculations to be sure that the lower introductory rate, especially in the case of balance transfers, will actually save you money over the long run.
Cornie Herring is the Author from http://www.studykiosk.com This site is an informational website on credit basics, debt consolidation and bankruptcy. Visit her "Money Matters" blog for more credit related information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cornie_Herring
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Protect-Yourself-From-Pre-Approved-Credit-Card-Offer?&id=515973
By Cornie Herring
Have you received before a pre-approved credit card offer that sent to you through your email address? If you are not, then you are the lucky one. Most of people who have access to email are receiving dozens of "good offer" from credit card companies. Low-internet rate and higher credit limit are among the good deals in the offers and the best part is: it has been pre-approved to you. Sound good? Well, before you go ahead and accept one. Ask yourself whether you really need it or not. According to the credit card site CardWeb.com, average American household are holding a $10,000 credit card debt. Don't let you be one of the statistics.
The best way to keep credit card debt down is not to use a credit card. But if you do receive a pre-approved card that intrigues you, at least know what you are getting into before signing on the bottom line:
What interest are you paying? Make sure you understand the interest rate you will be paying for. There are two types of interest rates, fixed-rate annual percentage rate (APR) and variable rates that swing according to the market rate. A better option would be APR because credit card companies have to notify you before raising rates.
The low interest rate being offered is usually only an "introductory rate" which means the rate can - and probably will - increase significantly at the end of the introductory period. This means that balances transferred from higher interest rate credit cards to the new, low introductory rate card could, over the long run, actually cost you more in interest payments. So, be aware of the terms and conditions before you sign to accept the card.
Know that a credit card may carry more than one rate. You may not aware that most of credit cards carry more than one rate. The balance transfer and cash advance normally have higher interest rate. Interest rate shows in the offer normally is the interest rate of your purchases with credit card. Hence, at the end you probably pay higher interest rate if you have balance transfer or withdraw any cash advance with your credit card.
Credit card companies may raise the interest rate if you have late payment. Some credit card companies will immediately raise your interest rate from introductory teaser rate to the regular rate if you are late just one time.
Don't accept the new credit card offer if fee involved. If there is fee involved with your new credit card, don't accept the offer. Why pay a fee for a credit card when, with good credit, you don't have to? If you have good credit, there are many other better offers which you can choose from.
Many of these cards are just preliminarily approved. This means that when you actually apply, the credit card company will reviewing your credit report in full as well as verifying information provided on your application. Terms and conditions may change according to your qualification, such as higher interest rate or smaller credit line. And if your application is rejected, it could cause at least minimal damage to your credit report.
So, in order to protect yourself, you need to carefully read all of the fine print in the offer and, if you don't fully understand and like everything you read, throw the credit card offer away. Even if you fully agree with the stated terms and conditions, do some calculations to be sure that the lower introductory rate, especially in the case of balance transfers, will actually save you money over the long run.
Cornie Herring is the Author from http://www.studykiosk.com This site is an informational website on credit basics, debt consolidation and bankruptcy. Visit her "Money Matters" blog for more credit related information.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cornie_Herring
http://EzineArticles.com/?How-To-Protect-Yourself-From-Pre-Approved-Credit-Card-Offer?&id=515973
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
Advantages Of Having Credit Cards
By Rudy Hadisentosa
Credit cards have many advantages if used judiciously. It fulfills all your needs. You can buy anything with the cards. Because of various benefits the card provides to the users, everyone from teenagers to retirees in the United States has credit cards.
Convenient to shop: Credit card is very much convenient to buy anything anywhere. If you are on a shopping spree and want to buy so many things at different shops in a market, credit card will be convenient enough for shopping. If it is on-line shopping then, credit is the best. Some online stores only accept credit cards for payments. If you are in foreign countries, you can make purchases with the credit card without having to worry about local currency.
Meet emergent needs: In case of emergency, credit cards can be an extremely helpful. If you are short of funds and need money, the credit card will provide you the required amount. If you are away from your place or on a trip to some city and you have inadvertently emptied your pocket, there the credit card will act like a friend.
Keep record of your expenditure: Your spending on the credit card will give a statement at the end of a month, stating the detail on your expenditures. You need not keep record daily to know about the spending. Credit cards can also keep you under limit in expenses as you cannot spend or borrow beyond the credit limit. It will remind you on spending.
It is secured to carry credit card: It is not secured to carry a large amount of cash. If you lose your cash, you cannot retrieve that. If you lose a credit card, you can immediately inform the card company to cancel the card. You can have another card in few days. If you are traveling, whether in the town or country or outside the US, it will be convenient to carry the card instead of cash.
