Visa Issues in UK and Europe - Card Problems Payment System Go Down

The Visa payment system has crashed, leaving some people unable to buy things or complete transactions.

Even shoppers not using Visa have been unable to make purchases because the network provides payment systems for a range of shops and financial institutions.

Customers have reported arriving at tills to have their cards declined. Retailers say they have been left unable to take payments in shops, bars, and other outlets, forcing them to resort to only taking cash or not making sales at all.

The payments look to customers like they are being declined, in the same way as when a card has insufficient funds. But the issues are actually a consequence of the global network of payments run by Visa.

Visa users received messages telling them there is a "disruption of service", meaning payment providers are unable to receive or send money.

A range of different banks and other financial institutions use Visa's payment system, meaning that even transactions using non-Visa branded cards could be affected by the problem.

The issues have been described as intermittent, and some payments over the Visa network do still appear to be going through. Cash withdrawals do appear to be functioning.

A statement from Visa suggested that it didn't yet know the cause of the outage.

• “Visa is currently experiencing a service disruption," it read.
• "This incident is preventing some Visa transactions in Europe from being processed.
• "We are investigating the cause and working as quickly as possible to resolve the situation.

How to Dispose your old Credit Card?

It’s the same with the length of your credit history, which comprises 15 percent of your score. The longer you’ve had a credit history, the better your score will be. So if your Gap card is from your college years, it’s wise to keep it open.

If you opened credit cards for certain purposes (like, say, an extra 20 percent off at the Gap), then you may have a few extra lying around that you’re wondering what to do with. You don’t use them—you’re more of Club Monaco girl now—but is closing them the smartest solution?

Not necessarily. For one, you could hurt your credit score, depending. That’s because your credit utilization and your credit history length will take a hit if you close a card.

Your credit utilization is how much of your credit limit you’re using, and it comprises 30 percent of your FICO score. Let’s say you have two credit cards: Your old Gap card, with a $500 limit, and a run-of-the-mill rewards card you use for most purchases, with a $3,000 limit. Your total credit limit is $3,500, but you should aim to use no more than 30 percent of that at a time, or $1,050 (and ideally you’ll top out at 10 percent credit usage). Keeping the Gap card open gives you a bit more wiggle room.

If you know you won’t be tempted to use them, and they don’t have an annual fee, then leave them open. If they do have a fee, try to negotiate. “Contact your credit card provider and see if they’ll waive the fee in exchange for keeping you read related to credit card information on merchantstronghold.com 

One other idea: If you’re worried your bank or creditor may close the account due to inactivity, you can set up a recurring auto-payment on it (like your electricity bill) that you know will be paid off each month. We wrote about that here. Personally, I’m not sure I would worry too much about this and I would prefer the peace of mind of not using the cards at all, but it is an option.

Mobile Wallets can Make Paying by Credit or Debit Card Seamless

Tap your phone at checkout and you're on your way. But mobile wallets are just the beginning. Payment networks and manufacturers are building payment functions into more devices — expanding your options as well as freeing up your hands.

You could find yourself buying gas from the dashboard of your car, groceries from your refrigerator door or dinner by flashing a smile. And you won't even need your phone with you to make purchases on the go.

MORE DEVICES ADD PAYMENT CAPABILITY

Payment options already available or on the horizon include:

• Wearables. Connected "smart" accessories such as watches, bands, and rings travel lighter than a phone. To use, the wearer holds a wrist or hand up to a contactless payment terminal. Visa tested these devices at the 2016 Rio Olympics to demonstrate possibilities, says Mark Jamison, global head of innovation and design at Visa.

The market will determine, he says if fashion designers want to "embed payments into a ring or any other device." One company privately testing similar tech is Token, whose smart ring — which performs a variety of functions, from opening doors to paying for purchases — has a waiting list.

In 2017, payment capabilities branched out from Apple and Android smartwatches to some Fitbit and Garmin fitness devices, meaning more people could leave their phone behind while working out.

By the end of this year, Visa expects merchants to have the tap-to-pay capability at 50 percent of U.S. locations where face-to-face transactions take place.

• Virtual assistants. When voice payments are enabled on virtual assistants like Amazon Echo and Google Home, you can multitask and take care of "errands" at the moment with verbal commands.

CONNECTED DEVICES WILL BE THE NORM

Consider the number of mobile applications with saved payment information on your mobile device. In the future, you could free up some data and save a little battery life by using other connected devices:

• Cars. Visa and Mastercard are working with manufacturers to embed options in car models. Manufacturers are also testing ways to pay for gas, groceries, takeout, metered parking and other things from screens on vehicle dashboards.

