Old Hacks, New Payments

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.

Notes from the Land of “Euro” in “EMV”

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.

Take advantage of Your Cell Phone Credit Card Processing

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.

In Need of High Risk Merchant Account?

If you are like most people planning on starting a business, you have likely thought to yourself, “I need a merchant account”. Merchant accounts are essential for getting,  accepting and making payments online as well as processing credit card payments in a brick-and-mortar store which means without one you are not going to be able to do business. Getting one of these accounts is generally one of the easiest things people do to get ready for their business, but if you are considered a high risk business, you might face additional challenges setting your merchant account up and keeping it active.

May Day, Pt. II: More Tips For Keeping Your POS Devices Safe In a Malware World

Last week, we talked about the RawPOS Malware that has been affecting Windows-based point-of-sale devices, and we passed along some tips for upgrading, and guarding, against such attacks on you, and your customers. This week, we finish up our “pointers” for helping you keep all your gear secure. Here are both “the basics,” and a little beyond the “basics,” to maximize transaction security:

How To Do Online Payment Processing Confidently

For many people, any transaction involving money requires a sense of confidence. There is an implied trust when money is going from one person to another, whether that money is meant to pay for a service or a specific product. The person handing the money over wants to know that it is being exchanged for the specific thing that they want, and the person receiving the money wants to know that she/ he is getting the right amount, in timely fashion.  

“May Day!,” Pt. I: Malware Security Alert for POS Devices

Happy May Day! In the U.S., it conjures up images of May Poles and spring love. In Europe, it’s marked with parades and marches, and is still something of a “worker’s holiday,” as it was here in the 19th Century. It was the original “Labor Day,” until the one we have now was created, so that American workers could have a day separate from what was perceived as the somewhat incendiary history of May 1st.

There and Back Again! Plus: Is Your Password As Strong as the Dollar?

As we mentioned before, we’ve been getting some brush-ups — a lot of digital brush-ups – -done to the AVPS website. Much as you can’t drive your car around when it’s in the shop, we haven’t been able to blog on our same schedule while our web presence is made more secure and more visually friendly to mobile devices.

And… We’re Back! In Time for “FMI vs. EMV,” Plus: Travel News!

Hello faithful blog readers and connoisseurs of financial news and credit card insights. As you may have noticed, we had an “outage” on our web page’s blog for a few days — late last week and earlier this week.