Our annual holiday week 4th of July “snapshot” the nation’s economy commences with this week’s post.
In last summer’s Independence Day overview, we noted a AAA report saying that more Americans were planning to travel, due to the uptick in the economy, even though gas prices were then at their highest levels in years.
It is a constant tussle, struggle — pick your word — for merchants and consumers striving for digital safety in their daily rounds of charge card and debit use. And with the constant news of data breaches and new malware discoveries, it sometimes seems such relative “safety” is a grail that will always be just out of reach.
Summer solstice will be here before we can even get next week’s blog post up! So even though temperatures here in AVPS’ neighborhood are already hitting triple digits, let’s officially welcome the season of beach-going, travel adventures, and more.
The nature of payments, and how they’re made, continues to change — whether credit, debit, or prepaid. Payments continue to move from one digital platform to the next, sometimes leaving customers wondering if making any of the changes are worth it, or if something even newer will come along first.
You know about ACH — those Automated Clearing House payments that we also offer here at AVPS. Sometimes called “Electronic Check Processing,” it is, as our own website notes, “a form of electronic payment… often confused with a wire transfer because it works in a similar fashion. However, unlike a traditional wire transfer, it can be used to process higher amounts, or for small payments which may settle from 1 to 2 business days.”
Memorial Day’s arrival — and recent departure — marks the unofficial kick off for summer, at least as far as travel plans, imminent graduations, giddy weddings, and other features of what is supposed to be more languorous calendar time.
It’s a long, fascinating moment of transition in the world of payments — and for payments around the world. That changing landscape includes virtual wallets, growing P2P payments, and ways to make existing platforms more secure — as with the EMV standards coming to American payment cards this fall.
As we’ve noted in this space before, “EMV” is coming — sooner rather than later — to America. It’s that standard — already adopted in Europe and Asia — of having an additional chip on your charge card, as well as an additional means of authenticating any charges made in person, like use of a PIN or a signature.
In today’s increasingly mobile and technologically focused society it is not enough for your business to accept credit cards. In order to draw as big a customer base as possible while also providing the highest quality customer service you must constantly integrate new payment processing solutions. This makes your business more convenient and accessible for customers who are accustomed to a flexible and fluid shopping and service purchase model.
AVPS, LLC is a registered ISO/MSP of Central Bank of St. Louis, Clayton, MO
American Verification Processing Solutions, LLC., is a registered TPA (Visa) and SP (Mastercard) with SSB Bank
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