Securing Credit Card Processing for Your Small Business

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A small business owner stands in front of a teal door holding an open sign.

Opening a business is a major undertaking regardless of industry. Whether it’s your first business or your one-hundred-and-first, it’s a big deal. That’s why it’s important you remember to dot your i’s and cross your t’s before launching your business to the public—especially when it comes to your credit card processing.

If you own a small business in this day and age, you will need a way to process payments in person and online. Depending on your business and industry, one payment option might be more beneficial for you. For example, if you’re looking to launch a completely online business, you won’t have any need for a physical payment terminal. However, there are some things every businessowner should know about securing credit card processing for your small business.

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Credit Card Processing for Your Business

To secure credit card processing for your small business, you will need to find the right payment merchant services provider who will sign you up for a merchant account. Once you have this vital payment tool, you will be connected to a processor and the agreements of your service can be written up according to your business needs.

One issue new businesses often run into when finding a processor is their perceived risk. Big banks are likely unwilling or unable to give merchant accounts to first-time businessowners because they are considered “high risk.” Beyond being a new businessowner, there are other reasons services are denied, including bad credit, high chargeback ratio, or business type.

Despite the fact that it may be difficult to find a payment processor who can accommodate your business needs, there are plenty of processors with high-risk merchant services available. In fact, these providers may be easier to work with since they see similar cases on a more regular basis.

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Finding the Right Processor for You

You’ll want to find a payment processor who has a good relationship with banks that support your industry and are comfortable with your business model.

A payment processor that offers or specializes in high-risk merchant services will have different features than a tier-one bank. These features, like chargeback mitigation and fraud protection, can help protect your business and accommodate your customers’ unique needs.

Partnering with a payment processor you trust will be essential to maximize your business opportunities and find a solution that works for you. For example, the right processor can get you set up with a virtual terminal. A virtual terminal is an online tool that processes credit cards online. This will allow you to take payments in person, online, and over the phone. The flexibility of the different payment options will be invaluable to your business because you’ll be able to reach a larger customer base and expand your income streams.

Steps to Bolster Your Business After Securing Your Merchant Account

It might take some time to compare all of the available merchant services providers available to you, as each will have different rates and unique features. After you’ve found the right payment processor for you, here are some steps you can take to make sure your expanded capabilities will drive your business’s growth.

Step 1: Utilize features unique to your payment processor

Processing online payments opens your business up to a whole new side of fraud risk, so you’ll want to be prepared. Features like chargeback mitigation and fraud protection can help your business meet its individual needs.

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Step 2: Optimize your website to support a payment gateway and increased volume

Once you’re able to take payments online, you’ll be able to serve a much larger number of customers and can begin to expand your infrastructure to suit their needs. You’ll want to make sure your website can support this increase in traffic and capacity.

Step 3: Keep abreast of state regulations

Depending on the industry your business belongs to, there may be specific qualifications you must aware of to conduct business. Each state has its own set of regulations businesses must comply with, so make sure you are up to date with the laws in your area. Utilize official resources to ensure your business is following protocol.

Step 4: Employ best practices for your industry

Each industry comes with its own best practices and specific measures to take. However, there are many general best practices you should be aware of before proceeding.

For example, record keeping is a highly overlooked practice for new business owners. However, it’s vital to keep all your records in order to minimize fraud, miscommunication, etc. This can be done by keeping your finances, workflow, and customer data organized and secure. The right financial services software can help you do this all in one place.

Final Thoughts

For small businesses, securing credit card processing is instrumental in maximizing your business opportunity. It’s also crucial to keeping you and your customers’ data secure. Without the right payment processor, your business could be at risk for fraud, data breaches, or interrupted service due to an unauthorized merchant account.

Whether you’re starting a retail business or turning to the internet, every business needs the ability to process credit cards and payments. Find the right merchant services provider for you and take the first step toward maximizing your business’s potential.

Allison Eilhardt is a writer based in Los Angeles, CA. She has been writing professionally for over five years, covering topics ranging from charities and social events to intricate finance spotlights. Allison is currently the Director of Content at PaymentCloud, a merchant services provider that offers hard-to-place solutions for business owners across the nation.

The post Securing Credit Card Processing for Your Small Business appeared first on Credit.com.

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All About Credit Card Processing Fees

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All About Credit Card Processing Fees

When you make a payment with a credit card not all of that money goes to the merchant. Your payment has to be authorized by multiple companies or banks along the way and some of them will deduct fees for their services. A portion of your payment goes to your card issuer’s bank, the merchant’s bank, the big payment networks such as Visa and Mastercard as well as payment processing companies. Here’s what you need to know about credit card processing fees.

