EMV Cards – When Do Merchants Have To Be Compliant?

Posted on May 31, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Note: EMV Cards, or Smart Cards, are expected to become commonplace over the coming year. EMV stands for “Europay MasterCard and Visa” which is a standard for card security that requires microchips to be embedded into credit and debit cards. Visa’s announcement last year of a roadmap to EMV compliance was a watershed moment in the credit card processing industry, and MasterCard quickly followed suit. For years, merchants in the US have been resistant to the chip-and-pin technology that ...Read More

Fleet Card Processing – Accept Fuel Cards and Expand Your Customer Base

Posted on May 29, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Imagine that there was a big group of motorists who drove for a living, but couldn’t stop at your gas station or repair shop because they had no way to pay. If you don’t accept fleet and fuel cards, you’re missing out on a pool of people who buy far more gas, and need far more maintenance, than the average motorist. While you may associate fleet cards with truck stops and huge logistics firms, small and medium sized companies use services like the Wright Express Card and Voyager Card to track ...Read More

Capitol Processing Network – Alternate Spelling Now Gets Customers To This Site

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Many of our customers look for us online using the phrase “Capitol Processing Network” in a search engine or typing CapitolProcessingNetwork.com into their web browsers. While search engines have been good at suggesting our website, web browsers may have displayed a “not found” message. We recently were able to acquire the alternate version of our domain name and are now redirecting it to this site. The previous holders of the domain were showing unrelated advertising, but now people who ...Read More

Low Risk Merchant Accounts Deserve Bigger Savings Than Higher Risk Counterparts

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Lots of people start businesses and find out that they are classified as “high risk merchant accounts” when it comes to processing credit cards. This may either be because they have not built up a good credit rating or they fall into business categories that have higher probabilities of credit card fraud and chargebacks. While most people associate “high risk” businesses with pawn shops, online pharmacies, and adult-oriented businesses, companies like travel agencies might also fall into ...Read More

Credit Card Kiosks for Self Service Payments, Donations, and Purchases

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Update: A Time Magazine Story from June 4 shows how kiosks are becoming more prevalent in society. Also, see our Church Credit Card Processing page. The self-service kiosk has become a familiar sight near movie theaters and in church lobbies. With these kiosks, which generally feature touch screen displays and credit card swipers, people can either make a donation to their church, buy movie tickets, or get passes printed. There are even a few hotels with automated check-in kiosks that dispense ...Read More

Integrate Your Cash Register and Credit Card Terminal

Posted on May 21, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Some of the more seasoned small business owners may view credit card processing as inconvenient due to past experience with credit card machines that operated separately from cash registers. As a result, transactions paid with credit cards would be run through a terminal and the receipt would go into the till for an accountant (or the owner) to reconcile at the end of the day. Even with the advent of fully electronic cash registers, there was no guarantee that your authentication device would communicate ...Read More

Make Extra Money Without Raising Prices

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Cost control has been the key to successful entrepreneurship since the dawn of business. Merchants who want to protect their margins usually need to raise prices from time to time as the cost of inventory or materials increases. Unfortunately, increased prices can make a store look unattractive to a consumer, so small business owners generally find themselves cutting corners wherever possible in order to make a living. Credit card processing fees are one area where merchants can find savings, ...Read More

Do you accept the credit cards your customers like to use?

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Back in the 80s and 90s there was a popular TV ad campaign from Visa where exotic businesses were profiled along with the tagline “and they don’t take American Express.” Today, many small businesses would consider such a refusal to be financial suicide. As a business owner in the second decade of the new millennium, the ability to diversify your payment processing options is essential for business survival. While you may have been able to be choosy about your card acceptance options back when ...Read More

Best Small Business Payment Processing Solutions? You May Already Have Them!

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Many people seeking the best payment processing solutions for their business may not realize that they already have several key components in place. For example, newer credit card terminals have multiple data and USB ports which can accommodate check readers, PIN pads, POS systems, and contactless card readers. By purchasing a few peripherals, or making a couple of small changes to the ways they do business, business owners can take simplify the process of collecting payments and cut the costs associated ...Read More

Merchant Accounts for Churches

Posted on May 9, 2012 by Patrick Hare

Credit card processing for churches may seem odd to more traditional parishioners who are used to placing coins or bills into a collection plate. In the past decade, however, it has become far more common for churchgoers to pay with plastic, either by writing a card number on a donation envelope or by swiping a card through a credit card machine. The days where all collection plate proceeds could be held in a small metal box have gone by, and most churches are modernizing their donation acceptance ...Read More

Monthly Archives: May 2012