Robert R. Brady asked:




Many intelligent and aware online business owners often tend to forget a particular aspect of owning and conducting an e-commerce enterprise. Although they may spend a great amount of time setting up their website, inventorying their services and products and posting photographs of the same, they sometimes forget about spending time on the eventual result, which is making the transaction easy for the customers they are targeting.

The most popular as well as the most convenient method of payment online is by credit card. Several other options available to customers and sellers, but this article focuses on setting your business up to receive credit card payments. Since it has been established as the most popular choice of payment method for online consumers, it is no longer an option on your site, but essential for your business.

The Internet, by design, provides instantaneous access to various kinds of information and other services, which may even be your business. Consumers who like the ease of access the Internet provides, do not want to be hassled with making telephonic orders or with writing out and mailing checks drawn on their accounts. If your business doesn’t provide them with a quicker option, they will look elsewhere. Also, since your retail outlet is no a store in the tangible sense, accepting credit cards make it seem more real to the customers. Additionally, if you accept cards then you don’t have to make frequent trips to the bank and worry about checks bouncing.

The first step in equipping your business to accept credit card payments is to contact providers of merchant accounts, who can give you such services. This involves an application process, which has certain qualifications and eligibility criteria, for both your business and you.

Merchant account providers are of three types:

1. Direct Processors:

These are usually banks, allowing you to directly access processing centers for credit cards. You require an order form, which once completed is sent from your site to a secure server, which absorbs credit card information, subsequently transmitting it to the bank involved.

This type has a distinct disadvantage in that banks don’t like to be involved with online e-commerce businesses. The prime cause for this is that they do not have access to any transaction slips which the cardholder signs.

2. Brokers:

Brokers are middlemen such as PayPal and Monster Merchant Account. They act as intermediate agents between the direct processor and you. A system known as the discount rate system pays for their involvement.

A discount rate is the amount on each sake that you are charged by the intermediary for their services for the payment. For instance, on a sale of $500, for a discount rate of 5%, you receive 5% less than that amount, i.e. you receive $475 and the broker receives $25. If you have a large profit margin and you make smart deals on your wholesale purchase, then you receive a pretty good deal with this system.

3. Third-party processors

This system is similar to the broker service, but they also have some additional services. Third party processors are fundamentally of two types:

Fulfillment houses – Webgistix and National Fulfillment Services are companies that take orders for the products that you sell through a live operator who uses a toll-free number and then ship the packaged goods for you to the customer while providing you with an online transaction record. It is a pretty neat process. These houses too charge a discount rate of 5%.

Service providers – If you have a credit history that is not too reliable, then you can use these services as they allow you to bypass the requirements of a merchant account, since the payments made by your customers are processed from the service provider’s merchant account. The service provider acts as the legal retailer and you are known as the agent. The only drawback to this system is that the fees are higher than normal.

There is one more thing to note: A lot of these services provide different kinds of services and are not protected against fraud. Thus, if a consumer purchases your goods using stolen credit cards, you will probably be liable for the entire cost of the goods. An example of such a service provider is iBill, and another is Vantage Card Services. These companies allow you to set up services or accepting card payments along with telephonic payments and online checks.

Roberta

thepearltrader asked:


I have been accepting credit cards online and in person and a company I used to use pointed out that I accept a lot of “international cards” yet, these were all Average Joe personal credit card holders in the MI area – is there anyway to know based on the card? Should I just start asking clients if their card is based on a Canadian or overseas bank?

Thanks!

Carla

Zed Miller asked:




Whether you’re selling digital products or tangible goods through online channels, your business should be able to accept credit cards to ensure the widest customer base possible. Being able to accept credit cards makes your online business more accessible to a greater number of potential clients and customers, hence, increasing your customer base. By building an online enterprise that could accept credit cards, you will be able to secure payment in a more convenient and safe manner. If your online business would accept credit cards from paying customers, you’d be empowering them to spend on your products.

