Monday, May 14, 2007

Credit Card Processing

Always Use Travel Credit Cards
By Steven Gillman

Why bring travel credit cards instead of traveler's checks? Convenience, safety and savings. The first time I had to exchange $200 of travelers checks overseas, the bank charged me $8. Later, during the same trip, I used my debit card at an ATM to get $200 from my checking account. The charge was one dollar, and that was the last time I used traveler's checks.

Travel Credit Cards And Debit Cards

It is best to carry a credit card AND a debit card, and keep them well-hidden in two separate places. Bring cards that have either zero liability, or a fifty dollar liability limit for any unauthorized charges. Ask your bank or credit card company about this. Make sure you bring a Visa card, as this seems to be the most widely accepted right now.

Sometimes an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) won't take a card for some reason. Normally, you can use the other card, which will usually work fine. That's the advantage of having two cards. By the way, criminals watch those ATMs, so be especially careful not to flash your money around when you leave an ATM.

For most travel, credit cards may be less trouble than debit cards. They can be replaced quickly if stolen. On your stolen debit card, your liability might be zero, but you probably won't have access to your account until the matter is sorted out.

On the other hand, on longer trips it's a hassle to pay the credit card bill on time, which isn't a problem with debit cards. That's another reason to carry both. On longer trips you can wait until you're a few weeks from home to use the credit card, and you'll get there before the bill does.

Another advantage travel credit and debit cards have over traveler's checks, is that when you need the local currency, you'll almost always get a better exchange rate with your cards. Plus, the cash you get from the local ATM will truly be accepted everywhere, something no traveler's checks can promise.

Be sure to call your credit card company or bank before you travel overseas. They may decline your card when you try to use it otherwise. Just let them know where you'll be and for aproximately how long. E-mail yourself the phone numbers to call in case of loss or theft, so you can get them from anywhere in the world.

To sum up : Use cards with low liability, high enough limits for your trip, and hide them well on your body. These are the requirements for good travel credit cards.

Steve Gillman hit the road at sixteen, and traveled the U.S. and Mexico alone at 17. Now 40, he travels with his wife Ana, whom he met in Ecuador. For travel stories, tips and a free e-book, visit: http://www.EverythingAboutTravel.com

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Forget the traveler's checks. Bring a couple good travel credit cards instead.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

Credit Card Processing

Credit Card Processing
By Shane Penrod

Does your company need credit card processing? It does if you
can benefit from the following:

Credit Card Processing Enhances Your Professional Status. When
customers know that you accept credit payments, they often are
more likely to pay more, return often, and tell their friends
if the service is good. This is because a company that makes
credit payment options available to clients is telling the
world that they care about customers and they are professional
enough to invest in systems that will enhance the shopping
experience for guests. No one likes that disappointed feeling
when, after browsing, you find something you want to buy but
then fail to find enough cash in your wallet to purchase it.
Writing a check may put you over the balance, and you don’t
want to take time to run to the ATM machine to withdraw the
money from savings. When customers can pay with a plastic card,
they may show their appreciation by returning again and again to
shop your store.

Credit Card Processing is Inexpensive. It depends on your
current business budget, of course, but you don’t have to sink
a lot of money into credit card processing equipment. All you
need do is get a merchant account services account, buy or
lease a credit card processing unit, and you are good to go.
Plug it in or take a wireless unit with you on the road to make
credit payments easy, fast, and secure. Plan on paying a
per-transaction fee of perhaps 25 cents or a low interest
monthly rate that may include minimums. Associated expenses may
include discount fees, gateway fees, print statement fees, and
membership costs. There may be others as well. Overall,
however, the benefits of a merchant account outweigh its costs.

Credit Card Processing is Flexible. You don’t have to be stuck
behind the cash register all day to appreciate the advantages
of a merchant account’s ability to provide credit card
processing. You can take a wireless unit from one destination
to another to let clients pay at the point of purchase rather
than wait for billing. You may want to invest in a pager that
will let you provide instant deliveries or prompt responses to
customer inquiries, some of which could lead to direct or
indirect sales with the option of credit card payments. You can
also set up an online Website to accept credit card payments
from potentially billions of customers around the world. It’s
all up to you, of course, as to what you’re ready to do in
terms of growing your company’s sales. You won’t need extra
staff to manage credit card processing, either. In fact, you
may be able to operate some credit card processing systems
automatically when you opt for the telephone payment system or
the Website option. But you will need to have a staff member
available at certain times for questions or troubleshooting
issues.

