At first glance, this may sound like a post one would write as a new year’s resolution, but it’s not really so. We already covered how to establish a merchant account for newbies here and here, not to mention useful merchant account saving tips, so we thought we’d write about the bare essentials on becoming an online merchant you can be proud of this year.
1. Use social media tools to your advantage
Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter aren’t just for fun – they can be a great …

In our last post here, we’ve covered some pros and cons with signing up with a turnkey merchant account provider and we’ll elaborate more on them now, including the benefits of going with a credit card processor.
Turnkey merchant account providers – What they can or cannot do for you

PayPal
When PayPal first started out, nobody quite believed that this company will be possibly the world’s most renowned turnkey merchant account provider. Now, 60 million customers later, PayPal has expanded its reaches to 190 countries all over the globe with an …

Choices, choices, choices!
You’ve written the best online marketing plan you could ever produce, and you’re on your way to creating your very own Internet empire at the helm of your new online business. The next thing you should decide, is how best to collect money online. New online retailers are constantly besieged by choices such as PayPal, merchant accounts and other payment processors as well as online shopping cart software providers. The shopping cart icon on one website may look similar to another site’s icon but the company that manages …

As a continuation from yesterday’s 10 Newbie Tips to Establish an Online Merchant Account – Part 1, we now present you Part 2 for your reading pleasure!
6. Know your Internet discount rates
Do you know that there is a fixed percentage extracted from every online transaction? This is known as the Internet discount rate, and usually consists of 2 or 3% from the total amount of transactions. This rate is usually higher compared to credit card-swipes due to the increased risks when dealing with Internet transactions.
7. Beware high transaction fees
Although fixed …

Many web business owners have trouble finding the right merchant accounts. When they ask experience merchants, all they get is a one-word reply: “Research.” But how does a newbie merchant perform proper research without knowing the bare essentials? If they do not how to source for information in obtaining a merchant account, they may be discouraged and might potentially miss out on more than 60% of the profit opportunities that they can enjoy.
In this two-part blog post, we will discuss ways to get you started on establishing the right online …

“Help! My PayPal account has been limited! What do I do?”
You may have heard this from your friends or peers more than once in a single lifetime, and stories of people having money in their PayPal account frozen are more common than you think. I’ve heard my own share of stories from business associates and friends who had their accounts limited, and their funds held for apparently no reason at all.
Lest you think PayPal did this on purpose, just because they can, let it be known that their policies are …

Receiving a chargeback is one of a merchant’s worst nightmares, and the reason why it happens is because a customer does not recognize the merchant’s business on their credit card statement. They can’t remember who was it who charged them, or what they bought, for that matter. It’s like someone coming up to you, asking for a debt to be paid out – only for you to stare blankly at the person because you can’t seem to remember, or even know who he is!
As a result, the customer reports this …

Merchants are often misled when people point out accepting credit cards is just about the best thing that has ever happened to their business. They expect instant results and low cost, something that a merchant account cannot promise immediately upon getting one. The price factor is also another issue that they have to combat for most merchants wonder why the cost of accepting credit cards can be so exorbitant. They are constantly assaulted by transaction fees as high as 5%. Some businesses even revert back to a cash only policy …

When you’re in a high risk business, it pays to be extra vigilant in the main aspects concerning credit card transactions. High risk merchants know that earning a living online is a very risky and dangerous venture, one that warrants added knowledge involving billing process and credit card processing. Most, if not all merchants will want to reduce chargebacks by restricting anonymous email usage, ensuring full credit card validation, maintain IP address detection as well as various other ways to avoid instances of fraud.
Anonymous Email Addresses
High risk merchant account providers …

By day Sarah Jane is an assistant in a thriving florist that she runs with her childhood friend. By night she runs her own online business selling handcrafted stationery and other accessories made from dried and pressed flowers. She gets a full eight hours of sleep nightly and if she is not at her laptop overseeing her website, she goes on short trips to unwind. How does she do it?
The answer? Sarah Jane says that her online business and e-Commerce shopping cart software really helped things move along smoothly. Third …