"It's still early, but we are focused on bringing that to life this year, to have the ability for you, as the driver, to not just order from one type of merchant," says Stephane Wyper, senior vice president of new commerce partnerships and commercialization at Mastercard.

Reliable Ways Accepting Credit Card help for your Small Business

Small businesses can’t afford to ignore a cornerstone of commerce, and accepting credit cards can actually increase their chances of success for a few reasons.

A larger market

An estimated 33 percent of consumers prefer credit as their primary payment form, according to a 2017 survey by TSYS, a payment processor. Small businesses that accept credit open their doors to a significant market segment. Indeed, customers who prefer credit cards possess a strong bias, enough to influence where they shop. A finder.com survey found that 45 percent of millennials won’t do business with a merchant that doesn’t accept credit cards; 37 percent of Generation Xers and 33 percent of baby boomers feel the same way. While not every shopper will use credit, providing the option means welcoming — and potentially retaining — more customers.

Greater earning potential

Small business owners sometimes hesitate to accept credit cards due to merchant transaction fees but consider the revenue left on the table by comparison. Finder.com’s survey estimated that small businesses alone lose 11.8 million customers a year by not integrating credit into their retail models. For a business earning $2 million in annual revenue, the survey purported that the shortfall works out to $73,000 a year, or 3.6 percent in revenue.

Balancing transaction fees with the risk of income loss can be challenging, but merchants have options. American Express, for instance, has long been billed as a premium credit card provider that attracts high-income customers. The perception has existed that their merchant transaction fees are always higher than other credit providers. However, that is a misconception. What many small business owners may not know is that American Express has transformed the way it works with many small businesses by introducing the OptBlue program. OptBlue gives merchants the opportunity to find the best rate for their business by signing up for American Express Card acceptance through an OptBlue-certified third party processor.

According to Ramon Ray, small business expert, and best-selling author, “by accepting American Express Cards, you’re doing a lot more for your business than just making customers happy. American Express is an advocate of small businesses, and the OptBlue program and free marketing resources, such as exposure on the Shop Small Map and Small Business Saturday, are just some of the ways in which they do it.” As a business owner, it’s wise to do the math before dismissing credit as an unaffordable payment method.

Bigger one-time sales

Impulse buying and credit card usage are closely aligned, according to a landmark 2001 M.I.T. study, which found that people are willing to pay more with credit than cash. TSYS’s survey also noted that spending habits increase with income level. In fact, 56 percent of consumers who earn more than $150,000 a year prefer credit exclusively, and those earning between $100,000 and $150,000 trail only slightly, at 49 percent. Appealing to customers with more disposable income can lead to bigger one-time sales, and it’s important to consider how these high-earners prefer to spend their money.

Improved cash flow

way to keep business cash flow running smoothly, especially compared to the tediousness of depositing customer checks that may take days to clear. Cash, for all its tangible value, is more subject to human error and theft by employees than payments by credit cards. Credit card usage isn’t slowing down, and it’s imperative for small business owners to adapt to the market, a challenge that Warren takes in stride. “It’s 2018,” she says. “I cannot imagine a business not taking credit cards.

No Need of your Signature on Purchasing Credit Card

Mastercard Inc. (NYSE: MA), Discover Financial Services (NYSE: DFS), American Express (NYSE: AXP), and Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) all announced that they would stop requiring credit card signatures by April of 2018. Some issuers are dropping the requirement for all purchases made in the U.S. or North America, while American Express is dropping the signature requirement worldwide.

New, improved methods for fighting fraud

With the advent of chip technology, machine learning, and improved data management, banks have fraud detection methods that are far more sophisticated, and faster, than a simple signature.

Have you ever received a fraud detection notice from your bank? Has your bank ever shut down your credit card because you forgot to tell them you were traveling out of state or abroad? If so, that's your card issuer's fraud detection system at work.

Banks have massive amounts of data stored on all cardholders. This information includes everything from where and how often you use your credit card to the kinds of purchases you typically make and what time of day you make them. This data forms a spending pattern that allows card issuers to detect and flag anomalies as potential fraud.

If this weren't enough, signatures have now been made completely obsolete by the advent of chip cards. The implementation of that EMV chip in your credit card, along with terminals that use chip readers instead of swipers, has caused a massive decrease in credit card fraud.

How to protect yourself from credit card fraud

You shouldn't just rely on improved technology to keep you protected, though. There are a number of ways you can prevent and fight credit card fraud.

