New Article: Merchant Accounts 101
A new article has been published today that we are very excited about. Merchant Accounts 101 covers the ins and outs of merchant accounts.
Covered in this article are:
- The Players
Find out who’s who in the merchant account business. We start at the top with the big card associations and work our way down to the sales agent who establishes your account.
- Types of Accounts, Credit Cards, and Transactions
Before you can begin to understand what fees you will incur by accepting credit cards you have to understand the environment in which you are accepting them. Learn how your style of business, type of transaction, and type of credit card affect the fees you pay with every transaction.
- Processing Fees
The fees associated with accepting credit cards is the first thing most merchants think of when they think of a merchant account. And yet most merchants do not understand exactly what they mean or how to determine which plan is the best for them. We explain what the fees are that will be charged for each transaction and how to determine what rate structure is the best for your business.
- Surcharges
Ever wonder why some credit card transactions cost so much more then others? Ever wonder why all of the transactions your process are not at the rate your sales agent quoted you? This is because surcharges may apply to your transaction. We explain why surcharges may occur and how much they may affect your rates.
- Monthly Fees, Annual Fees, and Other Fees
It seems everything a merchant does incurs a fee from their merchant account. We outline and explain the most common ones and let you know which ones should not be there most of the time.
- Establishing a Merchant Account
Once you understand your rates and have chosen a merchant account provider you need to begin the processing of establishing your account. We detail the aspects of this and what you need to be aware of to ensure a quick and easy process.
- Security and Risk
The first thing a merchant thinks of when they think about risk is fraud. Merchant account providers think even deeper then that and that can have a profound effect on your processing experience. We’ll explain the various factors surrounding security and risk with merchant accounts so you don’t have to worry about your money being in limbo.
- Getting Started
Once your merchant account is established your responsibilities as a merchant are not over. You still need to verify your merchant account was established properly. We’ll outline what you need to do to make sure your new merchant account stays hassle free for the lifetime of the account.
So read our article Merchant Accounts 101 and let us know what you think about it in our Merchant Account Forums.