Tuesday, August 7, 2007

My Credit Card Machines 802

Free Credit Card Processing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva]Thomas Morva

It is difficult to run a successful e-commerce project without being able to make credit card transactions. Credit card processing involves many things, such as the verification of the consumer's credit card number, expiry date, and other data connected with credit cards.

If you are a beginner in business, free credit card processing services would be an ideal option for you. Unlike regular credit card processing, you don't have to pay for expensive credit card processing software, customer service fees, a secure server, minimum transaction fees, and monthly gateway fees when using free credit card processing.

Most free credit card processing companies charge only a nominal fee per transaction or a monthly percentage fee. Therefore, free processing helps you save a significant amount of money every month. However, this does not work well when merchant accounts are involved. Regular credit card processing involves the payment of a statement fee, a minimum fee, a discount fee, and a license fee, in addition to start-up fees.

If you opt to go with free credit card processing, it is advisable that you visit a credit processing firm to learn what kind of transactions are generally done in credit card processing. Third party credit card processing companies can be a good resource for those who are looking for a less expensive means to accept credit cards online. They normally offer free credit card processing services. Their merchant account doesn?t charge any fee for many transactions, including phone, fax, retail, mail, Internet, or wireless businesses.

Lots of free credit card processing companies do not entail creating your own merchant account. Today, many online businesses make use of free credit card processing. They include CCBill, iBill, V-Share, and ShareIt. [http://www.i-CreditCardProcessing.com]Credit Card Processing provides detailed information on Credit Card Processing, Online Credit Card Processing, Credit Card Processing Software, Wireless Credit Card Processing and more. Credit Card Processing is affiliated with [http://www.e-CreditCardTerminals.com]Wireless Credit Card Terminals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva http://EzineArticles.com/?Free-Credit-Card-Processing&id=353155

Tuesday, July 31, 2007

My Credit Card Machines 802

Making A Credit Card Work For You
By Max Hunter

Boosting Your Credit-Rating With A Well-Managed Credit Card

A considerable obstacle standing between many Americans and the
consumer goods they consider a necessary or desirable part of
life is a ready way to pay for them. From a new piece of
furniture to a car or even a house an age old problem stands in
their way: MONEY – or rather how to get hold of it.

A lucky few earn enough to never have to worry about this
problem. Many more consumers have lenders simply falling over
themselves with offers of credit. For a lot of people, however,
a poor credit history or a low credit rating stands as an
inexorable difference between living the life they want, and
looking with perpetual envy at their neighbor. Even relatively
low cost essentials, such as a vacuum cleaner or television set,
can be too expensive if a way of spreading the initial cost is
not available.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Credit is available for
those with a lower credit scores, but better still: Borrowing
even relatively small amounts can be a great way for borrowers
with a "chequered past" to improve their credit rating. A better
credit score can lead to an array of greater awards in the
future, including better APR deals and larger credit lines. If
you have a poor credit rating and dreams of one day buying a
house, a credit card is the first logical step to pulling up
your record and getting a mortgage.

Making regular monthly payments to an agreed timescale on a
credit card is – short of scooping a massive inheritance from a
long lost millionaire aunt – one of the single best ways to
improve your credit score. So long as you don’t take on more
debt than you can afford, credit cars are ideal: payments are
reasonably sized and flexible, and if you budget properly can be
structured towards an ultimate payoff

Moreover, you have to be wise to how credit card companies
work. Credit cards are designed by financial institutions as a
way to keep you making minimum payments for years to come – and
enslaved to large interest payments from which they make many of
their profits. Borrow only what you can, and pay back the debt
as quickly as possible.

Of course, even when dealing with the very best lenders, trying
to secure credit card financing with a lower credit rating does
throw up some problems.

Financial institutions will usually insist on a higher interest
rate and sometimes may even ask for a guarantor. The interest
rate can be up to three times what a good credit borrower would
be offered, although in these days of low interest rates, that
need not be prohibitively expensive.

