Centenary Bank - Uganda Leading Commercial Micro-finance Bank Introduces Visa Cards

KAMPALA, UGANDA- Centenary Bank, Uganda’s leading commercial microfinance Bank, has unveiled the new CenteVisa debit card.
This comes after the rollout of internet banking and is a step towards enhancing customer’s convenience in accessing financial services.

Centenary Bank currently serves 1.4M customers, which is a third of the country’s banking population and is running a financial inclusion drive to serve more. Such an expansion drive calls for an increase in service outlets making platforms like Visa a natural option. The Bank’s diaspora clientele and product range are also increasingly calling for more global service schemes.

The CenteVisa card is a globally accepted card that operates using Chip and Pin technology, which provides enhanced security. Customers can now enjoy the freedom of transacting anywhere in the world, wherever Visa has been enabled.

Fabian Kasi, Managing Director Centenary Bank applauded the customers for their loyalty and urged them to get their Visa cards as soon possible.

Centenary Bank, whose tagline is “Our Bank” prides itself in responding to client needs and engaging in research before onboarding a new product. According to Mr. Kasi, customers requested this service so as to be able to have more flexible payment options anywhere, anytime, in and outside the country.

The Bank’s General Manager Operations, Joseph Kimbowa added that the exercise of getting new cards is to run for a particular period to enable completion of integration with Visa. He said, “customers have up to six months to get their new Visa cards, thereafter the old magnetic stripe card shall be disabled from the system.” He added that the process for getting new cards is seamless and customers need not postpone the exercise.

“At Visa, we are keen on being part of the everyday life of our customers. With the ever-changing face of monetary transactions: cards and online dealings, customers have become more tech-savvy, decisive and particular about their overall experience while transacting. To this end, Visa’s operations in Africa are firmly based on bringing about innovative products that promote safe and convenient transactions,” said Victor Ndlovu, the Senior Director, Visa Development, Sub-Saharan Africa.

Centenary Bank continues with its strategy of reaching the unbanked. You can go to the link for more information about - VISA CARD

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.

Some Steps Follow to open your Online Business

CHOOSING DOMAIN NAME

Choosing the correct domain name is extremely necessary. It is ideal if your domain name is similar to that of your business name or your brand so it is simple for your sponsors and potential customers to find out your website. 

Once website name is finalized and it is up and running, you have to invest plenty of resources into promoting it and conveyance in traffic. Keep in mind to check the name’s accessibility to check whether the domain name of your choice is free to use or available. If the name is not accessible, don’t get demoralized. Often the owner of the domain name is willing to sell it and it’s simple to work out who owns the name by merely wanting it up in “whois” section on the domain registration portals.

PICK A WEB HOSTING SERVICE

Web hosting services offer space for storing and access to websites. Don’t get attracted by free internet hosts as they put advertising on your website to cover their prices. As a business owner, you must be searching for an internet host that’s esteemed and reliable. Before going for hosting services, it is important to have a rough idea about how much space your website would take and how much traffic you are expecting through your website (web hosts can help you with an estimation). Read the reviews of different clients to perceive how frequently they encounter downtime or technical issues and how rapidly those issues are resolved.

DESIGN YOUR WEBSITE

Website designing was work professional as it was complicated and technology used to design these websites was not that advance as compared to the technology used these days and people had less knowledge about it. Today designing your website is less complicated than ever and can be done by an individual who has little knowledge about it. There are two methods via which you can design your own website:

First is to start from scratch and design your website which will include coding, complete technical knowledge and is very time consuming and can cost you the good amount of money as well. More information for click here - Merchant Stronghold

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

NMI and Paysafe Collaborate Simplify Access to Global Acquiring

NMI, a leading provider of payments enablement technology for independent sales organizations (ISOs), independent software vendors (ISVs), value-added resellers (VARs) and payment facilitators, and Paysafe, a leading global payments provider, today announced an expanded partnership which sees NMI leverage Paysafe’s global acquiring and processing reach and Paysafe deepen its integration and offering accessible through NMI’s payments enablement technology. 

Together, the two organizations have developed a customizable payment processing solution that provides flexibility and a range of features and payment method acceptance to their merchants and partners based on their specific gateway and acquiring requirements.

