Taking Credit

Online shoppers find mobile payments safer than credit cards -- Here's one more reason to start accepting mobile payments: New research shows that online shoppers find carrier-billed mobile payments safer than using a credit card ... (more)

V.me: A new payment option from Visa -- Visa plans to launch a new online service next spring that allows customers to pay for goods and services without entering their account information online ... (more)

Paying with credit influences customers' buying habits -- Paying with a credit card may influence how your customer perceives your products, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research ... (more)

7 reasons to accept smart cards -- Still weary of moving to chip-and-PIN? Here are seven reasons why installing new terminals and accepting smart cards will benefit your business ... (more)

Square updates Card Case, reinvents retailing -- Imagine accepting a customer's payment simply by typing in their name on an iPad. With Square's latest update to Card Case, that's now a reality for some ... (more)

Interchange-plus savings could be undermined by excessive fees -- Just because you've opted for interchange-plus pricing, don't stop monitoring your merchant statements for excessive markups and fees, say experts ... (more)

Small-dollar debit card transactions have become pricy to process -- If you process a large volume of small dollar debit card transactions, you may be in for sticker shock the next time you look at your books ... (more)

Study: Consumers affected by debit card fees will likely turn to credit -- Consumers affected by the new debit card usage fees imposed by some banks are likely to switch to credit instead, according to a recent study ... (more)

Affinity introduces a merchant-friendly daily deals program -- The loyalty program provider, Affinity Solutions, has teamed up with Sovereign Bank on a new type of daily deals program that allows merchants to track the effectiveness of discounts and target likely customers ... (more)

Some merchants still reluctant to steer customers toward debit -- Debit card swipe fees are now capped at 21 cents. However, many merchants still don't plan to steer customers away from credit and toward debit ... (more)

MasterCard urges ATM owners to upgrade to EMV technology -- MasterCard is throwing its weight behind chip and PIN. The network is urging member bank ATM owners to upgrade their ATMs to accept chip cards by April 2013 ... (more)

A new way to accept credit cards -- with a webcam -- Payment companies such as Jumio are introducing innovative new tools that securely read credit cards with a simple click of a webcam. ... (more)

Study: Merchants report waning confidence in the economy -- The National Small Business Association (NSBA) 2011 Mid-Year Economic Report found that small business owners are losing confidence in the economy, struggling to get financing and sweating over their prospects for 2012 ... (more)

A guide to Visa's merchant incentives for chip-and-PIN compliance -- Visa announced earlier this month that it will begin pushing for a U.S. migration toward chip-and-PIN (EMV) credit cards. Here's what you need to know about Visa's plan to encourage merchants to upgrade their terminals and accept chip-and-PIN credit cards ... (more)

A guide to merchant category codes -- A merchant category code is a four-digit number the credit card industry uses to classify your business, track and even prohibit some types of purchases. ... (more)

Merchant-funded rewards programs: Worth your participation? -- Merchant-funded rewards programs may be a short cut to customers and more effective than media advertising campaigns, say some experts ... (more)

After the Durbin Amendment: A new era in debit card transactions -- Beginning Oct. 1, 2011, debit card interchange fees will be significantly cheaper for merchants. Here's what you can do to maximize the benefit to your bottom-line ... (more)

How to make sure you get your debit card fee reduction -- Beginning in October, banks will be required to lower their debit card swipe fees. But merchant account providers won't be required to pass on those savings to merchants. Here's what you need to do to claim your fee break ... (more)

Fed pivots on interchange fees -- The Federal Reserve recently surprised merchants by changing the recommended cap on interchange fees from 12 cents to 21 cents per transaction ... (more)

Back to School, Part 1: The major players in a credit card transaction -- In part 1 of our "Back to School" series, we look at the five key players who move a credit card transaction from your customer's first swipe to your business's bank account ... (more)

Back to School, Part 2: Credit card processing, 4 key issues -- In Part 2 of our "Back to School" series, we look at four key issues that merchants should consider before choosing a credit card processing system ... (more)

Card Case, Register and Google Wallet: What You Need to Know -- Google and Square both announced last month new mobile wallets that they say can't be ignored. Here's what you need to know about the new systems ... (more)

Chargeback troubles? Fight back with these key steps -- Chargebacks are costly, time consuming and stressful. But they can often be prevented -- as long as you are vigilant with your business. Here are 5 ways that you can prevent a costly chargeback ... (more)

Study: Get ready for mobile wallets -- Mobile payments are poised to become a major player in credit card transactions. Here's how to take advantage of the new payment landscape ... (more)

Consider all possible fees before picking a merchant account -- Once you've decided to get a merchant account to accept customer payments by credit and debit cards, our new columnist says you should begin your search by first considering all the basic fees. ... (more)