Always try and walk before you run. If you have a high interest
rate on your credit card, borrow sparingly and pay back quickly.
That way you’ll build up your credit score and be able to get
cheaper APR in the future, making larger purchases then far
cheaper over the fullness of time. If you make a large purchase
at a high interest rate and can only pay back the minimum
payment each month, with interest charges you could be paying as
little as just one of half of a percent of the existing balance
each month.

Always keep you balance under control. It can be easy to let
your credit card spending run in excess of what you had planned.
If you have concerns that you might do so, ask the lender to
impose an easily manageable credit limit. That way you won’t
spend a dime more than you can afford. The worst time to gain
unmanageable balance is when interest rates are at their
highest. Do that and it can seem like a lifetime before you get
things back under control.

High-risk borrowers should always exercise extreme caution
before entering into any financial obligation. Before even
thinking about taking on any new financial obligation, consider
your budget and ask yourself how much – if anything – you can
afford. If you decide that you can, you should still be careful
about choosing the right deal.

However, if you can get a credit card that you can manage well,
the benefits are enormous. It will enable you to spread the cost
of larger purchases over manageable periods of time; you can
fill holes in your budget (that are so common in the run up to
pay day); and build up a credit history that will enable you to
get better APR on borrowings and allow you to borrow money for
larger items.

An auto loan or mortgage may seem a distant dream for many
Americans with poor credit histories, but everybody has to start
off somewhere. Get a credit card, manage it well, and you’ll
soon get to where you want.

About the Author: Max Hunter is the author of many credit
related articles. If you are looking for help with Home Loans or
any other type of credit issue please visit us at
http://www.creditcardunlimited.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Friday, July 27, 2007

My Credit Card Machines

Credit Card Processing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva]Thomas Morva

Nowadays, almost all establishments accept credit card payments. This is because many consumers make their purchases using their credit cards, and establishments who do not accept credit card payments risks losing potential sales. Given this, it is then essential for any company that intends to sell products in the market to make sure that their stores can accept credit payments. There’s good news, though! Today, accepting credit cards is usually a fairly easy process because companies can gain access to the tools that they need to be able to process credit card payments from a number of sources.

Setting up a merchant account

The first step in accepting credit cards is setting up a merchant account. This will involve locating the right merchant account provider or credit card processor. Many businesses do this through the banks where they do their business banking. However, not all banks provide credit card processing services.

A good source of information is any trade associations that a business belongs to, which may have negotiated rates with a certain credit card processor that the business could contact. Another good source of leads is from other businesses that already accept credit card payments. On the other hand, given that most processors aggressively pursue clients especially start up companies, it is most likely that these processors will contact new business owners and offer them their services.

In deciding on which credit card processor to use, it is a good idea to employ canvassing strategies, which includes interviewing each credit processor and asking them questions that can help business owners pick the right processor. Some of these questions include asking them about their fees, their rates, and other services that they provide their clients. After which, business owners then should analyze which processor can give them the best deal for the credit card processing services that they are offering.

Nowadays, no business establishment should be without credit card processing capabilities. This is because given that most people make many of their purchases using their credit cards, establishments that do not accept credit card payments risk losing a significant number of sales. The good news is that today, the tools that businesses need to be able to accept credit card payments, which includes merchant accounts, are easily accessible, as there are a large number of companies that provide credit card processing services. [http://www.i-CreditCardProcessing.com]Credit Card Processing provides detailed information on Credit Card Processing, Online Credit Card Processing, Credit Card Processing Software, Wireless Credit Card Processing and more. Credit Card Processing is affiliated with [http://www.e-CreditCardTerminals.com]Wireless Credit Card Terminals.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Thomas_Morva http://EzineArticles.com/?Credit-Card-Processing&id=255743

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

My Credit Card Machines 802

Free Consumer Advice Site Launched By Credit Card Industry To
Protect Shoppers
By R.Green

The banking industry has launched its own new website to
provide advice for consumers on credit cards. The site
(http://www.choosingandusing.com) has been set up to help
people choose which card is right for them as well as promoting
a better understanding of the benefits and problems associated
with borrowing using credit cards.

