Are you looking Secure Payment Processing for Online Businesses?

Nowadays, there are a lot of e-commerce and m-commerce transactions; opening doors for cybercriminals. As a merchant, you need to confirm that you provide the best payment security and that your customers don’t have to worry about their data. Customers usually cannot select their own payment gateway, so it’s up to you to make the best and perfect choice for them.

PCI COMPLIANCE

When you’re processing payments on your website, PCI (Payment Card Industry) is a must. The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) provide direction for merchants that tell them what they need to do in order to secure sensitive data in payment processing.

A merchant doesn’t have to be PCI compliant if he/she selected the right payment provider (one with PCI level 1). He/she can leave it up to the payment gateway to comply with the industry level security excellence. Note that data encryption is needed by PCI.

SSL

Each and every transaction should be secured with SSL protocol. SSL helps to encrypt the information so that the card details and all other sensitive and important data is secured. It, of course, improves payment security but also makes customers more eager to for the purchase.
A padlock icon in the URL bar symbolizes the SSL, and the web address starts with https.

ADDRESS VERIFICATION SERVICE

You can also use an Address Verification Service, which requires customers to give the billing address connected with their credit card. If the address on the card matches with the one in bank’s documents, the transaction will go through.

Many companies have a problem of controlling the location and storage of their payment data, but almost 42% of the companies claim that payment data is at serious risk when it is stored. A Global Study on the State of Payment Data Security shows that over 50% of organizations had a breach involving payment data within the past three years.

Merchant Stronghold will help you secure your payment processing in order for you to provide the best payment security to your customers. We also provide high-risk merchant services, contact Merchant Stronghold to get answers to all your questions related to the security of payment processing.

What are the High Risk Merchants?

It is difficult to start a business, as well as applying for a merchant account. The merchant accounts get approval or disapprove from the risk departments. While considering the business to be high-risk business or Low-risk. There are few reasons why any business can be in high-risk business.

Risk factors that make a business HIGH RISK

• You have lost your previous merchant account due to high chargeback ratio.
• Questionable sales and marketing tactics.
• Potential legal and financial liability.
• Your credit is really bad.
• Industries with excessive chargebacks or fraud incidents.
• Trial continuity business.
• Previous credit card processing is not good enough.
• You’ve been branded as a terminated merchant (TMF).

The high-risk merchant account categorization depends on your business’ industry. Regardless of your individual businesses’ track record. In addition, the high-risk category includes businesses that are declined by a previous credit card processors. And, businesses that are on the MATCH or TMF list. Also. the companies whose owners have bad personal credit or low credit scores or businesses outside the US.

Common High-Risk Industries

Any business with bad personal or business credit scores, a high chargeback history, a startup, or high frequency or high average tickets can be at high risk. On an individual basis, the majority of high-risk businesses are among such by the industry they operate in.

Some examples of high-risk industries include

• Document Preparation
• Downloadable Software
• Educational Software
• Electronics Business
• Extended Warranties
• Financial Aid Consulting
• Financial Services
• Fine & Cosmetic Jewelry
• Insurance Providers
• Magazine Subscriptions
• Air & Water Filtration
• Antiques & Collectables
• Apparel Sales
• Auto Parts & Accessories
• Auto Transport
• Businesses with Bad Credit
• Beer, Wine & Liquor Sales
• Computer Hardware
• Debt Consolidation
• Discount Buying Service

Get more information for you can contact us @ +1 (888) 622-6875.

Merchant Account Solution for Debt Consulting Business

You’ve opened your debt consulting business. First things first you must have a merchant account. A credit card processor will be an integral part of keeping your business functional. It may take your business to new heights. It would allow you to generate payments and to get more and more clients. In simple terms, we can say, if you are doing business with merchant account then you will be able to get payments from your customer and clients through your merchant account. Your business can run smoothly.

How To Get a Merchant Account?

