With Memorial Day, summer’s first “bookend” arrives, for a season that marks its midpoint with the 4th of July, and wraps up — practically speaking — with Labor Day.
Year: 2019
More on Upbeat Consumers (and Banks): Fed Reports Card Use Up for Spring
Last week, we reported on findings that consumer confidence was on the rise, and this week, we have some tangible evidence of how that confidence is manifesting. After a winter slowdown, in part caused by the harsh weather, consumers started to say “charge it!” more often in March.
How to Choose a Merchant Account Company
To process and manage your business transactions, you need to secure business merchant services from a reputable merchant account company. But with all of the merchant account companies out there, how do you choose? Here are a few tips for selecting your provider.
Consumers Happier, While Symantec Resigned to Security Breaches
An interesting array of tea leaves to read and report on this week. The first “leaf batch” comes from the folks at Nielsen. Yes, “Nielsen” of TV rating fame, but they report on all kinds of consumer trends and “ratings.” Recently they issued a report stating that consumer confidence ‘round the world had climbed to pre-recession levels in the year’s first quarter. That confidence had “ended on a flat note in 2013,” their article said, “but signs of a brighter sentiment were right around the corner. With an index score of 96 in the first quarter—the highest level since first-quarter 2007, that optimism was validated.
After The Breachin’: Chip-and-Pin Comes to Target
As was pointed out about the recent Heartbleed security hole that was so pervasive, it presented a chance — bad as it was — for a lot of companies to reinvent and update their security protocols, for consumers to opt in for “double login” options on various accounts (a password and a PIN, say), and for the general level of security, web-wide, to be enhanced.
Top 3 Reasons to Use a Mobile Phone Credit Card Reader
You’ve heard all the hype about accepting credit cards using your smartphone but you may be wondering what the benefits are. Let’s talk about 3 of the top benefits you reap with mobile phone credit card processing.
Go Mobile with a Credit Card Reader
No matter what business you’re in, a mobile phone credit card reader can put your business on the go. Imagine the possibilities when you are no longer limited to checks and cash transactions. Imagine being able to set up shop anywhere you’d like and accept payment in any form, including plastic. You can also eliminate the problem of losing up sell opportunities because your customer only has a limited amount of cash. Options start opening up and your bottom line starts increasing.
POS Attacks May Be Declining (But…); Consumers Turning to Prepaid?
Certainly good news would be welcome on the internet and data security fronts these days. Technology website CRN may have some, in a story whose headline proclaims that “despite Prominent Retail Breaches, POS System Attacks Decline.”
“Heartbleed” Follow-ups: Web slowdown coming? Plus: Your Hand as a Credit Card
It’s no secret that news on the internet commerce / security / hack & bug front is “breaking” more fast and furiously than we’d like it to. But we’re determined to keep you updated so the surprises you have to plan for can be… a wee bit less surprising.