Don’t get left behind by competitors who already have merchant
account services and customers who expect them. Start browsing
now to learn more about Credit Card Processing.

About the Author: 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. For free quotes on
merchant account rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Friday, May 11, 2007

Credit Card Processing

Online Credit Card Processing And Your Hard Earned Money
By Charles Neshah

Credit card processing is very important in doing business online. Whether you are buying or selling, you require a reliable form for making or taking payments, a system you can trust to safe guard your hard earned money from internet thieves.

There are different modes of making and receiving payments online, but the favourite option for most online customers and sellers is the credit card, which necessitated the need for credit card processing companies, the very reason why people have overcome the fear of identity thieves.

Yes, in recent years, reliable credit card processing companies, also called payment gateways, have developed robust systems for receiving payments on behalf of clients 24/7 with minimal problems, providing a secured path between a customer's credit card account and the merchant account of an online business.

However, An online business should be careful while choosing a Credit Card Processing company as a payment gateway between it and its online customers, because business success online will greatly depend on the efficiency of their payment gateway companies.

In making a decision on which credit card processor to use, it is a first-rate strategy to utilize canvassing strategies, which comprises interviewing each credit processor so that only the best credit processor will be picked. Ask them about their fees, rates, and other special services that they provide their clients. Let them tell you why you should employ their services so that you can compare and choose the best amongst them.

The Online Buyer

The online buyer should also ensure that the credit card processor of the online business he or she intends to buy from is a reliable one on a secured server. The popular processing companies are usually the best.

Always reconcile your credit card account every month, the same way you would your bank account. Go over bills settled with your credit card and receipts, and query any charges for which you don't have a receipt or don't recognize.

Neshah writes for your success. He recommends
Safe Online Credit Card Processing, the road map to making and receiving payments
online and all the information you need to run your credit card without losses.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Charles_Neshah
http://EzineArticles.com/?Online-Credit-Card-Processing-And-Your-Hard-Earned-Money&id=460216



























Credit card processing is very important in doing business online. Whether you are buying or selling, you require a reliable form for making or taking payments, a system you can trust to safe guard your hard earned money from internet thieves.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Credit Card Processing

Low Cost Credit Card Processing
By Thomas Morva

Low cost and efficient credit card processing is very important to the success of any online or offline business. Low cost credit card processing involves a cheaper means to accept credit card numbers, apply them to the merchant's account, and obtain payment from the creditor for the amount. A business?s success or failure depends on whether or not it accepts credit card orders.

Low cost credit card processing is indispensable to raise the profitability of your business. Many people waste considerable amounts of money on extravagant processing. Often, processing statements are so difficult to read that it is virtually impossible to estimate how much money you are actually paying. Low cost credit card processing helps you run a more successful business operation.

In the United States, the cost of credit card processing is about $10 to $20 (per month) in flat fees, plus a small percentage of your sales, known as a discount rate. The discount rate is as low as 1.69% for an offline business, while discount rate for mail order and online merchants is about 2.19%. Using a low cost credit card processing technique, the transaction fee averages only about 25 cents for all merchants.

Low cost credit card processing falls into three types. The first is using a virtual terminal that allows manual addition of mail. The second employs a simple integration technique that connects your website directly to the credit card and bank system. The third type uses an advanced mechanism for custom-linking your system to other more composite systems using a transaction gateway server.

Lots of card processing companies offer you reliable, low cost and comprehensive credit card processing. A reliable low cost credit card processing service uses modern encryption technology to ensure security.

Credit Card Processing provides detailed information on Credit Card Processing, Online Credit Card Processing, Credit Card Processing Software, Wireless Credit Card Processing and more. Credit Card Processing is affiliated with Wireless Credit Card Terminals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva
http://EzineArticles.com/?Low-Cost-Credit-Card-Processing&id=353157

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Credit Card Processing

The Purpose of a Credit Card Processing Company
By: Jim Saka

If you want to accept credit card payments on your website, you need to engage the services of a credit card processing company. What these companies do is process the credit card payments that generate from your site including following through on approvals or denials so that your shipping department knows what to ship. The credit card processing company notifies the company by email when they have received an authorization from the credit card issuer as well as notify them if the sale is declined.