Benefits: Credit card providers offer various lucrative offers like cash back on purchases, rebates on products you buy on the card, additional warranty coverage for the items you purchase, travel concessions, various insurance covers, etc. Some credit card offers free air tickets, free hotel accommodations to the card users.
Balance transfer: With the credit card, you can transfer your balance from a card with high interest rate to a card where the APR is 0%. There are many card companies who offer 0% APR for the starting six to 12 months. You can take the benefits of the promotional periods. You can save hundreds of dollars by balance transfer.
Can build good credit history: You can build a good credit rating if use credit card judiciously. If you have good credit rating that will help you later in your life. You can take loan easily. Financiers will believe you if your credit rating is good.
Improve the standard of life: Credit card can improve your daily life. Your life will be easy enough if you are using the card judiciously. What you have to give is the payment at the end of the month and not every day for every purchase.
However, if you misuse your credit card you may fall under the debt trap. Credit cards should be used properly and seriously.
There are hundreds of financial organizations in the United States providing credit cards. Some of the most famous among them are American Express Co., Chase Bank, Discover Financial Services, HSBC, and Citibank of America. They offer different types of credit cards for different categories of people. If you are a business person and want credit cards which can facilitate your various business transactions, go for a business credit card. Likewise, there are student credit card, entertainment card, store card, gas card, airlines card, etc.
CreditMe.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa, master cards, bank of America, orchard bank, discover, American express, citicards, visa credit cards, and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Compare credit cards at CreditMe.com now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Hadisentosa
http://EzineArticles.com/?Advantages-Of-Having-Credit-Cards&id=513224
By Rudy Hadisentosa
Credit cards have many advantages if used judiciously. It fulfills all your needs. You can buy anything with the cards. Because of various benefits the card provides to the users, everyone from teenagers to retirees in the United States has credit cards.
Convenient to shop: Credit card is very much convenient to buy anything anywhere. If you are on a shopping spree and want to buy so many things at different shops in a market, credit card will be convenient enough for shopping. If it is on-line shopping then, credit is the best. Some online stores only accept credit cards for payments. If you are in foreign countries, you can make purchases with the credit card without having to worry about local currency.
Meet emergent needs: In case of emergency, credit cards can be an extremely helpful. If you are short of funds and need money, the credit card will provide you the required amount. If you are away from your place or on a trip to some city and you have inadvertently emptied your pocket, there the credit card will act like a friend.
Keep record of your expenditure: Your spending on the credit card will give a statement at the end of a month, stating the detail on your expenditures. You need not keep record daily to know about the spending. Credit cards can also keep you under limit in expenses as you cannot spend or borrow beyond the credit limit. It will remind you on spending.
It is secured to carry credit card: It is not secured to carry a large amount of cash. If you lose your cash, you cannot retrieve that. If you lose a credit card, you can immediately inform the card company to cancel the card. You can have another card in few days. If you are traveling, whether in the town or country or outside the US, it will be convenient to carry the card instead of cash.
Benefits: Credit card providers offer various lucrative offers like cash back on purchases, rebates on products you buy on the card, additional warranty coverage for the items you purchase, travel concessions, various insurance covers, etc. Some credit card offers free air tickets, free hotel accommodations to the card users.
Balance transfer: With the credit card, you can transfer your balance from a card with high interest rate to a card where the APR is 0%. There are many card companies who offer 0% APR for the starting six to 12 months. You can take the benefits of the promotional periods. You can save hundreds of dollars by balance transfer.
Can build good credit history: You can build a good credit rating if use credit card judiciously. If you have good credit rating that will help you later in your life. You can take loan easily. Financiers will believe you if your credit rating is good.
Improve the standard of life: Credit card can improve your daily life. Your life will be easy enough if you are using the card judiciously. What you have to give is the payment at the end of the month and not every day for every purchase.
However, if you misuse your credit card you may fall under the debt trap. Credit cards should be used properly and seriously.
There are hundreds of financial organizations in the United States providing credit cards. Some of the most famous among them are American Express Co., Chase Bank, Discover Financial Services, HSBC, and Citibank of America. They offer different types of credit cards for different categories of people. If you are a business person and want credit cards which can facilitate your various business transactions, go for a business credit card. Likewise, there are student credit card, entertainment card, store card, gas card, airlines card, etc.
CreditMe.com is a free online credit cards review and application website. We offer credit cards selection from visa, master cards, bank of America, orchard bank, discover, American express, citicards, visa credit cards, and many others. We have quite some categories and hundreds of credit cards selection to fit your need. Compare credit cards at CreditMe.com now.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rudy_Hadisentosa
http://EzineArticles.com/?Advantages-Of-Having-Credit-Cards&id=513224
Monday, April 9, 2007
Accept Credit Cards
Increase Your Sales - Accept Credit Cards
By Sue And Chuck DeFiore
Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by credit card. If you want their business, you must be able to accept their credit-card payments.