For more than a decade, NMI has worked with Paysafe to deliver its ISOs, ISVs, and VARs value-added, innovative payment processing solutions. Through the new collaboration, partners using the NMI gateway can further enhance their platforms by enabling their merchants with a frictionless onboarding experience and secure processing of credit card and direct debit (ACH) payments through Paysafe’s supported platforms in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. 

A further benefit is that Paysafe is a principal member of Visa and Mastercard in Europe, meaning it can directly acquire and process Visa and Mastercard transactions across the continent. The Paysafe solution also allows for fast and easy account on-boarding for merchants. In addition, this collaboration will bring value to Paysafe customers by leveraging more than 150 NMI shopping cart integrations. And with NMI’s strong U.S. distribution and multi-tiered hierarchal portfolio management capabilities, Paysafe partners can more easily onboard and manage their merchant customers.

“Our core focus is on delivering value to our partners and taking away the headache of having to develop their own technology, and our partnership with Paysafe is based on this guiding principle,” said NMI CEO Roy Banks. “Paysafe is a very flexible partner, focused on providing customizable solutions for its partners and is also gateway agnostic, unlike other processors in this industry. It’s strong, relevant partnerships like this that make sense for us and enable us to deliver innovative solutions to our partners.”

“Our ethos is that one size does not fit all and we need to be flexible and allow our merchants and partners to easily plug into our platform in order to grow their business,” said Paysafe CEO of Payment Processing for North America Todd Linden. “This expanded partnership with NMI reinforces this approach and our commitment to developing an unrivaled payments platform for our customers – something we continue to focus on and invest in.” Get NMI Payment Gateway easy step for Merchants. Merchants Chargebacks Prevention best solution our experts in the world. 

Thieves & Friendly Fraud Can Easily Use Information Of Your Credit Card

Understanding the Friendly Fraud

Card not present (CNP) credit and debit card transactions provide the perfect environment for what’s commonly referred to as friendly fraud.

A CNP transaction as a payment card transaction where the cardholder does not or cannot physically present the card for a merchant’s visual examination. At the time of order delivery and payment. Such as for mail-ordering transactions by mail or fax, or over the telephone or internet.

Therefore, friendly fraud occurs when a consumer makes an online shopping purchase with their own credit card and then requests a chargeback from the issuing bank after receiving the goods or services.

Categories of Friendly Fraud

INTENTIONAL FRIENDLY FRAUD

The deliberates falsification of facts by a consumer which is intended to deceive a merchant.

Reasons for intentional friendly fraud may have to do with buyer’s remorse. Perhaps the buyer has an impulse purchase for an amount that exceeds their comfort level or their financial circumstances. Suddenly changes take place. And, they wish they can get back money or maybe, their spouse doesn’t approve of the purchase.

Then, there are fraudsters who commit online shoplifting by buying merchandise online and then disputing the transaction after the merchandise reach home. In this way, they can enjoy the merchandise for free, just like shoplifters at brick-and-mortar stores.

Thieves Use Your Credit Card

It’s an open secret how easy it is that anyone, with just a few dollars, can buy valid and stolen credit card information on the internet... and law enforcement and banks are doing little to stop it, say security experts.

It’s estimated there were nearly 1,500 credit breaches in 2017.
Equifax admitted to having the credit information of 143 million people exposed to hackers and the theft of 209,000 credit card numbers.

Some of the stolen information winds up on 'carding' websites that sell everything needed to use the credit card online or the magnetic strip of information on a credit card.

One website operating with an IP address in Eastern Europe has been operating for at least four years in plain view of law enforcement, and the banks that underwrite the credit cards.

The site, which we will not name, has a sophisticated search engine that lets users find cards by type: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Gold, Platinum and Chairman’s; by the issuing bank, debit or credit and possibly most important, ZIP code of the card’s owner.

Thieves know if a stolen credit card is used for moderate amounts in the same zip code as the card's owner, it’s less likely to be immediately flagged for fraud.
And many of the sites offer what’s called a checker. Once the stolen information is purchased, mostly like with a cryptocurrency like bitcoin, the buyer can run the information through a check to see if the card numbers are still valid.

High- Risk Merchant Services Providing Top Bitcoin Merchant Account Partner

If you are dealing in Bitcoins there are the two major terms you should be aware with– the Bitcoin Merchant Account and the Bitcoin Merchant Services.
A bitcoin is a digital currency founded in 2009 by people known as Satoshi Nakamoto. This cryptocurrency is stored, sent and received using e-wallets.