The site’s aims are to offer unbiased information to help
people decide which sort of credit cards best suit their needs,
supply advice on managing money for those struggling with
repayments or adverse credit, along with details of any help
and support that is available, as well as answering basic
questions consumers may have about credit cards.

The stated goals are to raise consumer awareness of:

• The benefits and risks of credit card use
• How credit cards work
• What should be considered before choosing a credit card
• How to compare credit card products
• How credit card companies make their decisions
• What to think about when using a credit card
• What to do if you get into difficulties

Sandra Quinn, Director of communications at APACS, says:
“The UK has one of the most competitive credit card markets in
the world with around 1,500 different cards to choose from, so
selecting the right one can be a time-consuming process.”

The site was created by APACS, the UK payments association,
which represents all of the major UK credit card issuers to
provide information directed at better education on the issues
surrounding credit cards to help consumers fully understand
their choices, rather than actually comparing specific cards.

“The UK cards industry is committed to improving consumer
understanding of credit cards to encourage responsible
borrowing. This goes hand in hand with our members’ commitment
to responsible lending.”

The website tries to give the types of features which people
should look for when choosing a card depending on their usual
patterns of spending behaviour, such as, people who regularly
clear their balance each month would be best advised that
interest rates may be of less importance than whether there is
an annual fee or a rewards programme associated with a
particular card.

Other help given by the site includes details on how credit
cards work, what happens during application procedures, advice
on the responsible use of credit cards, and what to do if you
find yourself in trouble with debt.

What the site doesn’t attempt is to look at specific cards to
compare rates and benefits, therefore consumers will still need
to consult tables in newspapers or financial comparison websites
such as Moneynet, if they are to make truly informed decisions.

These days there are so many sources of information available
which quickly enable financial products to be judged side by
side that there is no real excuse for consumers to suffer from
exorbitant rates of interest or inferior services, but the
public needs to take an interest in their own finances if they
are not going to be taken for a ride.

Resources:
Credit card advice - choosingandusing.com (
http://www.choosingandusing.com/ )
Credit card comparisons - Moneynet (
http://www.moneynet.co.uk/credit-card/index.shtml )

About the Author: Richard lives in Edinburgh, occasionally
writing for the personal finance blog Cashzilla (
http://cashzilla.blogspot.com/ ), and wonders why lisp is so
difficult for sufferers to say.

Source: http://www.isnare.com

Friday, July 20, 2007

My Credit Card Machines 802

Merchant Credit Card Services
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole]Alison Cole

Studies have shown that you can increase your business sales manifold if you accept credit card payments from your customers. This is because most people are not like to carry cash around, and so using their debit card or credit card is their preferred mode of payment. Suppose, you own an online store where people can make orders by the click of the mouse. It follows naturally that you should be also in a position to accept credit card payments online. Then there may be situations where the people would prefer to make their orders by phone. There are companies that give a toll free number and the people can place their orders and give their credit card information based on voice prompts.

To accept credit card payments, you need to have an online merchant account with any financial institution, bank, or acquiring institutions. These institutions will deposit the money accepted through a website into your account. Apart from getting a merchant account, you must also get a payment gateway. As the name itself suggests, the payment gateway is a gateway, actually a code, which processes and validates the credit card information by sending the information provided to the credit card company and gets an accept or decline message. On getting the accept message, the gateway then transmits the amount from the website to the merchant account.

Address verification is the most important aspect of credit card services, as it is essential to fight against credit card fraud. Some credit card companies ask for the CID or the credit card identification digits.

Software such as the IC Verify (DOS winpopup), PCAuthorize (Windows), or MacAuthorize (Mac) These software are required to process the credit cards.

As a merchant, you can accept credit card information on your own website or on the website of the acquiring institutions, with whom you have your merchant account. These institutions charge a nominal fee for their services, but the increase in sales is well worth the investment. [http://www.MerchantServices-Web.com]Merchant Services provides detailed information about merchant services, e-commerce merchant services, high risk merchant accounts, internet merchant services and more. Merchant Services is the sister site of [http://www.e-TelecomAudits.com]Telecom Audits Info.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Alison_Cole http://EzineArticles.com/?Merchant-Credit-Card-Services&id=144902

Thursday, July 19, 2007

My Credit Card Machines 802

Credit Card Payment Processing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo]Jimmy Sturo

Have you ever wondered what goes on whenever you make a transaction with your credit card? Do you actually know what happens whenever the merchant swipes your card into their point of sales (POS) system?

