Online Businesses
Getting Started With Credit Cards and ePayments
When credit cards first came onto the market, they were far less widespread. You had to have a high net worth to qualify for one, because your income and wealth levels were seen as proof you could pay off your cards. High end designer stores soon adopted card payments. The world today is different. We…
Read MoreWhat Equipment do I Need to Open a Merchant Account?
Opening a merchant card service account has little to do with what equipment you have initially, and more to do with what type of business you run, your customer base and your market risk standing. As with any long-term service, you will complete an application form that will include certain relevant information and will be…
Read MoreWhat Software and Payment Acceptance Options will I need for my Small Online Business?
It is vital that you accept credit card payments for purchases made via your online business if you want it to be successful. Online businesses cannot survive if they don’t accept card payments because the whole concept of selling online offers buyers armchair shopping whenever it suits them. This convenience includes card payments for immediate…
Read MoreWhat do I Need to Know About PCI Compliance?
PCI stands for Payment Card Industry. The full term is Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) but most people know it as just PCI. PCI is a monitoring system that was developed by five of the biggest card companies in the world. It was created to protect businesses and consumers from card fraud…
Read MoreMoving Your Small Business to a Fully-Integrated Point-of-Sale System
Does Your Small Business Need to Move to a Fully-Integrated Point-of-Sale System, and How Do You Begin? Many business owners prefer to start small and scale gradually. It reduces the amount of capital they need to begin, and it buffers them against unmanageable losses. However, just because you’re running a small business doesn’t mean you…
Read MoreWhat is a Merchant Account Service and Why Should I Use it?
A merchant account service offers merchants, or businesses, a link between credit card holders and an acceptor, a bank, who in turn links all the aforementioned to payment brands, or credit card providers like American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. This process is all controlled by strict agreements and regulated by laws and compliance regulations…
Read MoreCan I Accept EMV Cards from Customers Purchasing from my Online Business?
EMV technology plays no role in online payments. It also plays no role in telephone order or mail order payments. EMV (named after Europay, MasterCard, and Visa who designed and initiated the evolution in card security technology) is a new generation of credit and debit card that are issued with an embedded micro-chip that holds…
Read MoreWhy are EMV Cards More Secure than Traditional Cards?
Decades ago, credit cards were a luxury item that were only possessed by the top tier of society. Nowadays, cards are more popular than cash. And, in addition to credit cards, consumers are becoming increasingly comfortable with debit cards. These cards can be used to withdraw cash from ATMs, but often, they’re used to make…
Read MoreWhat is a Payment Gateway?
What is a payment gateway, and why does an online store need one? A payment gateway is a secure service provided by a merchant card processing service that allows your online shop to accept credit card payments via your website. This will almost certainly increase your sales because the software runs 24 hours a day…
Read MoreWorried about Accepting Credit Card Payments? Use Charge.com!
Have you been taken in by rumors that accepting credit card payments is not worthwhile because merchant account service provider fees are too high, or that you will have to implement costly equipment or software to your business? Did they also tell you that application processes are long and tedious and that small businesses can’t…
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