In previous posts I’ve talked about identity theft and ways to prevent fraud, but are our banks doing enough to protect its customers from identity theft? Recently thousands of consumers’ personal information was stolen from Wells Fargo. MicroBilt which is the self-proclaimed “single source industry leader in risk management information” notified Wells Fargo of the breach caused by […]
Housing Rescue Bill Today’s economy gives new meaning to the phrase what goes around comes around. The new Housing Rescue Bill has turned into the Salem Witch trials for merchants and the payment processing industry. The Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 was intended to help homeowners on the verge of bankruptcy and foreclosure and […]
In 1730, the first advertisement for credit was placed allowing furniture to be purchased over time. Almost 200 years later, Western Union issued a metal plate to their employees instead of a paycheck. Of course this card was only good in company owned stores. It was not until the 1950s that Bank of America issued the first […]
In today’s economy, more and more people are turning to using credit cards. With this new onslaught of credit card users there comes a greater possibility of fraud. The payment card industry had made great progress in compliance and security. Visa and MasterCard are actively creating technology and guidelines to protect consumers and merchants alike […]
With technology on the rise and our economy weakening more and more, scams are evolving within various industries. The merchant services industry is vulnerable to a variety of different merchant account scams. About a month ago, a merchant contacted our company to set up a merchant account and began running thousands of dollars in transactions. […]
In recent news, Discover Financial Services has been going round and round in a lawsuit with Visa Inc. and MasterCard Inc. Discover claims restrictions were placed by Visa and MasterCard – the world’s two largest card companies – on banks to stifle competition and violate antitrust laws. Visa and MasterCard argue that Discover simply has […]
I have discussed in previous posts new Interchange category rate changes that most business owners have most likely seen notifications about on their statements. Most of these notices say “Increase” and these increases are being passed on the merchant. Not all Interchange categories have experienced increases – the main changes have been in the Business, […]
I belong to a networking group and have been told multiple times my monthly dues needed to be paid and I have to remember to bring a check. For those who refuse to adopt current forms of payment, there are ways that people can still pay by check but do so electronically. This process is […]
Most merchants have likely seen a disclaimer on their monthly credit card processing statements about an upcoming increase in Interchange rates. The card associations (Visa and MasterCard) have announced some significant changes. As you are probably aware there are hundreds of different categories. During April and October, rates in some categories are increased or decreased, […]
Interchange Rates There are many third-party processors out there that benefit when the Bank Card Associations, Visa and MasterCard, raise their rates. They look at this as an opportunity to make an additional profit from their merchants. Merchant services providers get to decide how they will pass the various increases and decreases through to the […]
