Payment gateways are a crucial tool in both ecommerce and brick-and-mortar sales, but many merchants don’t necessarily understand what their gateways do or why they really need to have one at all. With that in mind, the following is a quick refresher on what gateways are, how they work, and why they’re so important. […]
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What is a Payment Gateway?
Amex OptBlue is a program designed to make American Express payments more accessible to small businesses. Traditionally, the high barriers to entry on the network and the extremely high transaction fees made American Express more trouble than it was worth for smaller merchants. To remedy that problem, the company created the Amex OptBlue program, which […]
Having a payment gateway that accepts credit cards on-site is important for most modern businesses, and it’s an absolute must for retail businesses, where cash-only sales are all but extinct. But how do you go about getting a credit card reader? The good news is that getting set up with a reader isn’t that hard, […]
As a small business owner, you should always be on the lookout for ways to improve your customer offerings to drive customer loyalty and satisfaction. There are a few things that have historically benefited small businesses such as loyalty programs, customer reviews, and community engagement. The bottom line is that without satisfied customers, your business […]
Mobile merchant services enable businesses to easily accept payments from a mobile device at any time, from anywhere. These services are essential for increasing reach for small businesses and growing customer satisfaction for larger businesses. There are many industries that can greatly benefit from having mobile merchant services, some of which may surprise you. Here […]
One thing that any business should be aware of when processing digital payments are chargebacks and chargeback prevention. Chargebacks can have a huge impact on business owners, especially for small businesses. The last thing that a business owner wants is to have to refund a customer for services rendered or products shipped, especially when there […]
Making it today as a small business can be challenging. Between having to compete with big corporations and the ever-growing online market, it’s never been harder for brick and mortar stores. However, several tools, techniques, and technologies can help you integrate into the modern online market.
More people have begun utilizing online stores with the continuous growth of online marketplaces and the pandemic’s recent lifestyle changes. Businesses that wish to retain these customers, or dip into the rapidly growing online market, will have to adapt and evolve to keep up. A safe, effective, and cost-efficient payment processor should be at the […]
When you first opened your business you probably knew there would be some complicated financial processes and jargon involved. You know now that it is more complicated than you could have imagined, and just running your business the way you want comes with a lot of headaches. There are many business support services available that […]
Every commercial enterprise aims to make money. Being able to accept multiple forms of payment from customers gives you more opportunities to do so. Whether you are a first-time business owner or an established company looking to make a change, choosing a payment processor should be a big decision. There are several payment processing solutions […]
Apple Pay is a popular service for contactless payments, and becoming compatible with its system can enhance your business in several ways. If you’re a merchant that has never heard of Apple Pay or you’re simply on the fence about taking that step, it’s important to take a look at the benefits of Apple Pay. […]
Online sales are the norm today and are growing more popular and ubiquitous each year. According to the US census bureau, in 2020, e-commerce sales now account for roughly 14% of all retail sales – an increase of nearly 8% from 2015. With more people utilizing e-commerce each year, it pays for retailers to integrate […]
Getting started as a retail merchant is a daunting task, with a lot to think about and even more to do. Acquiring and managing inventory, staffing, marketing and advertising, accounting – there are so many factors to deal with that sometimes, to avoid adding to the pile, merchants will cut corners where they see opportunities, […]
Chargebacks are the bane of merchants, independent sales organizations (ISOs), and payment processors alike because they have the potential to cost everyone involved in payment processing a significant amount of money and headache. Chargeback defense programs are services offered by ISOs, processors, and third parties designed to catch and defeat chargebacks before they have the […]
Your ecommerce merchant services provider is one of the easiest factors to overlook when it comes to the success or failure of your ecommerce business. It can be easy to assume that all merchant services providers are the same, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. The processing partner you choose will impact everything […]
When your customers make card purchases, for one reason or another, the money from those credit card transactions often doesn’t hit your bank account for two, or even three business days. In some cases, those delays — known as standard holds — are for fraud protection and risk mitigation reasons, and in some cases it […]
Cash payments have fallen out of favor, making up only 12% of transactions in the U.S. in 2020. The global COVID-19 pandemic has driven that down even further as health-conscious consumers have flocked to contactless payments. With card payments now the standard, even the smallest merchants need to find ways to move away from cash […]
Selling to businesses (or governments) is a different proposition than selling to consumers because the value of the average sale is so much higher — often in the tens of thousands and potentially ranging up into the millions. In the B2B world, security is at an even higher premium than normal, and cost management is […]
When businesses buy things from each other, how do they do it? While extremely large capital purchases are sometimes made with bank transfers, you might be surprised at just how often even large business expenses are paid for with credit cards. However, accepting B2B credit card payments on major sales is generally not the same […]