• Be aware of fraud or scam.
• Be assured for the type of accepting payments through credit cards.
• Search for merchant account providers and compare charges of each of them.
• Check if the merchant service provider giving the payment gateway or not
• (if they do then, we recommend you to go with them without any second thought.)
• Prepare an application and attach all the documents along in an impressive way.

Now you see how simple it is to create a merchant account, you can have this by investing just a little of your time.

Merchant Stronghold is always here to help merchants to get a merchant account.

How to Compare Merchant Account Providers

Nоw thаt you have аn idea of hоw you wаnt thе mеrсhаnt ассоunt tо wоrk for уоur business, it’ѕ time to compare merchant account providers. Sоmе points you’ll wаnt tо consider whеn ѕеlесting an mеrсhаnt ассоunt inсludе:

Merchant Aссоunt Trаnѕасtiоn Fееѕ:  There аrе twо common tуреѕ оf fees fоr credit саrdѕ trаnѕасtiоnѕ.

An flаt rаtе you gеt сhаrgеd for each сrеdit саrd рауmеnt that iѕ processed.

A реrсеntаgе fее bаѕеd on the tоtаl аmоunt оf еасh trаnѕасtiоn.*

*Fоr the реrсеntаgе fee, mаnу mеrсhаnt ассоunt рrоvidеrѕ uѕе a tiered pricing system based on hоw “ԛuаlifiеd” a trаnѕасtiоn iѕ for a раrtiсulаr rаtе. They will сlаѕѕifу these реrсеntаgе fееѕ intо thrее tiеrѕ of rаtеѕ, using vаriаblеѕ such аѕ:

Thе wау you ассерt the рауmеnt vѕ. the рrimаrу wау your mеrсhаnt ассоunt is ѕеt uр to ассерt рауmеnt)

If the саrd iѕ rewards саrd

If thе саrd is рrеѕеnt оr not

Some providers mау hаvе diffеrеnt реrсеntаgе fееѕ bаѕеd оn thе volume thаt you рrосеѕѕ

It’s imроrtаnt tо gаthеr аll thе dеtаilѕ on these rates аnd does some rоugh саlсulаtiоnѕ with ~50% of уоur trаnѕасtiоnѕ falling intо thе highеr tiers to gеt a сlеаr рiсturе оf whаt you will likеlу be paying in fееѕ.

Othеr Merchant Aссоunt Fееѕ: Thеrе саn bе many other fees аѕѕосiаtеd with an mеrсhаnt ассоunt bеуоnd thе trаnѕасtiоnаl fees. Other fееѕ tо аѕk аbоut inсludе:

*Mоnthlу minimum fееѕ *Sеtuр fееѕ *Cаnсеllаtiоn fееѕ *Stаtеmеnt fees *Cuѕtоmеr ѕеrviсе fееѕ *Chargeback fееѕ *Bаtсh fееѕ *Annual fееѕ

It’ѕ imроrtаnt to understand аll оf thе finе рrint реrtаining tо thеѕе fееѕ up front so thеrе аrе no ѕurрriѕе costs along the way.

Evаluаting Mеrсhаnt Account Prоvidеrѕ Bеуоnd thе Fees:  Not аll mеrсhаnt accounts аrе сrеаtеd equal, so getting a holistic view upfront will bе critical tо уоur ѕаtiѕfасtiоn аnd long-term ѕuссеѕѕ with уоur mеrсhаnt account рrоvidеr.

Best Secure Merchant Account For Timeshare Business

Timeshares business offers various types of packages, vacation rentals, and airfares. It is considered as high risking business because credit card processing is high trafficked. The transactions also occur via phone and internet, and customers complain about services a lot. It takes a lot of time from booking to receiving, and because of it, disputes are common. A few years back, timeshares merchants weren’t offered credit card processing because of frequent cancellations and refunds. Now merchant account providers are able to take the risk, but travel and related business must keep terms and conditions clear.

Credit card fees and charges

There are various fees associated with transactions, mostly depend on customer’s card and type of transaction. Cards such as American Express, debit, credit card, and type of business are the key factors. Banks don’t want chargebacks because these cost money so they monitor timeshares business closely. Merchants must check best processing rates and look for an online merchant account that offers high processing limit. Those timeshares businesses with a chargeback rate of more than 1% are denied accounts. You should look for a merchant account that offers tools to reduce the risk of chargebacks.

