Steps you need to consider while selecting a merchant service provider

We will try to focus on some important factors that can help you to choose the best merchant service provider for your business.

1. Clear and Transparent Fee Rates

This is the most important thing to study before selecting a merchant account. Many times, a provider will charge you very less processing fees to entice you to open an account with them but may charge very high fees in the name of other fees. A PCI fee is one such fee that a merchant has to pay to safeguard both merchant’s and customer’s account information. So, you need to consider all the rates and then finally choose the best merchant service provider with transparent fees structure.

2. Study the Fraud Detection Program

We have seen a lot of evidence of fraud happening in the cyber world in recent times. Fraudsters are now moving toward the small and medium-sized merchants because they are considered to be an ‘easy target’. So, one needs to be aware of the data breach security program covered by the service provider.

3. Stay Away from the Misleading Advertisement

Advertisement can really be a disguise. The basic idea of an advertisement is to enlighten customers about a company’s product with proper information. But it doesn’t seem to be happening all of the time. Many times companies hire individuals’ agents having no relevant educational background or no interest. Well, there are other reasons too, which led them to promote their product in a non-transparent way. So, try not to fall into any such trap. Conduct proper internet research and choose the best merchant service provider, which fulfills all of your needs.

4. Post-Sales Customer Service Assistance

It’s not just about your hardware or software products that you require a customer service assistance after the purchase of the product, customer service for presales and post-sales is required for almost each and everything that we buy or buy from. It can be in various forms. Some companies will assist through email and chat, some may even provide you with a dedicated representative for your account.

5. Ask the Average Fund Processing Time

You might miss this thing while you are seeking information about various other things related to your provider. But a predictable time is always very necessary to have an idea to have a proper cash flow. So, if you are into any such business, which requires a continuous fund transfer then research about the average time and chooses the best merchant service provider accordingly.

6. Software Compatibility to Manage your Data Digitally

Gone are the days when you need a separate rack to store your sales receipt as today is the day of the cloud-based system. It stores our data digitally without even consuming any memory. All you need to have is an internet connection and an electronic gadget and you can trace your data from anywhere in the world. There is much software in the online market for the same purpose. Virtual terminals, authorize.net, CDGcommerce are few names.

7. History of the Merchant Account Provider

Last but not least, you need to figure out the behavior of the merchant account provider with the proper market research. Proper market research will guide you in terms of examining the previous background of the provider. So, we hope that this article will give you a good idea on how to choose the best merchant service provider for your business.

Why Use Multiple Payment Gateways for Business

GLOBAL EXPANSION OF BUSINESS

Who doesn’t want to expand their business to the global market? Now, if you are a merchant with an e-commerce website then you have great opportunities right in front of you. You can start selling your products all over the globe using your website.

However, it is not as easy as it may sound, but you can definitely start somewhere, and this can be started by adding payment gateways. Furthermore, if you are thinking to target a specific geographical location then the best way is to study the audience niche. Along with that, you can also look for the payment gateways popular in that region. After that, you can follow the same pattern and keep adding more locations preparing a multiple Payment Gateways website.

TARGET TOWARDS BETTER REVENUE

Once you have added multiple gateways to your business, you’ll see increased traffic on your website. This means you will get an increase in conversion rate, which could eventually lead to better revenue.

Furthermore, in a situation of crisis with a certain gateway, you can rely on another to keep your business going. Let’s try and understand this with the help of an example:

Suppose, you use 2 payment gateways A and B. One day, gateway A stops taking MasterCard payments and all the MasterCard credit card payments gets declined. In such a case, you can switch to gateway B and complete a successful MasterCard Credit Card Transaction. 

So, one can say, one of the advantages of multiple Payment Gateways website is never losing a sale or transaction.

BACKUP AND FAIL-SAFE PAYMENT SYSTEM

Using the gateways to make a transaction in your business can help you create an elaborate database of the customers. Using this database, you can mark faithful and regular customers, and at the same time blacklist the cardholders with a number of scams.

You can use this information for a successful business that can also help you reduce the number of chargebacks. Furthermore, you can back up this data using the gateway services.

If you have another payment gateway then you can securely copy all this data to another gateway and have all the similar advantages.

Furthermore, in the situation of overflow, having a second payment gateway can save you from losing any business. One of the advantages of multiple Payment Gateways website is always having a backup payment gateway.

ADVANCED SECURITY AND SUPPORT SERVICES

ARE THERE ANY DRAWBACKS OF HAVING MULTIPLE PAYMENT GATEWAYS?

