10 Tips To Prevent Credit Card Fraud
Here are 10 tips to help insure you're not the victim of thieves and fraudsters:
You'll never deter fraudsters completely. But you can certainly make life as difficult as possible for them.
Studies show that credit card customers spend 2 1/2 times more than customers who only carry cash. Accepting credit cards can increase sales by as much as 40%.
Sponsored by PaynetSystems,Inc
www.paynetsystems.com
A Credit Card processing and Merchant Services provider
Paynet Systems is a registered Merchant Service Provider of Wells Fargo, NA
When you're starting your online business you will hear the term Merchant Services bandied around quite a lot. Merchant services are very necessary if you're going to have a successful business on the web, as they allow you to process card payments from your customers.
In the beginning a lot of small businesses, both online and off, will usually run off cash and checks. People are used to the instant nature of the Internet, and many people won't purchase your goods, even if they are a better deal if it requires something cumbersome like printing off and mailing an order form and a check for payment. As a merchant, you are not required to accept credit cards, but you're losing approximately 60% of your online sales by not accepting them.
Most people are accustomed to the "gotta get it now" aspect of online shopping and those impulse shoppers make up a lot of online business purchases. When you are ready to meet the needs of the instant shoppers, you will need to investigate merchant services. It can be daunting to find a credit card payment processor; there are a lot of forms, deposits and other items to go through.
From : managemore.com.
1.No expensive hardware (i.e. merchant terminals) required for processing payments, besides the computer and modem you already own
2.Only one merchant account is needed for both your retail/MOTO business and ecommerce business
3.Transparent to the employee processing the credit cards or electronic checks
4.Automatically records credit card approval codes for easy reconciliation and effortless voiding of transactions when customers return/refuse products or services
5.Optional magnetic card reader can be used to further automate payment processing with credit cards, debit cards, and check cards
6.Everyone connected to your computer network will be able to process credit cards at no additional costs
7.Only one phone line or data circuit is needed for processing credit cards to an entire organization. Monthly savings on excess phone lines are enormous
8.No software fees or annual support fees needed to implement.
9.No computer consultant fees required to setup , if you already have an internet connection ready and available
10.Competitive credit card discount rates through our Merchant Account Provider affiliates
11.No setup fees for processing electronic checks. This is the perfect complement to your credit card merchant account because it will allow you to get impulse sales by both credit card and check
12.Convenient online history database keeps detailed records of every transaction approved/declined
13.Supports EFT feature for electronic processing of customer bill payments via real-time batch credit card and electronic check posting
MAPs require vendors to meet certain requirements for opening an account, requirements that often are particularly strict for e-commerce businesses. In general, the riskier the provider deems your business, the more difficult it will be to open an account and set up your Web site for e-commerce. What basic requirements will you have to meet? What goes into determining whether your business is risky? Why do the requirements vary so widely?
The ISO Alternative
These MAP requirements have given rise to independent sales organizations (ISOs). These companies act as middlemen between the vendor and the acquiring bank by applying for the account on behalf of merchants.
Some ISOs absorb the risk for the bank by taking on responsibility for charge backs should a vendor go bankrupt. In addition, because ISOs are not banks, they are not subject to the same strict laws under which all MAPs operate. This means they can offer merchant accounts, essentially lines of credit, to businesses that would otherwise be turned down. In return, the ISO levies heavier fees on merchants, including per-transaction fees, discount rates, and service charges.
Exact fee schedules vary widely among ISOs. To confuse matters further, ISOs often refer to themselves as merchant account providers even though they do not provide the account. This is a matter of semantics which has not been clarified or enforced by any governing body.
MAP and ISO Requirements
Almost every MAP and ISO maintains the following basic requirements for opening a merchant account. If your business expects a relatively low monthly charge volume — less than $5,000 (U.S.) per month — and you are applying through an ISO, you might merely be required to:
1. Have a Web site.
2. Provide your business name or Doing Business as (DBA) name.
3. Clearly display your return policy.
4. Have a U.S. checking account.
5. Have a U.S. postal mailing address for the checking account.
6. Not be in active bankruptcy.
7. Not have been convicted of credit card fraud or a related felony.
8. Not appear on the Terminated Merchant File List or MATCH file.
The MATCH file is analogous to a credit-reporting agency. It is a file maintained by the credit card associations and contains information about businesses that have failed to handle their merchant processing responsibilities.
If your business is located outside the United States, you might find it difficult to locate a MAP or ISO that will consider your application. If you can find such a provider, it most probably will require that you:
1. Provide proof of U.S. incorporation (not required of U.S. businesses).
2. Present a personal guarantor with a U.S. Social Security number and good credit.
3. Warehouse and ship your product from within the United States.
4. Pay taxes in the jurisdiction where the bank or the ISO's license permits operation.