Posts Tagged small business credit card processing

The Truth Behind Credit Card Processing Merchants

Posted on Wednesday, September 1st, 2010 at 5:33 pm

It is a well known fact that customers prefer to make purchases using their credit cards and checkbooks, as opposed to having to carry a thick wad of cash in their wallet every time they go out. Credit cards are just so much more convenient to use, so it makes sense that when starting a business, you should also have that capability to process credit card transactions as well. However when it comes to Credit Card Processing merchants there is a major drawback. They bait you with teaser rates, and then hook you in with a long-term contract that you would have done better without.

Although they can offer what are called “Qualified Rates” that process credit card transactions at comparatively lower rates, the truth is that only 20% of those transactions actually qualify. This means that 80% of the time you will be contending with non-qualified transactions that cost more to process. Have you ever wondered why American Express and Discover cards are refused by a lot of retailers? It’s because these two credit card merchants typically charge companies higher fees for processing transactions which is why businesses often decline them. Finding a cost-effective solution for Small Business Credit Card Processing can be especially challenging as they are charged more by credit card processing merchants to process their low-volume sales because they do not have as many customers. In addition, the cost for on-site equipment can become expensive, anywhere from $300 to upwards of $700 each, especially if you have multiple cashier’s stations set up to accept customer’s payments. This has the possibility of discouraging many potential small business owners from even starting up due to the costs that are involved.

Businesses on the road, such as those that regularly set up booths as trade shows and fairs will have an especially complicated time finding wireless credit card processing solutions. A far more cost-effective strategy would be to actually have a Paypal-based solution instead. At http://www.usbswiper.com you can get access to just that, while eliminating the discomfort some customers have at typing in credit card information on a PC or laptop. You also get the same flat rates that Paypal is able to offer across all credit cards in addition to getting all the same benefits of being able to transact business with your customer’s credit cards. With a Paypal-based solution, anywhere you can take your laptop with you and have wireless access to the internet is a place where you can process credit card transactions. In this way you would no longer have to deal with any of the expensive equipment that you would either have to purchase or lease from someone else.