Act quickly if your credit card is lost or stolen. Call your bank immediately and freeze your accounts, even if you think you may have simply misplaced it.

Check your credit card statements vigilantly. You can set up purchase alerts so that your bank notifies you of certain behaviors like a purchase made over a certain dollar amount.

Use a mobile wallet. Because phones now require biometric data to be unlocked, and mobile wallets encrypt your information, they're safer than carrying a physical credit and traditional online shopping.

Monitor your credit report regularly. Many credit cards now offer free credit monitoring. If you notice your score drop, pull a report and find out why, as it could be the result of fraudulent activity.

AmEx upgrades new changes with Hyperledger Blockchain for Rewards Program

American Express has deployed Hyperledger’s blockchain technology to make its Membership Rewards program in partnership with digital retailer Boxed. More versatile, marking the first application of blockchain technology to a major U.S. financial services loyalty program.

Under the revamped program, merchants will be able to create Membership Rewards offers on their own platforms to engage customers and at the same time offer card members more opportunities to earn points.

Product Selection Rewards

American Express is partnering with Boxed, an online wholesale retailer, on a pilot promotion for Membership Rewards enrolled members. Members can earn 5X Membership Rewards points for select products and brands.

The company announced Wednesday that it is leveraging Hyperledger to let merchants create custom Membership Rewards programs for American Express cardholders. Its initial trial with Boxed will allow members to earn five times the normal number of points on certain products, according to information shared with Coin Desk.

American Express will initially provide rewards points to Boxed customers for Cheerios cereal, Planters nuts, Dove soap and a few other items, according to the Associated Press. American Express plans to make the program available to nearly all merchant partners in the coming months.

How to Works

A private channel on the company’s blockchain will allow merchants to send and receive information securely. The merchant will have control over the offers they wish to market, and they will be able to create custom Membership Rewards offers and designate SKU level bonuses.

American Express will have full visibility of the offers on the blockchain and will ensure the promotions conform to its brand values and merchant agreements.

Once the offers are available to customers, the smart contract will automatically send the anonymized transaction to American Express on the private blockchain. American Express will identify the card member and issue them their rewards points.

American Express will work with merchants to create the smart contracts for the offers.

The credit card giant is a premiere Hyperledger member, along with Deutsche Bank, JPMorgan, IBM, Intel, Baidu, and Accenture.

Notably - This is not the first foray by American Express into blockchain rewards, as the company filed a patent last year outlining a possible rewards program that would be stored on a blockchain. 

AmEx Card related more information visit here - American Express

Merchant Account For Cruises An Incredibly Easy Method That Works For Merchants

Cruise Merchant accounts are considered high-risk businesses by MasterCard and Visa Card. Integrating online payment gateway on a cruise website requires unique features & merchants have to follow strict rules to get authorization. These websites are closely monitored by payment processors to ensure they follow industry regulations. Merchant Stronghold can provide your business website a payment gateway allowing you to run your business without worrying about external matters.

Cruise line businesses require a special merchant account to process payments. This business is considered as high-risk by local and international banks because of various reasons. There are a number of reasons and most of them are because the customer is not happy and wants a refund. Most cruises have a strict no cancellation policy that is why bank and payment processors don’t want to give them access to credit card processing.

Start accepting credit cards at low rates

Cruise lines offer one of a kind experience across oceans, continents, and seas. By traveling via a cruise ship people experience and appreciate the immensity of the oceans, as explorers did in old times. If you are offering such great services then you deserve access to an easy payment gateway. With our dedicated merchant account, we will be able to help you accept credit and debit cards as soon as your application is approved. We not only offer lowest rates, but our support service is unparalleled.

Apply for the merchant account

It is a straightforward and easy process. Keep in consideration that if you have a good credit score then you are likely to get approved. But if you have a poor credit score, we can still help you get approved but it may require you to submit additional documentation. If you already have a merchant account then we will ask for 3 to 5 months of the statement from your current provider. We may ask business statement to ensure you are able to handle chargebacks. If you want to apply, just call us and fill out the application and we’ll make sure that you get your fully functional merchant account as soon as possible.

Cruise line businesses can get merchant accounts if they provide all the right documents. Your payment processor may need these documents in order to offer better services. Most of the time you provide ID, previous payment processing information, signed the application, and bank information with license information to ensure your business is authentic. Banks and payment processors will ask for this information before approval and account setup.

