The New Year celebrating isn’t quite over yet — next month brings us the Chinese New Year. Those followers of Chinese Astrology know that each year is given an “animal” personality, so our upcoming “sheep year” is presumed to be — like its totem animal — somewhat gentle and easygoing.
Category: Merchant Services
Halloween Spending, Holiday Trends — and Goodbye, Cash?
The Boston Globe says it succinctly: “Consumers may still be holding tight to their wallets after the recession, but there’s at least one occasion that doesn’t appear to have them spooked: Halloween.”
What is a Virtual Merchant?
Any type of website that sells products or services online is known as a virtual merchant, because the payment transactions occur digitally. Even if you ship physical products to the customers who made the purchase, you still fall within the definition of a virtual merchant since the purchase was initiated online and all of the payment was made in a digital manner.
MasterCard’s Tips On Protecting Yourself During “Bug” Season — Pt. I
If you’re talking about the internet, online transactions, and electronic payments, unfortunately, you don’t have to wait for winter for it to be “bug” season – there are always plenty of “viruses” and contagions to command your interest!
What Are ACH Payments?
As a small business owner, it can be overwhelming to understand all of the things that you need to know about financial transactions. It is important to have a merchant account and a company who can make sure that you are receiving the electronic payments when your customers make a purchase. But, how do you know which company you should trust with this sensitive information?
Small Business Loans Still Hard to Come By — Have You Considered a Merchant Cash Advance?
“Small Business Lending is Slow to Recover,” read a recent Wall Street Journal article. The write-up was focused on how small businesses have fared in the long road out of “The Great Recession,” which some recent figures have suggested may have been worse than the “Great Depression” itself (at least according to recent comments by former Fed chief Ben Bernanke…)
Summer is for “fishing” — not “phishing!” Some protection tips from AVPS!
“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.
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.!)
What Is a Website Merchant Account?
A website merchant account allows you to accept payments online. Just like in a store, people need to be able to pay for your products or services and instead of swiping their credit card or handing you a check; they can simply enter their information on your website and make payment that way. You need a merchant account for your website whether you sell products or services partially online or wholly online so that you can make hassle-free sales.