High processing fees and costs

Management of multiple payment gateways

Do not result as profitable as it may sound

ACH Payment Processing Saves Time and Money

The ACH stands for the Automated Clearing House, which is an electronic payment system. It is an electronic network for the financial transaction in the United States. The ACH processes huge transaction amount that is debited or credited. Also, the most common uses of ACH are online bill payment, mortgage and loan repayment, and direct deposit of payroll.

ACH is a direct payment that uses the electronic method, which makes it fast and efficient.

It makes easy for the merchant to handle and manage the transaction.

The Credit Transfers are also pushed to the merchant account by ACH by quickly processing the transaction.

This method is proved to be the most secure transaction method for both merchants and customers.

The ACH is proved to be faster than other payment modes. This is because, when using the ACH, a unique routing number is provided that initiates the transaction. The money is then taken from the customer’s account and put into the merchant’s account. It is somewhat like a paper check but faster.

Generally, the ACH takes 2-3 working days to complete, from the customer’s account to the merchant account.

Same day processing is also available for the merchants.

Also, the authorization is fast and secure that is attracting many merchants.

For more information, we recommend you to contact an expert. Call at the toll-free number+1 (888) 622 – 6875 of Merchant Stronghold and get an expert to guide you.

How does ACH Payment Processing Save Money?

Now we know that the ACH processing saves time. It also saves a huge chunk of money as well. When using a credit card, the merchant has to pay a fixed amount to the credit card processor to use their credit card service. The ACH removed this fixed charge because this service is between the merchant and the customer.

Reliable Payment Gateway For Online Business

When you are looking for different options and want to choose a payment service provider for your business, look for the following conditions:

Find the one whose services fits your needs. Spend some time to find the right provider instead of making rash decisions based on their discounts or advertised fees.

When you own a company, in addition to a merchant account and payment gateway, you will also have to make recurring billing, remote credit card storage, PCI compliance. You will also need to have anti-fraud tools, firewall security, etc. Many providers provide some or all of these services.

From a list of prospective vendors, talk straight about the fees and services. Ask them about the rates for rewards, business, and international cards, minimum maintenance fees, chargebacks, PCI compliance, API, and its technical specification and securities, etc.

You should choose a payment service provider that has a better user experience.

Choose a vendor who is easy to contact through email, phone number or any other methods, and provides substantial support to help you through all the complexities of the business and finance.

The right payment service provider will give you options to exit anytime and they won’t charge you for that. On the contrary, you might have to pay for exiting in case of the cheapest payment gateway.

Read contracts; the terms and conditions, and policies carefully. Some “cheapest” payment service providers ask for bond or agreement for 2-4 years and charge hundreds of dollars for a cancellation fee. This is just too much to accept.

Finally, I would suggest that you invest some time in deciding to choose the right payment gateway, which will be suitable for your company and have better services. They might be little costly for you but they provide long-term safety to you. Choose value over the price for better user experience and long-term benefits.

Safe & Secure Payment Processing for Magazine Subscriptions

A key difference between online payment providers is their approach towards eCommerce. Both traditional and online credit card processing services are aimed to make transactions easy for customers and merchants, but what differentiates payment providers are their features for selling and ease of payment options. There are four key features that every merchant should keep into consideration, and they are:

How much does the Payment Gateway cost?

As a Magazine Subscription business, your first criteria is finding a service provider with suitable rates. There are a number of costs you have to consider. There is a startup cost to set up your merchant account, configuring/customizing it for your business, and PCI annual fees. There are other types of fees such as transaction charges, which can be flat per transaction or variable. Some merchant account providers have monthly charges for any number of transactions. Online payment processing services differ with every merchant account provider, so it will be helpful for you if you understand the overall cost. Contact Merchant Stronghold for a Fast Solid and Secure Merchant Account.

Safe and Secure Processing

All the credit card processing transactions go through multiple secure servers means no data is stored on your business computer. This makes direct marketing processing safe and secure. Online information is a great matter of concern for business owners. Ensure that the online payment processing service has high security, and data encryption is kept as per standard. Security features also include SSL certificates, CVV2 verification, and complex encryption algorithm and restrictions. Many businesses consider these features because they offer a safe environment to sell products online.

Simple API Gateway Integration

Because of rising information theft, you should consider going beyond minimum security so that your Magazine Subscription business is out of harm. Your customers get email receipts at the time of processing. This ensures that the transaction is authentic and quick. All the records are kept for future references. ISpyFraud Technology helps to monitor and capture customers IP address at the time of the transaction. Geo Locations and IP Address help reduce online fraud. API Gateway Integration and step by step check out process is appreciated by all Cardholders. You should run a series of test transactions on your website before making it live. Many merchants don’t do tests and because they face problems. A reliable online Payment processing service knows what to do to keep you safe from frauds.