In part one of this series we will discuss why you should accept credit cards, and the basics of getting merchant status. Part two will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Obtaining merchant status, which allows you to accept credit-card payments, might seem like an unnecessary hassle, especially for those in business where the majority of their customers pay by cash or check. But by not accepting credit-card payments, you lose sales. This is especially true if yours is a mail order business, or consulting business. Just look at the majority of business today, all of them accept credit cards, and becoming more and more popular all the time are debit cards.
As many businesses have found, up to 70 percent of people never mail the check, so accepting credit cards is crucial. When the customer places an order, he’s excited and eager to buy. Faced with the prospect of sending a check, waiting for it to clear and then awaiting shipment, his interest is likely to wane. In the meantime, you lose sales.
The Basics of Merchant Status
In order to accept credit cards, you need to work with a bank that will transfer the money into your account within a day or two of the sale, and then collect the money from the customer. In return, you pay the bank a commission of 1.5 percent to 5 percent for each credit-card transaction; a set, per-transaction fee; and a setup fee. You will also have to pay monthly support or equipment-rental fees for a point-of-sale terminal—the machine used to swipe the card—depending on the contract.
The fee is based on two things, the average amount per transaction and the total volume for the year.
When you apply for merchant status, the banks evaluate your business based on its sales track record, the type of business it is, your credit record, the business’s credit record and your overall financial picture.
Apply for merchant status when you get your start-up financing. This accomplishes several things. First, it shows that you’ve thought ahead. And you will probably have customers that you wouldn’t have otherwise. In fact, some people don’t pay with anything but credit cards.
Second, you show you’re taking steps to minimize the time and expense involved in recovering bad debts. If someone writes a bad check, for instance, it will cost you time and money to recover the loss. If you swipe a customer’s credit card through a point-of-sale terminal, you can be sure you’ll get paid. The machine contacts the issuing bank to authorize the transaction and runs the account numbers through a variety of fraud-protection procedures.
In part two of this series we will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Copyright 2004 DeFiore Enterprises
Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_And_Chuck_DeFiore
http://EzineArticles.com/?Increase-Your-Sales---Accept-Credit-Cards&id=3249
By Sue And Chuck DeFiore
Many people today simply prefer the convenience of paying by credit card. If you want their business, you must be able to accept their credit-card payments.
In part one of this series we will discuss why you should accept credit cards, and the basics of getting merchant status. Part two will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Obtaining merchant status, which allows you to accept credit-card payments, might seem like an unnecessary hassle, especially for those in business where the majority of their customers pay by cash or check. But by not accepting credit-card payments, you lose sales. This is especially true if yours is a mail order business, or consulting business. Just look at the majority of business today, all of them accept credit cards, and becoming more and more popular all the time are debit cards.
As many businesses have found, up to 70 percent of people never mail the check, so accepting credit cards is crucial. When the customer places an order, he’s excited and eager to buy. Faced with the prospect of sending a check, waiting for it to clear and then awaiting shipment, his interest is likely to wane. In the meantime, you lose sales.
The Basics of Merchant Status
In order to accept credit cards, you need to work with a bank that will transfer the money into your account within a day or two of the sale, and then collect the money from the customer. In return, you pay the bank a commission of 1.5 percent to 5 percent for each credit-card transaction; a set, per-transaction fee; and a setup fee. You will also have to pay monthly support or equipment-rental fees for a point-of-sale terminal—the machine used to swipe the card—depending on the contract.
The fee is based on two things, the average amount per transaction and the total volume for the year.
When you apply for merchant status, the banks evaluate your business based on its sales track record, the type of business it is, your credit record, the business’s credit record and your overall financial picture.
Apply for merchant status when you get your start-up financing. This accomplishes several things. First, it shows that you’ve thought ahead. And you will probably have customers that you wouldn’t have otherwise. In fact, some people don’t pay with anything but credit cards.
Second, you show you’re taking steps to minimize the time and expense involved in recovering bad debts. If someone writes a bad check, for instance, it will cost you time and money to recover the loss. If you swipe a customer’s credit card through a point-of-sale terminal, you can be sure you’ll get paid. The machine contacts the issuing bank to authorize the transaction and runs the account numbers through a variety of fraud-protection procedures.
In part two of this series we will deal with objections you might get, which credit cards to accept, and the check paying option.
Copyright 2004 DeFiore Enterprises
Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sue_And_Chuck_DeFiore
http://EzineArticles.com/?Increase-Your-Sales---Accept-Credit-Cards&id=3249
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