“Phishing” is exactly what sounds like — a “fishing” expedition by the bad guys, usually via “legitimate” seeming emails, or other means, to try and “snag” or “catch” as much sensitive information about you, and your customers, as they can.
Year: 2014
4th of July Snapshot: Gas Prices, Economic Indicators Heat Up Like Roman Candles
As we approach the July 4th 2014, the economy news at summer’s midpoint celebration is increasingly rose-colored like one of those ground bloom flower fireworks.
On the one hand, as Bloomberg reports, “jobs growth adds more sunshine” to the U.S. Economy. Specifically, job growth, in payroll specialist ADP’s report ahead of the official Federal figures, was much higher than expected. ““The labor market appears to be firing on all cylinders and is finally self-sustaining,” the Bloomberg said, citing two two PNC Financial Services economists.
Travel Season: Pack Bags, Swim Trunks, and EMV Chips
If you’re traveling abroad this summer, you might want to make sure you have at least one EMV-ready credit (or debit) card at your disposal. (The same might apply if you’re traveling a couple years into the future, after they become more widespread here in the U.S.!)
Visa Raising Standards on Prepaid Debit Cards
According to a recent NY Times article, Visa is responding to consumer concerns that prepaid cards are often trickier to use — or to give — than they should be, since fees and terms often differ, leaving users confused, or simply with less of a balance than they imagined they had.
Your Website Merchant Account Works While You Sleep
One of the great things about selling products or services via a website is that you can make money while you sleep. Customers can place orders anytime of the day or night, any day of the week, whether you are awake and working or not. Of course, there’s always work to be done when you rise but you don’t have to worry about missing a sale just because you aren’t right there at your computer every moment of the day.
One Solution for All of Your Business Merchant Service Needs
As a business, you need to be able to do a number of things when it comes to financial transactions. From accepting credit card payments to accepting and depositing checks, being able to accept payments on your website or by phone, and even being able to now accept credit cards using a mobile phone, you need every angle covered to ensure you don’t miss a beat, or a sale.
P.F. Chang’s Breach, and Krebs on “What Do Hackers Want?”
It’s good to keep an eye on the “Krebs on Security” website, where much of the recent all-too-spectacular news about data breaches gets broken, and later analyzed. This week, Brian Krebs is reporting on the latest retail breach, coming from the chain of P.F. Chang’s China Bistro restaurant (if you’ve eaten at one lately, doublecheck your plastic!)
Has Your Credit Card Processing Gone Mobile Yet?
Has Your Credit Card Processing Gone Mobile Yet? If you haven’t added mobile phone credit card processing to your business…
Being Able to Accept Credit Cards is Just One Call Away
No matter the type of business you’re in or whether you are a retail location, mobile location, or provide services at various homes and businesses, the ability to accept credit cards is a must. In addition to having the ability to accept credit cards, you need to be able to accept them in different ways such as at your physical location, via your mobile phone on the go or at any location your customers are at (flea markets, farmer’s markets, their homes, conferences, their businesses, kiosks, etc.)