First, you hand your items to the cashier for him to compute the total amount of the items you purchased. The cashier then requests for your credit card. Your credit card is swiped on the POS system and the amount is registered into the device.

The POS system then sends an authorization request to your credit card company to validate the transaction. Although the total amount of your transaction has been sent, the credit is not yet deducted from your account at this moment. When the transaction is permitted, the credit is still not recorded. The amount of the purchase is simply reserved. A reply is sent to the POS system at the store informing if the transaction is valid or not.

If your transaction is approved, the POS system prints out a receipt for you. The cashier will give the receipt for you to sign, as this would be their means to reimburse the transaction from the bank. During closing time, or whenever the store makes inventory and match the daily transactions, a person at the store would be assigned to match all the recorded transactions in the POS system with the receipts that they have.

If everything turns out well, the store would then send a request to the bank for reimbursements for the transactions. The bank then sends a request to the credit card companies for each of the transactions that the store made. The credit card company would give the amount due to the bank but deduct an inter charge fee for each transactions. The amount collected by the bank is then deposited to the store’s account less a discount fee for the services rendered. [http://www.i-PaymentProcessing.com]Payment Processing provides detailed information on Payment Processing, Internet Credit Card Payment Processing, Electronic Payment Processing, Credit Card Payment Processing and more. Payment Processing is affiliated with [http://www.e-EFT.com]EFT Software.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jimmy_Sturo http://EzineArticles.com/?Credit-Card-Payment-Processing&id=253878

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

My Credit Card Machines 802

Accept Credit Card at Trade Show
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Shane_Penrod]Shane Penrod

Are you wondering whether to accept credit card at trade show options? You know how it goes. You register for a show, set up your booth, and over the course of the event you find that lots of customers want to buy your products. If you are stuck making change for cash payments or trying to decide whether to accept a personal check, you could spend a lot of time and lose many customers in the process. Those who prefer to pay by plastic will head to your competitors’ booths where they can swipe a card and be on their way in a few moments’ time. With a credit payment processor, you can be the one swiping the plastic and ringing up the sale. So how can you get set up to receive credit card payments at a trade show? It all starts with a merchant services account.

If you are exploring whether to accept credit card at trade show possibilities, you should consider opening a merchant services account. Many banks or other financial institutions offer this commercial-grade company account. They will often let you submit an application over the Internet at their Websites and get back to you with an answer in a day or two. When your application is approved, you can take advantage of the great financing options that the bank will provide in underwriting a credit processing account so that you can accept credit card payments from your customers either on-site or at a remote location, such as a trade show. Simply buy, lease, or rent a wireless credit processor and take it with you to the show. Your customers will love the convenience of using plastic over cash, and you will love adding up profits at the end of the day.

When you decide to accept credit card at trade show options, your journey into e-commerce should be smooth and clear. If a problem should arise, you can report it to the service technician who is responsible for maintaining your equipment. If you buy the unit outright, however, you may want to consider purchasing an accompanying service agreement in case a glitch should develop. Take your wireless unit to the trade show with you, set it up in a safe place where it won’t fall or get damaged, and put up a sign, if you have one, alerting customers to this credit paying option. If you also have a company Website, you may want to hand out fliers with your Web address on it so they can visit online to make additional purchases, using their credit card paying ability at that location as well, assuming you have set up your site to receive secure credit payments.

Going to the trade shows is a great way to see and be seen by customers and competitors. Imagine taking your credit processing equipment to facilitate sales while there. Give some serious thought to reasons that will benefit both company and clients as to why you should accept credit card at trade show options.

Shane Penrod is the founder of http://www.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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shane_Penrod http://EzineArticles.com/?Accept-Credit-Card-at-Trade-Show&id=103872