The Necessity of Merchant Services
March 10, 2010
If you are operating your own business, chances are that you are well acquainted with merchant services. For those who aren’t familiar with the term, it simply refers to the basic financial services and processes that take place between the customer’s account and the business. This primarily involves the processing of a credit or debit card.
As you can imagine, merchant services are a crucial element for any successful business. While services such as PayPal allow some companies to circumvent this system, the ability to process credit and debit purchases is a sign of credibility in the business world. To that end, it is important to seek out reliable merchant services that you and your customers can depend on.
Merchants Can Profit by Adapting to Change
November 10, 2009
In my experience, Seattle is one of the best places in the country to own an independent book store. Tourists come to my shop between visits to the Space Needle and Pike Place Market for some much needed respite. They peruse the shelves diligently, sometimes making a purchase and other times just browsing. However, it’s of the utmost importance that I’m prepared to accommodate whatever form of payment they might provide.
Ten years ago it might have been acceptable to run a cash-only establishment, but in a struggling industry one must adapt with the times. Thanks to my easy access to Seattle merchant services, I have an upgraded credit card machine that’s reliable and efficient. If I didn’t accept credit, many of my customers would simply walk out the front door and head to a different store up the street.
Accommodate Your Customers
September 28, 2009
Given the convenience and ease of use associated with debit cards, it’s very rare that I carry cash at all these days. Some stores seem to be stuck in the past, insisting that their customers pay with cash or leave the premises without buying anything. Needless to say, this is brash and wrongheaded approach for any savvy business to take. I’ve come to appreciate the store owners who recognize that the times are changing and update their registers with merchant credit card processing.
When I worked in sales and customer service at a book store several years ago, the credit card machine relied on dial-up Internet, and it took what felt like a century to access accounts. Although this left plenty of time to make small talk with the customers, it didn’t exactly expedite sales. Once the store upgraded, the sales numbers reflected the change right away.
Get with the Times
August 27, 2009
Small business owners often dream of the day when their startup enterprise hits the big time. Turning a humble business venture into a booming source of profits is no mean feat. But with success comes new challenges. When a business starts to grow, it’s often necessary to hire more employees, find better ways to keep track of accounts and otherwise upgrade a business model.
At a certain point, it becomes necessary to upgrade the technology your business utilizes each day. A credit card payment processing system is a perfect example. Large-scale businesses would never subject their customers to long wait times incurred by dialup credit card machines. A simple upgrade can mean the difference between cultivating a customer base and deterring people from returning to your store.
Merchant Services review…Making it Even Easier.
August 21, 2009
I found a great review on this flexible desk top processor for merchant services
Premiere Communications Merchant Services
“The Exadigm XD1000 is our new favorite countertop terminal. The XD1000 is reliable and easy to use and supports multiple communication methods, including dial up, high speed internet, and wifi. Exadigm offers technical support for the terminal and it is very flexible. The XD 1000 is not only a fast, state of the art terminal, it looks cool and it is priced right.
Top Reasons to get the Exadigm XD 1000 for your business:
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- Great price
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- It’s fast.
- Multiple communication methods.
- Reliable and Easy to use.
- Toll Free technical support directly from the manufacturer, Exadigm.
- Great flexibility, uses Linux based operating system.
- It looks cool!
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- Great price
With the XD1000, you have the ability to toggle between the different communication methods. Are you using analog lines, digital phone lines, or do you have wi-fi at your business? The XD 1000 can handle it all. It is a compact, countertop terminal that has three different communication methods depending on your business’ needs.”
Don’t Let Your Competition Swipe the Profits
July 24, 2009
Just a few years ago, mom-and-pop businesses could still get away with accepting only cash or checks at the register. Times have changed, however, and few people bother to carry hard currency. As a result, businesses that are slow to adapt have been left in the dust. Credit card processing is now a basic feature of any merchant shop.
Customers deserve to be accommodated, not inconvenienced. When a merchant refuses to accept a credit or debit card, it puts the customer off from ever returning. It’s no coincidence that the most successful businesses change with the times. If you want your business to be portrayed as accommodating and efficient, it’s probably time to install a credit card system.
