Processing for Your Business Type

If you are fortunate enough to be operating a business that is classified as low risk by the merchant processing industry, you are going to be getting the best possible discount rates and the best terms for your agreement. Lucky you! Read on to discover the many benefits and the reasons behind them.

High Risk Companies

One of the best ways to be classified as a low-risk business is to accept customer's credit cards in person. Card-present transactions are the best way to prevent fraud and reduce chargebacks, something your merchant bank counts very seriously toward your risk level. Because you can verify the client's signature on paper against the one on his or her card, and because you come away with a signed receipt stating his or her intent to pay the bank back for the purchase, the merchant bank feels that non-payment or a dispute is unlikely.

Rates and Fees

All of the above industries qualify as low risk for the same reason traditional retail clothing, toy, gift, furniture, and other retail establishments do. They are receiving payments with plastic that can be swiped through a card reader terminal, making them easier to verify and protect.

ISO Service Providers

These individuals also have the benefit of accepting credit cards in person and obtaining their client's signatures to safeguard themselves from chargebacks and disputes. Additionally, because they are dealing with such high-volume transactions, they are wise to both accept and encourage credit card use since checks can be insecure and it is never advisable to have large amounts of cash on hand. Not to mention, it is more convenient for clients and customers to pay for these expensive services using a method that will allow them to pay off the amount over a longer period of time.

Card Present Transaction Rates

Also low-risk and eligible for the lowest discount rates per sale are restaurants and bars. Like the industries we have already mentioned, these two also have the ability to swipe credit cards through a terminal card reader, obtain diner's signatures, and reduce fraud and disputes through careful acceptance practices.

In all of the above scenarios, being able to get paid by plastic should absolutely lead to increased sales. People are, by nature, impulse buyers. If they don't have cash or check on hand, they will likely never return to complete a purchase if you reject their Visa, Amex, or Master Card. Also, many people are living beyond their means or making dream purchases more affordable by spacing out their payments on high-ticket items. Being unwilling to make their experience convenient and manageable from a financial perspective is going to cost you sales in the long run. In fact, having a merchant account typically increases a company's profits exponentially.

Since you are fortunate enough to be eligible for the lowest discount rates, do your research, speak with merchant service providers, and get set up to process popular credit cards. Your success depends on it!