High-Risk Merchant Account for your Small Business

Credit Card Acceptance: Accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover

These days only a few people carry cash, rests rely on credit cards. There are only four major card brands through, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. For a small business, credit card processing is incredibly important. According to a report by the market watch, 60 percent of the points of sale transactions rely on debit or credit cards. Many studies have pointed that business owners who offer multiple payment methods are likely to succeed. By providing multiple payment methods, a company is likely to attract a large number of customers from around the globe. Credit card payment makes purchase process secure and easy for customers, and it also helps business to keep the record of sales.

Small Business Needs A Merchant Account 

The easiest way for small businesses to accept credit card is via merchant accounts. A merchant who wants to expand a business to reach wide audience requires a payment gateway. Merchant accounts have tools that can accept any type of card via a virtual terminal. Any business can integrate more than one payment methods on their online e-commerce site. When a merchant provider is done setting up the account, accepting credit cards becomes easier for business owners.

MERCHANT STRONGHOLD IS THE RIGHT CHOICE

Many merchants think that it is expensive to accept cards, but this is not always the case. Some merchant account providers such as Merchant Stronghold, A leading Payment Gateway Provider which provides competitive rates so that small businesses can succeed by offering multiple payment options to their customers.

Merchant Stronghold speaks with every small business owner to explain them everything, we also guide them to handle their merchant account. There is a variety of choices offered to merchants to make it simple and secure for their customers. Merchants can access their account via mobile and other platforms. Merchants also get 24/7 customer support to keep the business running smoothly. We use the latest technology to ensure merchants are happy and their business is safe from frauds. You can contact us and we will help drive your business to new heights. Merchant Stronghold is the right way for your Small Business. 

While Accepting Credit Card Important Things Must Know The Merchant

A Study to know

According to studies, business accepting credit card payment is likely to generate more revenue as compared to others. The main purpose of you being in the industry is to earn profit and credit card is a great mode of payment. So, it is better to get a reliable credit card processing before starting off.

There are many third-party service providers with payment solutions for credit card processing like PayPal, but it comes with shortcomings. But special measures must be taken to provide a secure environment to conduct transactions. Else customers will either drift away or will not come back for another sale, and this will increase abandonment rate and funds paid by check or direct deposit will take days to get transferred. Payment solutions like PayPal are good if merchant needs to handle low-volume sales. But if you are looking for growth, the merchant has to look for alternatives.

What do Business Owners need?

If you want to accept payments through credit card, the first thing that is must is Merchant Account. To carry out online transactions and validate credit card acceptance, a merchant account is mandatory. A merchant account is like any other bank account with a slight difference; it enables merchant/business to accept payment through various means like credit and debit cards. If the merchant has an online merchant account, so this will eliminate the need for credit card processing machine or terminals to accept payments.

Parties involved in merchant account set up process are:

• The Retailer
• Payment Processor
• Merchant Bank

Three things that every merchant should be aware of when accepting credit card with an online merchant account are discussed below in detail:

ONLINE PAYMENT GATEWAY

A payment gateway is a merchant service provided by e-commerce provider responsible for carrying out transactions or direct payment processing for e-business or retailers. E-commerce transactions (online transactions) are authorized by this e-commerce service (payment gateway). E-commerce service provider can be:

• Bank
• Specialized financial service provider.

A payment gateway transfers the information between a payment portal and acquiring the bank, where payment portal can be any of the following:

Website

Mobile phone

IVR machine (Interactive Voice Response)

You can more information about go to the site – www.merchantstronghold.com

Some Possible Reasons for Declination of your Credit Card Processing Application

Why Credit Card Applications are Denied

Age

Your age is another factor for the denial of your request. If you are under 18, the issuer will not accept your request, as it is not the legal age. Your age is another factor for the denial of your request. If you are under 18, the issuer will not accept your request, as it is not the legal age.

Incomplete Application Form

If you don’t complete the application form completely or correctly, it can lead to denial. So it is better to apply for credit card processing online as it will not submit your request until and unless all the fields are full.

Loan Balance

If you want to apply for credit card processing, make sure that you pay your loan balance regularly if any. When you apply for credit card processing, your credit history is checked and if it is negative, the bank or the processor will hesitate to accept your request to avoid risk.

Healthy Credit Balance

It is good practice to keep your credit balance healthy. In other words, you should only use a portion of the credit available instead of using it to the fullest. Healthier the credit card score more are the chances of approval.

Inquiries on Credit Report

It is advisable not to apply for many credit cards or credit cards processing, especially in short span of time; this may lead to declining of application. Lesser is your credit inquiries; better are the chances of getting your next approval when you would apply.

