If you run a small to mid-sized business, you’re at risk of a data breach. According to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), 43 to 60 percent of cyber attacks are targeted towards small and mid-size businesses. If that wasn’t worrisome enough, a study by the U.S. National Cyber Security Alliance found that 60 percent of all small businesses that suffer a cyber attack go out of business within six months of the breach. Recovering from a breach takes time and money, and often customers are slow to trust a business again after their data has been compromised. While these statistics may seem harrowing, there are certain practical steps that merchants can take in order to protect themselves from data breaches and cyber attacks, like working with products and partners that use End-to-End Encryption (E2EE). At first glance, E2EE may seem like yet another acronym within an industry that already feels crowded with them, but understanding E2EE is essential to protecting your business. So, what exactly is end-to-end encryption? We’re glad you asked. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a method… Read more

As a small business owner, cash flow is something that’s always top of mind. If you’ve already done some research, you’ve probably heard that ACH processing can provide your business with a leg-up when it comes to processing payments. But what exactly is ACH processing and what are its benefits? Good question. ACH or “automatic clearing house” is a batch processing system in which financial institutions accumulate ACH transactions throughout the day for later batch processing. Instead of using paper to carry necessary transaction information (such as with checks), ACH Network transactions are transmitted electronically, allowing for faster processing times and cost savings. In other words, by eliminating the need for a paper check, transactions are processed electronically and merchants can receive funds much faster and easier than if they had to wait for a check to process. Here’s how it works. ACH payments are typically used to move funds from one bank account to another. The ACH Network processes two types of transactions: Direct Deposits via ACH and Direct Payments via ACH. Direct Deposit via ACH is the deposit… Read more

According to a report by Accenture, Gen Z will make up to 40 percent of all US consumers by 2020. These teens and young adults are a tech-savvy emerging demographic that doesn’t remember a time before Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon ruled supreme. Experts suggest that their purchasing and payment habits will surely influence other consumers. Over the next year, merchants should expect to see a surge in services that are catered towards all things mobile. Here are a few of the Mega Trends that are expected to shape payment processing in the next year. Which ones will you choose to embrace? Skyrocketing popularity of in-store mobile payments. In the upcoming year, in-store mobile payments are expected to overtake credit cards and grow from a $75 billion industry to $503 billion by 2020. It makes sense that people are moving towards digital wallets. We do everything else with our smartphones, why not make payments as well? It’s easy and streamlined. By providing your customers with the option of in-store mobile payments, you’re giving them a quicker, more forward-thinking way to… Read more

Declined. For cardholders and merchants alike, never is it a word that’s met with a smile. Declined transactions are upsetting to customers and represent a potential loss of revenue for your business. Unfortunately, though, they do happen. We only fear what we don’t know, so if you have a clear understanding of what declines are and why they happen, you’ll be better prepared to handle declined transactions when they occur. Let’s start by discussing approvals. When a credit card is approved during a transaction, it means the customer’s issuing bank, has approved the card. Issuing banks will approve credit card transactions when the credit card number and expiry dates are valid, the customer has enough credit to cover the amount of the transaction, and the card has not been reported as stolen or compromised. However, keep in mind that approval is not a guarantee that the funds will be transferred to your account. There’s always a chance that a customer will request a chargeback at a later date. Declines work the same way but in reverse. When a card is… Read more

While looking for a credit card processor you’ve probably come across companies offering “flat fee processing” and now you’re wondering if it’s the right choice for your business. What is flat fee processing? Flat rate is a popular pricing model for credit card processing and typically involves one of the following two options: a flat fee percentage or flat fee subscription. Flat-rate percentage A flat rate percentage is a fixed percentage that you pay for each transaction and it’s based on volume. Common flat rates are currently around 2.75% – 2.9% for swiped transactions. You may also find some flat rate pricing models that also include a per-transaction fee, often in the range of 20 – 30 cents per transaction. Many business owners will be lured in by the convenience of a flat rate percentage pricing model -- after all, it seems remarkably simple. While it may be an okay option for smaller businesses that only accept credit cards on occasion, it can end up being very costly if you are processing a larger volume of transactions. You’ll always end… Read more