The processing world and the changes

Here are some facts they do not want you to know... (long read but worth it!)

It is getting harder and harder to understand the issues associated with accepting Credit Cards in business today. There are so many categories to be aware of that it is nearly impossible to figure out what is what. I started Business Payment Systems NC in 1998. With the need in e-commerce and low cost retail solutions we thought it was a natural fit. We were right, after just our first year in operation our profits gained 100% and have continued to do so ever since. I understand the needs of small and big business alike. We provide our clients with FULL disclosure and we also show them where to cut cost. For instance... most are unaware of why there is such a large increase in rates taking effect 04/01/04. We can all thank Wal-Mart for that. They sued over the cost of offline debit and won a major victory. This is still good news if you look further into the issues. Before the Wal-Mart suit there was no way to "break out" the fees separately for offline debit which represent close to 50% of all transactions today! This transaction type is far less costly to process and yet the merchant never receives the benefit for such transaction types. If your processor is not giving you this benefit now, LEAVE. Don't go to them and ask for a better rate, if they wanted your business to last in their portfolio for the long haul then they would have offered it to you in the first place. We know what is out there and we understand the organizations that are sales driven. We are a little different in the fact that while it is true we are all in business to make money, we do not have to cover up or be sneaky when it comes to gaining a new client. Profits are second nature to us, relationships are more important. We have been educating our members on the benefits of having a good merchant services provider since day one. We will continue to do so for as long as it takes to get rid of the sleaze in this industry. We also have the best pricing on software and equipment for both retail and internet. We are available to answer any questions that you may have and help if possible. Good luck and good business.

Merchant Services Industry News 04/01/04

The Patriot Act, Wal-Mart Litigation and its impact on the interchange structure from Visa and MasterCard, including various debit networks have initiated historic changes in the bankcard industry. In response to their respective outcomes Business Payment Systems NC must continue to remain competitive while still properly disclosing all fees to our merchants and customers. As a result of these changes Business Payment Systems NC will continue to provide services that best meet our merchants needs while enhancing the opportunities for our clients to remain at the lowest pricing possible.
What are the changes made as a result of Visa and MasterCard and the Wal-Mart settlement of Aug. 2003?
1). MC and Visa implemented an 11 basis point increase on Retail/Restaurant credit transactions for all merchants.
2). MC and Visa implemented a 5-20 basis point increase on corporate non-qualified transactions for all merchants.
3). There is now a pricing difference between a debit card that is processed with a pin number and a debit card that is processed as a credit card (without a pin number, called “offline debit”). For those that may be unclear, offline/signature debit is a bankcard, debit card, or a check card that is processed with out the cardholder entering his/her pin number. Until now, this type of transaction has been processed at a higher credit card rate by most processors.

According to a recent Visa publication, offline/signature debit transactions represent as much as 50% of the transactions and 30-40% of the processing volume that a merchant processes. By the end of 2005, they project the volume of offline/signature debit card transactions to surpass credit card transactions!
Business Payment Systems goal is to keep pricing very competitive in order to give us the best opportunity to have increased flexibility with our merchant customers. This has been accomplished with the creation of a 3 tier Offline Debit pricing structure. (The three tiers are qualified, mid-qualified, and non-qualified).

How is our pricing structured affected?
• We can now offer our merchants VERY low offline/signature debit rates both on MOTO and Retail type 1 and type 4 accounts.
• Retail/Restaurant credit card discount rate is increasing on swiped/qualified transactions on a pass through only. (meaning we are not increasing margins to make up for higher buy rates)
• Our MOTO/Internet credit card discount rate is NOT increasing!
• Unlike the rest of the industry, our mid/non-qualified rates are NOT increasing!
• The EBT transaction fee has been lowered significantly with us!
• Our Online Access Fee has been reduced as well.

What is the rest of the industry doing?
We have heard that most processors are increasing the swipe rate, the mid and non-qualified rates and tacking on additional fees to make up for the loss in margins. We have heard that some processors will not be listing the Offline/Signature debit fees separately for a long time, if ever. This allows the processor to increase the cost to the merchant with out them even being aware that they could be saving up to 80 basis points depending on their current processing rates on 50% or more of their transactions.

A few last points to consider:
• Offline/Signature debit is a fantastic way for you to save money with a lower average ticket. Once you do the math, this will be very obvious.
• Consider where your processing dollars are going… if it is not to your bottom line start looking elsewhere.
• Look for the processor that is willing to fully disclose all the fees, this places you at an advantage when it comes to savings.
• No new equipment is needed unless that equipment can not truncate or you just want the latest technologies.

Business Payment Systems, NC, provides low cost credit card processing to insure a more profitable business. This is the first place to start when trying to increase the profitability for your business! You probably have not thought about your credit card processing since that first day you opened your doors, but you could be wasting significant money on inflated processing rates.
Often processing statements are so difficult to read that it is practically impossible to figure out how much you are really paying. Low cost and efficient credit card processing is the basic building block in running a more successful operation. Choosing the right organization is as important as the rate you pay. We are the most competitive because we want you to be with us for the long term. With a focus on your business and we constantly strive to offer you the latest technologies, but only if they make sense for your business.
Our integrity and product knowledge is second to none. As an AASP member you will receive even greater discounts and or have fees waived entirely. Feel free to call on us at 919-954-1199 or visit us on the web at http://www.joinbpsnow.com .