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

When it comes to choosing a credit card processor, businesses are treated differently based on the perceived level of risk they present. Enter the high-risk merchant. Your business could be identified as high risk for the following reasons: Excessive number of charge-backs Poor credit of business owner Being a new business Having a previously closed merchant account However, often businesses are deemed high risk based solely on the industry in which they operate. Here are some business categories that are generally deemed high-risk: 1-800 chat sites Airlines or airplane charters All adult-oriented merchants Cannabis or drug-related paraphernalia Cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or vape shops Credit protection, counseling, or debt repair services Debt collection services Discount health or medical care programs Debt consolidation services High average ticket sales Multi-level marketing (MLM) sales tactics Non-US citizens doing business in the United States Offshore corporation establishment services Replica handbags, watches, wallets, sunglasses, etc. Self-defense, pepper spray, mace, etc. Vitamin and supplement sales VoIP services Weapons of any kind As a high-risk merchant, credit card processing comes with a unique set of challenges. You’ll want to make… Read more

Chip readers are just another trendy add-on designed to make us upgrade our equipment and payment methods, right? Wrong. When you’re a merchant it may seem like you’re constantly having to adapt to new technology -- for better or worse. However, when it comes to chip readers, they’re actually a highly beneficial tool for your business. Chip cards in general are designed to actually make financial transactions safer and more secure, therefore saving you time and money in the long-run. Here are a few things that you should know about chip readers, but might have been afraid to ask. What’s the difference between EMV and NFC? The world of credit card processing is full of acronyms, which can get really confusing -- especially if you’re a new merchant trying to learn the lay of the land. This question is a good place to start. EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa. It’s the abbreviation used when discussing chip-enabled credit and debit cards. NFC stands for Near Field Communication, which refers to the technology that enables contactless payments, like using mobile… Read more

As a merchant, protecting your customer’s financial data should be a primary concern. If you become slack in this area, you risk compromising your customers' safety and your reputation as a business. With mobile payments and credit cards becoming increasingly popular ways to pay for goods and services, criminals have come up with new and clever ways to commit fraud. When it comes to handling your customers' financial data, you can never be too safe. To protect your business and your customers' well-being, here are a few things you can do to maximize financial security and reduce the likelihood of fraud. Carefully choose your employees. Ensuring your customers' financial data remains secure starts by making sure you have the right people on your team. While you might be tempted to hire anyone who seems qualified, it’s important that you dutifully screen potential employees before you hire them. Do a background check to make sure candidates don’t have a criminal history of fraud or other financial crimes. You want to be sure that your employees are trustworthy, so make sure you actually… Read more

Near Field Communication (NFC) otherwise known as “tap and pay,” is becoming an increasingly popular payment method -- and for good reason. NFC allows customers to simply tap or wave their card over your terminal to make a payment. It’s also the technology behind mobile wallets, which allow users to make purchases directly from their smartphones. Here are a few reasons why you should be excited about tap and pay. It’s ultra convenient. No signatures. No pins. No messy receipts to deal with. If a customer is making a payment using their phone, they don’t even need to have their physical wallet because they can use their mobile one. What’s easier than paying with a tap of your smartphone screen? It’s simple and incredibly easy to use. Faster, easier transactions. Unlike traditional payments that require a customer to swipe their card and enter a PIN number, with NFC, a customer can simply tap their card and pay, allowing you to service them quickly and reach the next customer faster. It doesn’t get much more convenient than this. Allows customers to… Read more