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

Imagine you’re a business owner and you have customers that return every month (or year) to purchase the same service. Now imagine that every month you have to invoice and track down those payments manually. You do this with the good faith that (hopefully) your invoices will reach your customers and they’ll pay on time. It’s stressful and you never know if and when you will receive your revenue. What if things could be different? If you see you and your business in the above-mentioned description, you’re the perfect candidate for recurring payments. With a subscription-based service, you store your client’s credit card info and charge their card on a regular monthly (or annual) basis. Thinking of switching over to automated payments? Here are a few reasons why adopting a subscription-based payment model is to your advantage as a merchant. It saves time. Trying to track down payments every month is a recipe for insanity. The more you can automate in your business the better. Not only will you ensure that your customers pay on time, but you’ll also never… Read more

When it comes to processing credit cards, there are several components at play. In order to accept and process credit card payments, you’re going to need a merchant account, which is essentially a bank account that allows businesses to accept payments in multiple ways including debit or credit cards. You’re also going to need a payment gateway: an e-commerce application service provider that authorizes credit card or direct payments processing before sending it on to your processor. When researching these services, you may be tempted to get each of these components (merchant account, processor, gateway) a la carte because at first glance it seems to be more cost-effective. While this is sometimes the case, think of your credit card processing as a meal that you order at a restaurant. While there’s a definitely a chance that you’ll be able to put together a fantastic spread by ordering a selection of different sides and mains, it’s important to keep in mind that the complete meals on the menu are put together in a certain way for a reason -- because each… Read more

Last month, I was in New York City preparing to watch the marathon with a friend. The air was delightfully crisp, so my friend and I decided to head over to Starbucks to grab a beverage to keep us warm while we watched the race. At the counter, I placed my order only to realize when I went to pay that I’d forgotten to slip my wallet into my purse. In the middle of my friend offering to buy my coffee, I remembered something. I pulled out my phone, quickly updated my Apple Pay and made my purchase by scanning my phone. I couldn’t believe how incredibly easy and convenient the whole process was. This was the first time I made a purchase using my digital wallet, but I doubt it will be the last. I’m not the only consumer that feels this way. In the past year, consumers have become a lot more comfortable with alternative payment methods. If you want your business to stay relevant, you need to adapt to your customers’ evolving payment needs. To get you up to… Read more