Using the services of a credit card processing company can save you a great deal of time because you will not have to worry about obtaining authorizations or making sure that the payments are credited to your bank account as your processing agent takes care of all of that for you. Of course, you will pay for credit card processing, but the extra sales you can make because of your ability to accept credit cards online will make it worth the cost. Without the ability to accept credit card payments, you limit yourself to the methods of payment you can accept, meaning you have to wait for your customers to mail a check or money order. The problem with this antiquated way of accepting payments is that your customer will not likely be receptive to it and will go elsewhere to shop.

You do not want to accept the services of just anyone who offers credit card processing, but you want to do some research and locate the one who best suits your needs. Each company has its own set of fees per transaction in addition to whatever the card issuer charges for the transaction fee, which is a percentage of the sale. In addition, you want to ,make sure that the credit card processing services meets your needs for volume and type of payment options you desire including debit card processing. After all, credit card processing is to help with your business, so the processing company you choose must be willing to work with you and develop a program that best suits your needs and those of your customers. They must be able to customize your services so that you have the most important payment options for the type of merchandise you sell.

Why bother with a credit card processing company? You could, realistically, bypass the credit card processing company and manually process your credit card payments, but it would take a credit deal of time. This would mean calling for authorization and filling out the forms and submitting them to your bank the way it was done before the Internet became a big issue. Even with the use of credit card terminals, a merchant had to close out his sales for the day, and write a deposit slip for send to his bank. Credit card processing has changed all of that, thus eliminating a great deal of time, effort, and paperwork on the part of the merchant. Saving time and money means more income potential for the merchant as well as more time to devote to the customers.

Copyright (c) 2006 Jim Saka

Article Source: http://www.ApprovedArticles.com

For more information about Jim Saka or to find out how your business can can benefit from accepting credit cards online or at a place of business visit United Bank Card PS at www.unitedbankcardps.com

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Credit Card Processing

Requirement of a Credit Card Processing Service in Business by Michael Braganza

Today more and more people are using the Internet and the number of older users is increasing fast. The internet is becoming an important source of news and information. With the popularity and widespread usage of Internet, the popularity of ecommerce business is also spreading like a wildfire.

To get by any ecommerce business or online business or set up retail storefront successfully, Internet credit card processing service plays a very important role. If your ecommerce business is still not laced with Online Merchant Account or credit card merchant services, consider getting one without wasting any more precious seconds. Only then you will conduct online ecommerce business successfully. Because Internet credit card processing service is the best way to process clients' payment online.

First of all we discuss about what online merchant credit card services are and how It work? An online merchant credit card services is a service that facilitates you to make payments or accept payments online for you. Online credit card merchant services work through online merchant account that is provided by a bank. These services allow you to make or receive credit card payments through Internet. Being laced with merchant Solutions services can be extremely beneficial and fruitful to your ecommerce business because it allows your visitors and customers to easily make payments.

Now we discuss about what Internet credit card processing is? It is a process of getting the authorization of a credit purchase when ordering online. Generally Internet credit card processing requires three components - a payment gateway, an online merchant account and a credit card processing company. On the type of online merchant account it may also require various equipments such as; credit card machines, computers, hypercom terminal, pin pad and related software.

Now we describe in brief about merchant credit card services provider and choosing a reliable service provider. There are a number of merchant credit card services providers in the market. But you ought to take precautions before selecting one of them. Accepting credit cards can be risky and can you make suffering with paying high priced services on Credit card receivables terminal that your business does not in need of, and force to pay high monthly fees if precautions are not observed in choosing a reliable Internet credit card processing services provider.

A reliable Internet credit card payment processing service provider that is versatile in nature can assist your ecommerce businesses in increasing their sales. It offers security protection by using modern technology and assures you and your clients to be tension free for the duration of the transaction and when the credit card information is being processed. By hiring a good service provider you can accept all forms of payments and accept credit card anywhere and anytime. At last we want to say the always go with a good merchant solutions provider and appropriate equipments and related software.
About the Author

Michael Braganza is an eminent analyst and writer in Software and Technology related topics. He has authored many books on Technology and Online Merchant Account Services like Merchant credit card services Now he is rendering his services to http://www.themerchantsolutions.com/

Friday, May 4, 2007

Credit Card Processing

Requirement of a Credit Card Processing Service in Business by Michael Braganza

Today more and more people are using the Internet and the number of older users is increasing fast. The internet is becoming an important source of news and information. With the popularity and widespread usage of Internet, the popularity of ecommerce business is also spreading like a wildfire.