Low Income

The very common factor of declination of application is income of the applicant. Minimum income for application varies by Banks and Processor. And if the applicant fails to match the minimum income requirement, his/her application can get a rejection. So before applying for credit card processing, get an idea about minimum income.

Negative Processing History

Another reason for credit card application denies can be the number of credit cards processing account utilization by the applicant with negative Statement. If there are accounts shut due to high Chargeback it can be an issue in getting approval for a credit card processing.

TMF or Matchlist

If you are on Match list or get as a TMF merchant it would be a big reason for not getting approval for your Credit Card Processing Account. Get more information visit website – www.merchantstronghold.com

Merchant Category Code 7230 for Beauty, Barber Businesses

A BENEFIT OF POS FОR SALON

Aѕ a ѕаlоn owner, уоu wаnt tо mаkе ѕurе you kеер your сliеntѕ соming bасk for nеw ѕеrviсеѕ. Whilе repeat customers аrе what you look fоr, you also wаnt tо rеtаin nеw сliеntѕ with a ѕаlоn experience thаt’ѕ truthfullу out of thе оrdinаrу. A ѕаlоn POS system helps уоu do еxасtlу thаt. Thеrе аrе оvеr 92,214 salons еѕtаbliѕhеd in the U.S аlоnе. In 2013, thе nail ѕаlоn induѕtrу grеw tо $7.47 billion, which is a phenomenal numbеr. Thе salon industry has undеrgоnе ѕubѕtаntiаl grоwth in thе lаѕt dесаdе аnd as a ѕаlоn owner уоu wаnt to dо your part tо stand оut аmоng уоur соmреtitоrѕ. Hеrе аrе ѕоmе gооd rеаѕоnѕ whу уоur salon needs to hаvе a reliable POS ѕуѕtеm with the latest technology.

SAVING TIMЕ

Having thе latest POS tесhnоlоgу for your ѕаlоn will hеlр mаnаgе уоur timе and inсrеаѕе thе еffiсiеnсу оf simple tаѕkѕ ѕuсh аѕ аdjuѕting appointments or mаnаging customers. You nееd tо ensure that уоu have fаѕt, salon-specific аutоmаtеd tools to аllоw уоu to handle tаѕkѕ only knоwn tо ѕаlоn owners. Apart frоm purchasing juѕt a роint of ѕаlе ѕоlutiоn that оnlу аllоwѕ you tо accept payments more еаѕilу, a trulу innоvаtivе ѕаlоn POS ѕуѕtеm will аlѕо help you tо bооk appointments еаѕiеr, trасk thеm along thе way аnd virtuаllу hаndlе еvеrу аѕресt оf уоur buѕinеѕѕ.

Furthеrmоrе, to imрrоvе time mаnаgеmеnt аnd inсrеаѕе рrоduсtivitу, you nееd a system thаt’ѕ easy tо lеаrn and intuitive bу nаturе. The nеwеѕt salon POS ѕуѕtеmѕ рrоvidе just thаt; рluѕ, this will аllоw уоu to easily trаin new ѕtаff mеmbеrѕ.

BEING ORGANIZED

Cuѕtоmеrѕ does nоt wаnt tо walk into an unоrgаnizеd ѕрасе оr fееl аѕ if аn оwnеr dоеѕn’t саrе аbоut their fасilitу оr сliеntѕ. Yоu needs tо hаvе a bright, mоdеrn, clean salon аnd аn аdvаnсеd ѕаlоn POS ѕуѕtеm with thе lаtеѕt management tools аt уоur disposal. Aѕ a оwnеr уоu need bе аblе tо hаndlе еvеrуthing frоm bооking аn appointment, managing ѕtаff, inventory соntrоl, to analyzing whаt ѕеrviсеѕ аrе the mоѕt рrоfitаblе аnd running rероrtѕ thаt keep уоu оn top of your buѕinеѕѕ.
Get more information visit website  - www.merchantstronghold.com

Various Reasons for Declination of Application for Credit Card Processing

Let’s now discuss various possible reasons for declination of application for credit card processing :

Age: Your age is another factor for the denial of your request. If you are under 18, the issuer will not accept your request, as it is not the legal age. Your age is another factor for the denial of your request. If you are under 18, the issuer will not accept your request, as it is not the legal age.

Incomplete application form: If you have not filled the application form completely or correctly, your application will be declined. So it is better to apply for credit card processing online as it will not submit your request until and unless all the fields are properly filled.

