Wednesday, July 18, 2007

Credit Card Terminals

Want To Accept Credit Card Services?
By Shane Penrod

When your business has expanded to the point that you’re ready
to accept credit card services, it is time for an upgrade of
payment options so that your clients can pay by credit as well
as by cash or check. This is not a difficult process, but you
will need to get started promptly if you want to stay even with
or get ahead of the competition.

To become eligible to accept credit card services, you need to
apply for a merchant services account. This is a special bank
or financial account that an underwriter provides to back
credit payments from clients to you. Do an Internet search to
find financial institutions who offer this service; many do,
and they would love to have your business. All you need do is
check out the prices and terms and go with the best deal you
can get. Be careful to read the fine print, however, as there
can be hidden fees like print statement costs, gateway fees,
and Website maintenance if you go the Internet route. You also
may be asked to pay annual membership fees or application fees,
so do your homework before selecting a company where you will
seek a merchant account. You can quickly apply via the Internet
or by telephone, and you can generally expect a fairly prompt
reply. In a matter of a few days, you could be ready to start
accepting credit card payments from current and new customers.

Your clients will appreciate your willingness to accept credit
card services, since many dislike the hassle of paying by cash
or check. If you plan to offer credit card payment options at
the physical location of your company or organization, you will
need to purchase or lease a credit card processor that can be
plugged in, perhaps one with a combination terminal and
printer. If an employee or you plan to deliver goods and
services, however, you may prefer to invest in a wireless
credit card processor that you can take with you in the van
wherever you go. A pager might be another useful acquisition,
as well as an e-check or debit processor. Don’t overextend
yourself, however. Only purchase what you can afford to pay for
each month. You can always buy more equipment or upgrade to more
features when they are truly needed.

To accept credit card services at a company Website, find a
good Web designer who will put up a quality site for your
business. Your merchant account will let you accept credit
payments onsite, which allows you to reduce staffing loads and
yet bring in more income. Your Website can be viewed from
customers all around the world at any time of the day or night,
and you can likewise receive credit payments from any location.
Many merchants claim their profit rises dramatically after they
start accepting credit on a Website.

Don’t let prosperity pass you by. Find out how you can open a
merchant account and learn to accept credit card services on
the Internet.

About the Author: Shane Penrod is the founder of
Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing merchants
the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from national
merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant account
rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Another one of the hidden fees that you really need to look out for are interchange fees - especially if you're a small business that does a lot of small transactions. The credit card companies throw on an extra hidden fee on each transaction that can really add up over time that can be a different rate depending on which cards your consumers use. Its very important to be aware of these costs - www.unfaircreditcardfees.com who I work with has great info on them.