To get by any ecommerce business or online business or set up retail storefront successfully, Internet credit card processing service plays a very important role. If your ecommerce business is still not laced with Online Merchant Account or credit card merchant services, consider getting one without wasting any more precious seconds. Only then you will conduct online ecommerce business successfully. Because Internet credit card processing service is the best way to process clients' payment online.

First of all we discuss about what online merchant credit card services are and how It work? An online merchant credit card services is a service that facilitates you to make payments or accept payments online for you. Online credit card merchant services work through online merchant account that is provided by a bank. These services allow you to make or receive credit card payments through Internet. Being laced with merchant Solutions services can be extremely beneficial and fruitful to your ecommerce business because it allows your visitors and customers to easily make payments.

Now we discuss about what Internet credit card processing is? It is a process of getting the authorization of a credit purchase when ordering online. Generally Internet credit card processing requires three components - a payment gateway, an online merchant account and a credit card processing company. On the type of online merchant account it may also require various equipments such as; credit card machines, computers, hypercom terminal, pin pad and related software.

Now we describe in brief about merchant credit card services provider and choosing a reliable service provider. There are a number of merchant credit card services providers in the market. But you ought to take precautions before selecting one of them. Accepting credit cards can be risky and can you make suffering with paying high priced services on Credit card receivables terminal that your business does not in need of, and force to pay high monthly fees if precautions are not observed in choosing a reliable Internet credit card processing services provider.

A reliable Internet credit card payment processing service provider that is versatile in nature can assist your ecommerce businesses in increasing their sales. It offers security protection by using modern technology and assures you and your clients to be tension free for the duration of the transaction and when the credit card information is being processed. By hiring a good service provider you can accept all forms of payments and accept credit card anywhere and anytime. At last we want to say the always go with a good merchant solutions provider and appropriate equipments and related software.
About the Author

Michael Braganza is an eminent analyst and writer in Software and Technology related topics. He has authored many books on Technology and Online Merchant Account Services like Merchant credit card services Now he is rendering his services to http://www.themerchantsolutions.com/

Thursday, May 3, 2007

Credit Card Processing

The Top Five Things to Consider Before You Apply for that Credit Card
By Mario AL Churchill

Credit cards are now fast becoming the best way to pay. Although some merchants and establishments have yet to install credit card machines in their stores, a good majority of department stores and major outlets take plastic. There are several advantages associated with carrying credit cards. You can make emergency purchases easily, as you do not have to look for a working ATM if you suddenly run out of cash at the last minute. You do not need to carry large amounts of cash in your wallet, which can be dangerous if you are traveling abroad and do not have means to access your bank account.

A credit card, however, will also have its disadvantages. It can encourage rather than discourage spending, as it offers the illusion that no money is being spent at all. Although you are not obligated to pay the full amount that you owe the credit card company, what money you have yet to pay will be slapped with a high interest rate, further increasing your debts in the next billing cycle.

If you want to apply for a credit card and enjoy its advantages, take note of the following tips before you consider any credit card offers.

1. Study your spending habits. If you can, have a copy of your bank account printed out. Do you spend more than you earn? If you appear to be living beyond your means on a cash basis, then you may milk your pockets dry if you have a credit card.

2. Take a good look at your bank account and your total savings. Can you pay your credit card bills when the time comes to pay, and in full, at that? A common practice used by wise spenders is to look at ninety-percent of one’s savings, and then divide that amount by twelve, corresponding to the twelve months in the one year that you will be holding the credit card. They then use the allocated amount each month as the benchmark, or the maximum that they can spend using the credit card.

3. Are you applying for a credit card because you want to spend conveniently, or because you are after incentives associated with the card? Some credit cards offer incentives such as gift certificates, cash back guarantees on about one percent of total purchases, and point awarding systems that can translate into frequent flier miles. You may be forced into spending more using your credit card only to get these rewards. You may save more by saving money instead of using your credit card.