Loan balance: If you want to apply for credit card processing, make sure that you pay your loan balance regularly if any. When you apply for credit card processing, your credit history is checked and if it is negative, the bank or the processor will hesitate to accept your request to avoid risk.

Healthy credit balance: It is good practice to keep your credit balance healthy. In other words, you should only use a portion of the credit available instead of using it to the fullest. Healthier the credit card score more are the chances of approval.

Inquiries on credit report: It is advisable not to apply for many credit cards or credit cards processing, especially in short span of time; this may lead to declining of application. Lesser is your credit inquiries; better are the chances of getting your next approval when you would apply.

Low income: Very common factor of declination of application is income of the applicant. Minimum income required for application varies by Banks and Processor, and if the applicant fails to match the minimum income requirement (although this requirement is not published), his/her application can get denied. So before applying for credit card processing, get an idea about minimum income required.

Negative Processing History: Another reason for credit card application denial can be the number of credit cards processing account used by the applicant that have negative Statement. If there are accounts closed due to high Chargeback it can cause a problem in getting approval for a credit card processing.

TMF or Match list: If you are placed on Match list or identified as a TMF merchant it would be a big reason for not getting approval for your Credit Card Processing Account.

Don’t fulfill minimum requirement: your request will be declined if you do not fulfill minimum requirement like you don’t have an SSL secure and PCI compliant website. Or you have been suspended by any card brand processor, or any Data compromise investigations was there for you and your business.

As a conclusion, you need to make Sure before applying for a credit card processing and get prepared, you choose a payment service or merchant service provider who can proactively help you with this.

How to get High-Risk SEO Merchant Account?

All Multinational SEO’s organization required credit card payments solution for their business. An SEO merchant account helps the SEO allow plastic card payments from customers, which is a complete must when managing with work that is 100% online. While the SEO field is beneficial and flourishing, it can be a tough task to find a SEO Merchant Account. Though, that’s where we at Merchant Stronghold have you covered. Web optimization-SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, helps your websites get to the top of Google search (1st Rank on Google search index). There are key words and phrases that acquire more interest from Google and other search engines like Bing, Yahoo etc, and a SEO expert is a specialist at knowing accurately how to phrase your opening, so that Google or other search engine can push you to the first page of search engine result page(SERP).

Main search engines Google, Yahoo and Bing have mainly important first search results, where website’s pages and other content such as videos or local business directory listings are shown and ranked based on what the search engine consider generally associated to users. Payment isn’t concerned, as it is with paid search ads campaign. However, resources still exchange hands, therefore the required for a SEO merchant account. This is where we at Merchant Stronghold come in. We have years of knowledge managing with SEO merchant accounts, even before the majority of people knew what a SEO was.

• Who requests a High Risk Merchant Account?
• SEO / SEM and Web Development organizations are commonly categorized as high risk in the credit card processing business. In fact, the label high risk applies to any business with one or more of the following characteristics:
• A history of high chargebacks,
• Irregular very high-ticket sales,
• In an industry that US sponsor banks and processors are unwilling to support,
• Highly regulated industry,
• An industry with long delays between billing and delivery of the good or service, or
• An industry that relies upon recurring billing, free trials, or memberships, or

With respect to web development, SEO and SEM businesses, typically they have large ticket sizes (aka large average transactions), they have a significant delay between billing and delivery of the good or service, and as a general rule most US sponsor banks are unwilling to write these businesses. For those reasons, SEM, SEO and Web Design / Development businesses are almost universally characterized as high risk businesses, meaning they need a High Risk Merchant Account.

Familiar with Web advertising industry

While any business involved in web marketing is an appropriate fit for our High Risk Merchant Account, startup and existing businesses in the following sub-industries are some of our most common clients:

• Search Engine Optimization
• Search Engine Marketing
• Email Marketing
• Website Design
• Template Design
• Web Development
• Software Development
• Mobile & Desktop App Development

Contact us to start an SEO Merchant Account with Merchant Stronghold in as little as 48 hours!

Credit Card Processing for Boat Lease & Rental Businesses

Internet based shopping has made online payment quit common for Boat Leases and Boat Rentals (MCC 4457) businesses. An online payment system also known as Electronic Data Interchange can easily carry out transactions for boat reservations. Everything can be managed from one website. Merchant Stronghold has advance online systems that are designed for businesses such as boat charters. Your booking system will be open 24 hours, and you can manage it from anywhere. Our Online payment services are:

• Easy to use and can be set up as soon as you want
• Able to provide Rate and booking management – just click of a mouse
• Able to increase visibility on popular search engines
• Can be integrated with your existing website or new one
• Suitable for any type of business under MCC 4457

Online Payment services for Boat leases and Boat Rentals

Before getting started with us, you should understand four basic things about online payment systems. If you hire us for your boat lease and boat rental business, you need to know this:

A payment gateway that will pass credit card information between merchant and a customer. It will also act as a bridge between payment processor and merchant. Consider it a middleman between merchant and sponsoring bank.