The bitcoin merchant account:
The merchant account helps you deal in these cryptocurrencies.

In a relatively new high-risk industry, finding the right banking partner for your bitcoin merchant account can be challenging.

Steps to get Bitcoin merchant account:

To get the Merchant account you have to simply speak to the merchant account manager of your bank or apply online with your bank website.

Companies who could accept these cryptocurrencies through your bitcoin merchant account:

Amazon -  Bloomberg - Chicago Sun-Times - CVS - Dish Network - eBay/PayPal – K/Mart - Las Vegas Casinos - Microsoft - MIT Coop Store -OK Cupid -Overstock.com -Sears -Target -Tesla -Tiger Direct- Victoria’s Secret -Virgin Galactic -Whole Foods -WordPress -Zappos.

Factors that determine merchant account fees:

• Merchant Discount Rate
• Per Transaction Fee
• Monthly Statement Fee
• Monthly Gateway Fee
• Six-Month Rolling Reserve
• Chargeback Fee
• Refund Fee

So now, what do these merchant account partners do? They simply provide you some Bitcoin merchant services.

Merchant Services:
The merchant demands have grown with the growing industry of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies.
There has recently been an increase in the bitcoin merchant services that is benefitting both the retailers and consumers passionate about bitcoins.

The top seven merchant services are:

Bitpay
Coinbase
Bitkassa
Coinpayments
Coinsimple
Coinkite
34 Bytes, LLC
Guys for more detail about Merchant Account you can go to this website – Merchant Account Provider

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

Best High Risk Merchant Account for Tech Support in USA

Tech Support Merchant Account Provider

For retail merchants, it is pretty easy to get a payment processor but it’s not the same with tech support businesses. This is due to high rate of chargeback risk involved. So when you are looking for a merchant account provider, you should always ask them certain questions before applying. These questions could go as follows:

Do you provide high-risk merchant account for tech support businesses?

What about remote tech support (if relevant)?

Does underwriting department approve of it?

At times salesperson will assure you that they do provide service to tech support business and after you complete the process of applying for it, and send it for approval to underwriting department; you might find out that your application is rejected because they do not support tech support business.

Can Merchant Stronghold help?

Merchant Stronghold has expertise in providing all-inclusive high-risk credit card processing services to tech support merchants. To get the high-risk merchant account for your business, you have to fill the application form and provide us with all the information. We will respond you back through e-mail with the list of pricing and terms as per your requirements. Once your application is approved, you can start processing. To make the process easier for you, we can also set up your chargeback management tools and payment gateway.

Underwriter’s requirement

When you fill the application form for opening a high-risk merchant account for your tech support business, it is forwarded to underwriting department for approval. The underwriter’s role is to make sure that the business is good for the credit card processor to take on and it’s worth the risk. Underwriter looks for any type of loopholes in your application and the likelihood of the credit card processor facing the losses on the account. This can occur due to the high number of chargebacks that went unpaid. Also, unpaid billing or fines imposed either by the government or card brand or the sponsor bank. These reasons are good enough for declaring a merchant as fraudulent and rejecting the application for a high-risk merchant account.

The business or merchant that looks stable, legitimate and have sufficient amount in the bank account to cover chargeback are more likely to get for approvals. Better the reputation of your business, more are the chances of getting merchant account approval. So, if you are applying for a merchant account, make sure that your bills are not due and chargebacks are clear. If you maintain your account regularly, then also there are good chances of your application approval. 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

Offshore Merchant Accounts is Crucial to your Business

Offshore Account - The term ‘offshore’ is basically used to describe banks from countries other than home country or foreign lands. An offshore account is like any other merchant account opened in any country other than merchant’s home country. The main benefits of an offshore account are the security and the option of accepting major currencies. It also helps the merchant in increasing revenue due to tax relaxation, provides greater privacy to merchants and helps in gaining more customers (major currency acceptance).

Why is it Popular Among Merchants?

E-commerce and offshore accounts are highly linked as merchants, irrespective of their industry types. It aims at attracting a majority of customers and look for maximizing sale to earn good profit. To achieve this, the merchant needs to have a merchant account that accepts the majority of credit cards. But it is not that easy to open a merchant account, as it includes many requirements and lengthy procedures, which is not the case with an offshore merchant account. Most of the businesses like to maintain an offshore account as it provides many financial and legal advantages to its client.