What Happens When You Make a Credit Card Transaction

Before we break down the individual credit card processing fees, it’s helpful to give a quick rundown of what happens when you make a payment with your credit card.

When you try to make a purchase with your card, whichever credit card processor the merchant uses will need to receive authorization to complete the transaction. To do that, the first step is to send your information and the transaction details to the appropriate payment network, Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Discover.

The payment network then contacts the bank that issues your credit card. Your card issuer has to confirm that you have enough available credit to cover the purchase you are trying to make. If you have enough available credit, it will approve the transaction. If you don’t have enough, it will deny the transaction. That approval or denial goes back to the payment network, who sends its approval (or denial) of the transaction back to the merchant’s bank.

This entire process only takes a few seconds but it happens every time you make a purchase with your card. It doesn’t matter whether you swipe, insert a card with an EVM chip or manually enter your credit card number.

Average Credit Card Processing Fees Average Credit Card Processing Fees Visa 1.40% – 2.50% Mastercard 1.60% – 2.90% Discover 1.56% – 2.30% American Express 1.60% – 3.00%

The table above lists an an average range for credit card processing fees from each major credit card provider. These ranges are meant only to give you an idea of how it works. There are a number of things that go into the final processing fees for any individual merchant (more on that later). Credit card issuers also are not always transparent with their fees and how they change over time. This is particularly true of Discover and American Express. However, credit card processing fees generally average around 2%. Another key trend is that American Express regularly charges higher fees.

Credit Card Processing Fees: Interchange Fees

All About Credit Card Processing Fees

An interchange fee is money that merchants pay every time they make a credit or debit card transaction. It’s typically a percentage of the transaction plus a flat rate for each transaction. For example, an interchange fee might be 1% of the transaction plus a flat fee of $0.25 per transaction.

This fee goes to the credit (or debit) card’s issuing bank so that it can cover its own fees. In general, a credit card issuer will charge higher fees for cards that offer more perks of benefits. However, the biggest fee that your card issuer has to pay is an assessment fee. This goes to the credit card network (e.g. Visa or Mastercard) and all networks charge the same assessment fee.

Interchange fees make up the majority of credit card processing costs for a merchant. There is a base part of the interchange fee that is non-negotiable because it is the same no matter what credit card companies a merchant works with. There is also a markup fee, which is an additional cost on top of the base fee. The markup goes to credit card processing companies (learn more about them in the next section) and they vary between processors. These fees are negotiable so a merchant should always compare these fees before choosing a company to process their transactions.

Credit Card Processing Fees: 
Merchant Service Providers

Even though merchants have to contact card-issuing banks to approve every transaction, they do not directly contact those banks. Instead, the transaction goes through a middle man that allows merchants and banks to communicate. This middle man is a merchant service provider (MSP). Common MSPs are Square and Payline.

MSPs charge merchants a certain fee for every transaction, whether it’s a sale, declined transaction or return. They may also charge the merchant a setup fee, a monthly usage fee and a cancellation fee.

Some merchants may have a bank that provides these services, but the majority of merchants have to use a third party MSP.

Online Versus In-Store Transactions

Credit card processing fees are cheaper if you pay in-person versus online. That’s because there is a greater risk of fraud with online payments. If you buy something in a store, the merchant has the ability to confirm that someone if using a real card and that they are the cardholder. This is harder to do with an online payment. The result is higher fees as companies try to protect themselves from fraudulent payments.

MSPs also charge additional fees for providing the software that makes an online payment transaction possible for a merchant.

The Bottom Line

All About Credit Card Processing Fees

It only takes a few seconds for a credit card transaction to go through, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes. Multiple banks and companies help facilitate transactions and they all want their cut of the profit. This is where credit card processing fees come in. A merchant has to pay an interchange fee every time a transaction is made, some of which is non-negotiable and some of which varies depending on the merchant service provider that a merchant uses.

A merchant bears the brunt of credit card processing fees and some merchants cannot afford to pay all the fees. This is a common reason why smaller merchants do not accept credit cards. These fees are also the reason that some merchants will require a minimum transaction amount in order to use a credit card.

Common Credit Card Fees to Avoid

  • Some credit cards charge an annual fee. This is a fee the cardholder pays each year simply for the privilege of having the card. Annual fees are particularly common for credit cards that offer valuable rewards. Shop around though because you can avoid an annual fee with some of this year’s best rewards credit card.
  • If you plan to travel, using your card outside of the U.S. could leave you paying a foreign transaction fee. Luckily, we have some cards with no foreign transaction fee in our list of the best travel credit cards.
  • One fee that you can avoid with responsible credit card usage is a late payment fee. This is a fee that your card issuer will charge if you do not pay your bill by the due date. You should always pay on time because paying late will not only result in a fee but your credit score could also be negatively impacted.

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