A merchant account or bank account that will allow you to receive payments via debit or credit cards. Merchant account providers have to follow rules and regulations set by card associations. There are some processors that act as payment gateway and merchant account.

PCI compliance so that your business is as per international standards. Payment card Industry (PCI) was created by security standards council to reduce frauds and increase security of credit card holders.

A payment processor that will handle all transactions for you. Payment processors have duty to integrate anti-fraud measures to make sure that merchant and their customers are protected from possible frauds.

Secure payment methods

A secure payment keeps you safe from possible attacks. It is important that you have a system that makes easy for renters. You can set pricing, security deposits, and extra fees for items like wakeboards – All can be changed and managed via one website. Renters will be assured that as long as they have read all the requirement on the site, there won’t be any addition fee or features. Any unexpected money or fee won’t be charged at dock.

Merchant Stronghold Offers payment solution having multiple payment options. We also accept on demand payment options request, means you can ask us to add a payment method in your website. All the information regarding payment will be provided to customers at the time of transaction so that your business is not blamed for additional fees, and you can stay away from chargebacks.

Start your online Boat Rental Business Today! Contact Merchant Stronghold for more information.

Merchant Account Providers for Small Businesses

Credit Card Acceptance: Accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover

These days only few people carry cash, rests rely on credit cards. There are only four major card brands through, Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover. For a small business, credit card processing is incredibly important. According to a report by market watch, 60 percent of the points of sale transactions rely on debit or credit cards. Many studies have pointed that business owners who offer multiple payment methods are likely to succeed. By providing multiple payment methods, a company is likely to attract large number of customers from around the globe. Credit card payment makes purchase process secure and easy for customers, and it also helps business to keep record of sales.

Why your small business needs a merchant account?

The easiest way for small businesses to accept credit card is via merchant accounts. A merchant who want to expand business to reach wide audience require a payment gateway. Merchant accounts have tools that can accept any type of card via virtual terminal. Any business can integrate more than one payment methods on their online e-commerce site. When a merchant provider is done setting up the account, accepting credit cards becomes easier for business owners.

Merchant Stronghold is the right choice – Many merchants think that it is expensive to accept cards, but this is not always the case. Some merchant account providers such as Merchant Stronghold, A leading Payment Gateway Provider which provides competitive rates so that small businesses can succeed by offering multiple payment options to their customers.

Merchant Stronghold speak with every small business owner to explain them everything, we also guide them to handle their merchant account. There is a variety of choices offered to merchants to make it simple and secure for their customers. Merchants can access their account via mobile and other platforms. Merchants also get 24/7 customer support to keep the business running smoothly. We use latest technology to ensure merchants are happy and their business is safe from frauds. You can contact us and we will help drive your business to new heights.

High Risk Merchant Account for Credit Repair Business

Having a high-risk business or high-risk merchant account can be very demanding and challenging to begin with. It might be very hard for you to process payments properly due to the high fees and other challenges. However, just because you have a high-risk business that doesn’t really mean you will have to deal with a major set of challenges right off the bat. You will have to start accepting payments fast if you have the right approach.

The idea with having a credit repair business is that many gateway providers will see this as a high risk. It isn’t really coming with the highest possible risk, but there are plenty of challenges to be had here and you should think about that the best way you can.

Should you get a high-risk merchant account despite the potential issues that might appear? Yes, because you can either do that or you can opt for an offshore merchant account. Either one works, the idea is to just find the best options that suits your needs and which delivers the utmost value for your money. You have to keep in mind that the main focus here is on finding a good payment processor and lowering the amount you have to pay in the end. It can be tricky to do that, because all payment processing solution services out there will ask for a transaction amount, so you need to put things into perspective and see what works for you.

Granted, it can be a challenge to own a good credit repair business with online payments, but this is a very important portion of such a company to begin with. You might not need a credit card terminal, but you do require a high-risk merchant account or even a regular merchant account. There are many providers that will be able to help you in this regard. You just need to stay fully committed and focused on results because that’s what matters the most in the end.

