| Do you currently use credit card processing | | | | card processing, if the magnetic strip is inoperable, |
| services online? If so, you might not be saving all | | | | and you are forced to key in the payment |
| that you could with your merchant account credit | | | | transaction, be sure to get an accurate zip code |
| card processing service. This article will outline | | | | for the billing address of the card. A zip code that |
| some fast fee saving tips to reduce the costs of | | | | does not match properly the billing address of the |
| payment processing and ensure you are not | | | | card holder will increase your transaction cost. |
| wasting money per transaction. | | | | 5. Provide very clear contact information for your |
| 7 Strategies to Save Money on Your Merchant | | | | business, and be sure to have your customer |
| Account | | | | service phone number appear on the line item of |
| | | | the credit card statement. Customers often |
| 1. If you process point of sale payments with | | | | forget or do not recognize the line item |
| your merchant account, be sure to check for a | | | | description for a purchase, providing information |
| security match for the signature on the back of | | | | to contact you rather than the credit card |
| the card your customer provides you. If a | | | | processing company. This occurs because |
| signature is not provided, ask for additional identity | | | | customers are more likely to dispute a charge if |
| verification, to prevent fraud. This small step can | | | | they do not recognize and cannot contact the |
| save you a fortune on your credit card | | | | business from a line item charge on their |
| processing statements. Fraud, charge backs and | | | | statement, those fees add up. |
| disputes account for dramatic increases in costs | | | | 6. Follow your credit card processing terminal |
| to the merchant. A typical merchant account | | | | directions attentively when using it for payments. |
| provider will charge fees ranging from $25 to $45 | | | | It will sometimes prompt you for additional |
| for these costly fixes, resulting in skyrocketing | | | | information or have specialized instructions for the |
| costs. | | | | processing of some corporate credit cards or |
| 2. Be sure to remember to process any sales | | | | debit cards. Providing the information required can |
| you receive on the same day they the | | | | save you per transaction fees. |
| transaction occurs. For point of sale stores using | | | | 7. Watch your merchant account statements |
| credit card processing terminals you do not want | | | | carefully. As your business grows, or if you |
| to wait to batch out your transactions for the | | | | already accept large amounts of certain types of |
| day. Your processing fees increase for | | | | transactions you might be liable for a plan change |
| transactions older than 24 hours typically and can | | | | and a reduction in your costs. For example |
| increase the percentage you pay in fees per | | | | discount rates can be reduced because your |
| transaction. | | | | average purchase amount changes or you may |
| 3. For the lowest discount rates for transactions | | | | be able to reduce costs by removing service for |
| at a point of sale location, try to avoid typing in | | | | a type of card that you see so infrequently as to |
| the credit cards numbers manually, but rather | | | | make it not worth the additional costs. |
| swipe the credit card with your terminal. If you | | | | Start implementing these strategies for cost |
| swipe the card and it is not read properly, swipe it | | | | savings and you can be sure to start seeing a |
| again, as a swiped credit card is typically given a | | | | significant increase in profit and decrease in your |
| lower discount rate per transaction and can save | | | | coming credit card processing statements. There |
| you money over many instances. | | | | is no reason you to be paying more than you |
| 4. Following the last principle for saving on credit | | | | need to for your merchant account services. |