Timeshares business should seek a merchant account that is trustworthy and offer the best rates. There are many strategies that can help you lower chargebacks. Effective sales and marketing methods, direct processing, and keeping records can reduce the risk.

Merchant Stronghold is familiar with many credit card processors and scenarios. We offer low rates to our timeshares business owners so that they can process credit cards without having to follow bank to bank approval. We can help you by finding credit card processors best suited for your terms, conditions, and rates. Before providing you services, we inform you of the advantages and disadvantages so that you are aware of possible risks and benefits. We work with businesses and individuals so that they can get the best solution. Merchant stronghold provides education so that you are satisfied with the outcome.

Online Payment Method for High Risk Merchants

Every year there is an exponential increase in the number of digital transactions. This means more and more people are choosing online payment methods than any other ways. Surely the online payment processor and service provider is flourishing, as everyone is looking for a secure and fast method to make payment for what he or she wants.

Picking the right payment option and method for someone new to the merchant market can be tricky. To help our users, we are providing a list of secure and reliable Online Payment Methods that can ease your task.

The most widely accepted online payment method. You need to create a user account and then follow the given instruction and you are all set to use the PayPal. Here are some of the features of the PayPal.

This will help the visitor on your website to directly connect to the PayPal payment gateway in order to purchase your product.

If you are a merchant then you can directly add the PayPal button on the home screen of your website.

You can also create, send, and receive the payment invoice anytime you want.

For more details related to the PayPal payment options, contact Merchant Stronghold and get the desired information you want.

Google Wallet

Google has also introduced the Payment method with their Google Wallet option. This allows you to download the mobile application and then you can carry out the desired transactions.

You will be asked to sign in to Google Wallet using the Google+ account.

You can also send and receive money using the emails.

The checkout process is very simple which is why other payment providers are facing challenges.

Once you have created Google Wallet, you can store credit cards, debit cards, loyalty cards, and even gift cards to your account.

Authorize.Net

When it comes to suggesting our customer about the online payment methods for small businesses, we always recommend Authorize.Net. The small business owner that wants a quick and easy business solution for their transactions can choose Authorize.Net.

For more details related to the Authorize.Net or the best payment system for your business, you can contact Merchant Stronghold. You can also access the 24/7 email support at info@merchantstronghold.com

Offshore Merchant Accounts Beneficial For Small Businesses

THINGS TO KNOW

When you own small sized online business or if you are setting up one, you cannot afford to become a victim of fraud. Fraud and scams are the harsh reality of the business world and usually new, small, inexperienced businesses are the target of these scammers. For the purpose of safety of merchants, offshore merchant account provider takes responsibility to protect their clients from online frauds.

The need for an offshore merchant account arises where a merchant deals with multi-national currencies. And, various credit cards used by the customers around the world. If you have an offshore merchant account, this will increase the chances of gaining more customers globally and increase annual revenue.

Normally SMBs do not have spare money to invest more in the accounts. This is where offshore can make life easier for merchants having small businesses. If a merchant runs his/her business with proper planning and strategy, he can expand his business. Also, way sooner than expected by gaining more customers nationally and internationally with high profits.

Benefits

1. Some offshore account providers may charge you but there are a few that do not charge a penny for initial setup, which is a beneficial deal for merchants running small online businesses.

2. Offshore accounts operate outside of your home country (where your business setup is), the merchant does not have to pay taxes as he will be out of tax regulation laws of the origin country.

3. Offshore Merchant account provider takes care to protect their clients (small business merchants, having an offshore merchant account) from online frauds.

4. Acceptance of multi-currency

If you want to know more about the benefits of an offshore merchant account give us a call on +1(888) 622-6875, Merchant Stronghold works 24*7, 367 days and with the vast knowledge of offshore merchant accounts, we will handle any type of query that you might throw at us.