You have to keep in mind the fact that setting up a merchant account with a credit repair business is very tricky, so you should oversee all potential expenses to begin with. That’s what really makes the experience worth it, the fact that you can perform and receive online payments without a problem. This is very important for any credit repair business, which is why opting for the best merchant payment processing solution is crucial to say the least.

Should you consider getting a merchant account for your credit repair business? Yes, because this solution is very important and results will indeed pay off very well in the long run. It will not be easy to do so at first, but the experience will be extraordinary to begin with. Remember that your main focus should be on having a seamlessly, great working business. It will be a challenge at first, but a merchant account can indeed help take things to the next level. Just keep that in mind and you will be very impressed with the results.

High Risk Merchant Accounts for Cruises

Cruise Merchant accounts are considered high-risk businesses by MasterCard and Visa Card. Integrating online payment gateway on a cruise website requires unique features & merchants have to follow strict rules to get authorization. These websites are closely monitored by payment processors to ensure they follow industry regulations. Merchant Stronghold can provide your business website a payment gateway allowing you to run your business without worrying about external matters.

Cruise line businesses require a special merchant account to process payments. This business is considered as high-risk by local and international banks because of various reasons. There are a number of reasons and most of them are because the ustomer is not happy and wants a refund. Most cruises have a strict no cancellation policy that is why bank and payment processors don’t want to give them access to credit card processing.

Start accepting credit cards at low rates

Cruise lines offer one of a kind experience across oceans, continents, and seas. By traveling via a cruise ship people experience and appreciate immensity of the oceans, as explorers did in old times. If you are offering such great services then you deserve access to an easy payment gateway. With our dedicated merchant account, we will be able to help you accept credit and debit cards as soon as your application is approved. We not only offer lowest rates, but our support service is unparalleled.

Apply for merchant account

It is a straightforward and easy process. Keep in consideration that if you have a good credit score then you are likely to get approved. But if you have a poor credit score, we can still help you get approved but it may require you to submit additional documentation. If you already have a merchant account then we will ask for 3 to 5 months of statement from your current provider. We may ask business statement to ensure you are able to handle chargebacks. If you want to apply, just call us and fill out the application and we’ll make sure that you get your fully functional merchant account as soon as possible.

Cruise line businesses can get merchant accounts if they provide all the right documents. Your payment processor may need these documents in order to offer better services. Most of the time you provide ID, previous payment processing information, signed application, and bank information with license information to ensure your business is authentic. Banks and payment processors will ask for this information before approval and account setup.

What is Late Presentment Chargeback?

As the environment where usage of Card-Not-Present for collecting transactions for the product or services is growing rapidly that helps business to make their product or services available on the global level. This is one the benefits companies are enjoying with the integration of internet in the traditional way of doing business.

With the use of the internet for selling goods, there are few reasons that can cause the loss in the business. One of them is being late in presenting the transaction details. This can be called as the merchant-end fault that can be avoided. But first we need to understand that why card brand or customer’s bank can deny depositing the transaction amount of a valid transaction.

This process of transactions authorization basically involves all the financial services that are related to buyer and merchant via internet connectivity that verifies buyer’s card details and debit the required amount from the high-risk merchant account. But, one thing merchant needs to keep in mind while collecting the payments through internet that is the lifecycle of the transaction doesn’t complete by just debiting the amount from the buyer’s account. One thing in this payment cycle that is to be done by merchant’s end is to provide the legitimate transaction proof to the merchant’s bank or card processors to get the money funded into their account. The merchants have to provide the proofs within the time limit as specified by the card brands.

To understand this, first we need to understand the lifecycle of the transaction that a merchant performs to get the funding of the transaction. While saying online payment collection, we can imagine that while a buyer initiates the purchase, selects the payment option that opens a new window, where buyer performs the operations according to it card and account type. The process that takes place with fraction of seconds on the gateway window decides whether the customer’s account and card is authorized to buy the product or not.

But, there is no remedy to dispute this chargeback; a merchant has to accept it, if the merchant doesn’t follow the time frame of the card brands. The only option is to avoid this error is to take precautions. The precautions are:

Follow the time-frame guidelines: Merchants should try to deposit the transaction details to the high-risk credit card brands on the same day or very next day, if possible. But, in the case of Card-not-present transactions, merchants can only deposit the receipt only after the product or services are shipped.

Automation of transaction data batching: This can be most preferable option an e-Commerce merchant should follow. A merchant should use the systems/software that automatically generates the list of daily transaction details, which will help merchants to save time and keep themselves updated.