Why Offshore Merchant Account?

Most of the merchants choose offshore accounts over merchant accounts for various reasons. Few of them are below:

• Hassle free procedure
• Low taxes/ tax relaxation
• Low initial costs
• International Reach
• Different currencies
• Major credit card acceptance

Offshore Accounts so Popular?

No matter how small or big business you own, any merchant can get an offshore account. Especially, merchants who are planning to set up an online business, irrespective of their size, prefer offshore account over merchant account due to low initial cost.

Every merchant running an online business wants to hit the international market at a certain point of growth. Offshore merchant account makes the acceptance of various currencies as well as credit cards much easier. Although, merchants who are dealing with local customers with the prime objective of capturing domestic market don’t get enough benefits from offshore merchant account as compared to the merchant targeting the global market. Get more information visit website- www.merchantstronghold.com

Mobile Payments can help Transportation Services Providers

In this modern era, where technology has boomed, it has hit many sectors and one of them is transportation. No more standing in long queues, no more waiting; mobile payment has made the task easier for transportation service provider as well as the customers. Mobile ticketing and mobile payments have become a vital part of modernized transportation. It has not only strengthened this specific sector but has also linked local and regional economy. With just a mobile device in your hand, you can pay for transportation services by using any virtual payment method (according to your preference).

Especially if you are traveling to big cities, local commute (taxi or car) is the option most of us would like to opt for. Your taxi driver may only accept cash payment which may cause you trouble like no cash, shortage of change, security issues etc. So it is better to use cashless payment methods, especially if you are related to the transportation industry.

Advantages

Mobile payment has many advantages over tradition method of payment i.e. cash payment. When you are in the transportation industry, there is a lot of cash flow on daily basis, which most of the time is with the drivers as they are on road, providing services. It is not possible for the drivers to come back to the main station to deposit cash after every trip. So he has to carry cash along with him all day long until he is off duty. Due to which they become a target and may end up in unfortunate incidences (robbery). It is best to use mobile payment method for security purposes, better services, and greater revenue. Let us discuss few of the advantages of mobile payment in detail:

Effectiveness

It is very common for a customer to not have the exact amount or a change with him, resulting in wastage of time in arranging the difference for the customer. When you accept the payment through mobile, it merely takes 20-30 seconds to swap the card and get customer’s signature. This will increase the effectiveness of transportation service and time saved can be utilized in serving the next customer, resulting in greater revenue. More information for visit website – www.merchantstronghold.com

Excellent Way to Carefully Handle your Credit Card Information

Use of credit card for making online purchases is very common nowadays. But due to incidences, like data breaching; customers worry about how sensitive data (personal information of customer as well as credit card details) use by merchants. As a merchant, you need to open a merchant account to carry out transactions and if your payment processor accepts credit card payment, you as a business owner is contractually obligated to provide security to your customer’s sensitive information shared while completing transaction process, which is imprinted in the contract you signed. If you are using third-party software to manage customer’s information, it should be able to protect all the information of your customer.

Five tips for proper handling the credit card information of your customer.

Keep your customer’s data safe with these useful tips.

Use Approved Software

When a merchant uses POS (Point of Sale) terminal, mobile running payment processor software or swipe machine to conduct transactions, as a merchant it is your duty to make sure that your hardware, as well as software, is PCI Compliant. There are many applications and card readers available that come with security loopholes. So, it is advisable to choose reputable hardware and software vendors who take full responsibility for the integrity of their product. For the long run and good reputation of your business make sure to use tested and approved solution.

Genuine Service Provider

You can avail services of a reputed service provider to install credit card processing software, manage credit card processing as well as credit card storage for your business. Service provider includes:

SaaS (Web-based software)

IVR phone services

It might also include companies to which the merchant outsources payment-processing functions. Through extensive testing of these service providers, you can make sure that they are trustworthy. Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) who performs a comprehensive audit of policies, procedures and the system of the service providers does this type of testing. You can only use PCI DSS Validated service provider as a part of a contract signed.

Storage of Sensitive Information

Encrypted Electronic Storage

Phone Recording

By simply following these five steps, you can meet your contractual requirements to protect credit card account information. Also, the merchant can be PCI compliant. It will also help merchant in gaining customer’s confidence and loyalty, which will help in increasing the revenue.