You will be able to access your e-Commerce merchant account control page from any country and any computer, letting you review, overview and control your credit card processing. But, as important is the fact that your customers will be able to access your e-Commerce website and your credit card processing service from any part of the world. This is important if you do not want to limit your product or service to one particular location or country.

Credit card processing gateways are 24-hour stable, i.e. they always function, and server breakdowns occur very rarely. 128-bit SSL encryption and other security technologies make it impossible for hackers to read and modify credit card information on your e-Commerce website. This makes it safe for you and your customers to use your credit card gateway.

Especially, if your e-Commerce shopping cart is equipped with a ‘One-Click Buy’ function. This means that not only you will save much time with a merchant account; your customers will be able to fill one form upon registration and then start purchasing just by clicking the “Buy Me” button on your website without the hassle of re-filling credit card information forms.

Especially, if your business is selling digital products and services which are normally available for immediate download after payment. No one wants to want to wait for a week or more for the post to arrive, pay the check into your bank account and then the time delay for the check to clear and finally credited before sending out each order.

Jerry

Zed Miller asked:




Having your own online business saves a lot on your start up and operational costs as compared to business with a physical location. Most businesses these days accept credit cards online to expand customer base and increase sales volume. Businesses that accept credit card payments online have sales that are 50-400% more than businesses that do not accept credit card payments.

In case you decide to accept credit card payments online, you’ll have a choice to apply for a traditional merchant account at any of the local bank and get accepted or you can use one of the numerous credit card processing companies that operate online and are looking for online businesses. Many of the card processing providers you can use online allow you to set up your website for accepting credit cards with no set up fees.

When you just start an online business, you are probably not ready to get any credit card processing provider that requires you process a minimum number of transactions each month. It is better to pay a slightly higher per-transaction fee than to pay a higher monthly fee in exchange for a lower per-transaction fee based on a minimum number of cards processed each month.

Benefits that you will get when you accept credit card payments online:

Sales will increase: Credit card customers buy 2.5 times more merchandise than customers who pay cash. To attract the impulse buyer: Credit cards give the customers freedom to spend for previously unplanned merchandise. To move expensive merchandise: Credit card customers are often less conscious of slight price differences, and will seek out the businesses that offer credit rather than the discounter or wholesaler who does not offer credit purchases. Larger volume: Offering Credit Cards helps you achieve higher unit sales and extra orders. Steadier sales: Offering Credit cards can help smooth out the business ‘ups and downs’, cash shoppers tend to buy heavier only on paydays and just before holidays; credit customers buy whenever the need arises. Credit card issues: Of around 280 million North Americans, 150 million have Visa, 95 million have MasterCard, 40 million have Discover and 25 million have American Express. 80% of all Credit Cards are Visa and MasterCard.

Alice

Groshan Fabiola asked:


Through means on technology, almost any kind of purchase can be made online. From groceries, subscriptions for comics or magazines, to DVD movies, home appliances and furniture, the World Wide Web has everything. All you need is some time to browse for what you need, and a valid credit card at hand.

You can buy videogames online, or pay for subscriptions, contribute to the sites you visit or make donations. You can actually “put” clothes in a virtual shopping cart and make the purchase. But, do you have any clue about what goes on whenever you place the number of your credit card on the blanks and check out of the virtual store with your purchases? The process that takes place when you hit the “buy” button is called an online credit card transaction.

For an online credit card transaction there are several things that you do. The virtual store that you want to buy from will ask for your name and credit card number. The online credit card transaction system will verify whether or not the credit card is owned by the name specified. This step is actually optional since not everyone uses their own credit card, and the name is most of the times written on the credit card anyway.

Then, the online credit card transaction is sent by the system to the credit card company with the purpose of being recorded. It is worth to know that the currency is specified with the online credit card transaction since not all transactions made are in American dollars. Some companies send a verification e-mail to verify if you made such a transaction. Don’t get any ideas, it is fraud to answer “no” if you did make the transaction. If you do not answer in a certain period of time, the credit card is usually suspended.

For more resources regarding accepting credit card or even about accepting credit cards and especially about card processing please review these pages.



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