4. For how long do you intend to hold the credit card? Many credit card companies charge high annual fees after the first year of use, and these fees can make a dent on your savings. Be sure that you have enough savings to pay, and that you are earning enough money to replace any losses you may incur due to spending using your credit card.

5. How do you intend to pay for your credit card bills? Some credit card companies can arrange for an automatic debit from your savings account, although this can be inconvenient if you suddenly discover that purchases that you did not make are being credited to your account. The paperwork to return your money to you can be complicated. Moreover, credit card theft of less than five thousand dollars is usually not investigated, so you have to be prepared to take a lot of financial risks.

Although they seem to be fraught with disadvantages, credit cards can actually help you manage your finances better. As long as you know how to spend wisely and not abuse your credit cards, you can enjoy the advantages that they can offer.

Mario Churchill is a freelance author and has written many articles on various subjects. If you looking to apply for credit card rewards offers or to just apply for a credit card online checkout his websites.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mario_AL_Churchill
http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Top-Five-Things-to-Consider-Before-You-Apply-for-that-Credit-Card&id=457491

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Credit Card Processing

Ecommerce Credit Card Processing: The Fees
By Colin Albert

For the uninitiated – and even for merchants who have owned an internet business for years - the wide array of credit card processing fees that can be incurred in the operation of an ecommerce store can be a bit bewildering.

In this article, we’ll discuss most of the costs involved in maintaining an internet merchant account. Note that these fees are in addition to what you may have to pay as an upfront fee for the software required in order to set up your ecommerce facility (these fees can range from $50 to $200 usually, although nowadays some providers waive this fee altogether). You may also have to pay for a shopping cart, although this service too is now sometimes packaged as a freebie when you set up the ecommerce facility.

Here are the fees that merchants can anticipate having to pay on an ongoing basis in order to process credit cards via their website:

The most significant monthly fee you’ll be charged is what is known as the Discount Rate – a percentage of the dollar amount of every sale you process through your website. Limiting ourselves here to internet merchant accounts for US-based businesses in non-high risk industries, you can presently expect to pay between 2.19% and 2.40%.

In fact, discount rates call fall into 3 distinct categories: The lowest of these rates – the range quoted above - and the most commonly applied, is the Qualified Discount Rate which in the context of ecommerce retailing is where your customer "keys" in the card information in his computer’s browser, and the information he provides concerning his billing address matches that in the bank’s records (“AVS
match”). Some companies charge up to 10 cents per transaction for the AVS service.

On occasion however you may be charged a surcharge on top of that. The Mid-Qualified Discount Rate will be added to your normal discount rate where there is no AVS match (usually an additional .75% to 1.25%). And a further additional surcharge (the Non-Qualified Rate) of from 1.5% to 2% may be levied where your customer makes his purchase using a foreign-issued card or where the card was issued to a company or the government.

Most providers will charge you a Monthly Minimum – this is the least amount you’ll have to pay for the discount rate charges in a month. This is often $15 to $25 – so you’ll always pay at least that much, even if you don’t process at all during the month. You’ll also most likely have to pay a monthly Statement Fee, often around $8 to $15.

A Transaction Fee is almost always charged – here you pay a set amount for each transaction you process on your website, regardless of the dollar amount. Usually this is in the 17 to 30 cent range.

The other standard monthly charge – and this applies only to ecommerce processing – is the Gateway Fee, generally in the $15 to $30/month range. This fee is to cover the costs of connecting your website software and shopping cart to the transaction processing system.

We don’t have the space here to go into all the other fees you may come across in operating your ecommerce business, but we’ll briefly mention three of them here:

• a Chargeback (often $20 to $40) whenever a customer has a dispute about what you charged him, or whether you delivered the goods or services promised.

• a Programming Fee, if you are switching from one provider to a different one.

• a Cancellation Fee, where you sign a long term agreement and want out early.

So as you can see, there are a lot of different costs you can be hit with when running your ecommerce business. So before you sign with any particular company, have them give you, in writing, a complete list of all the possible fees they might levy against you. It pays to shop around.

Colin Albert operates The Merchant Account Explorer website, which offers advice and recommendations for merchants looking for ecommerce credit card processing solutions. The service enables business owners to comparison shop for the most suitable internet merchant account for their particular needs.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Colin_Albert
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