Lower American Express Processing Costs

Total Merchant Services is excited to announce that now we are able to lower your processing costs on your Amex processing! We can now offer your business custom pricing on American Express card processing. There are very few merchant services companies that are able to lower any of your American Express processing costs. Total Merchant Services can now lower the costs based on a variety of factors such as your business type and American Express transaction average. By taking advantage of this program we can save you a substantial amount on your American Express processing along with providing your business one of our free equipment options on a month to month agreement. 

Before we were able to offer this special pricing on American Express cards we were only able to establish a direct American Express merchant account when you set up your account with us. With this type of set-up you would be assigned American Express standard fees that can be up to a 3.50% and also carry a monthly service fee. Now we are able to offer the special pricing with no additional monthly cost as well as access all of the back-end transactions so that you have a one point contact for all of your credit card processing needs. We will also combine all four card types American Express, Visa, MasterCard, and Discover in to one deposit in to your bank account so that you can more easily track your cash flow. All processing for all credit card types will be on one statement once you set up with your merchant account with Total Merchant Services.

To have your American Express merchant services statement reviewed to see how much Total Merchant Services can save your company on the Amex transactions contact Chris today at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825. I look forward to helping your business retain its hard earned revenue. 

Introducing Groovv | Part Point of Sale | Part Business Growing Tool

Woodland Hills, CA (PRWEB) April 09, 2014

Total Merchant Services, a leader in payment processing services, announced today the launch of Groovv, a new, powerfully simple suite of products and marketing solutions that helps retail and restaurant businesses grow, become more efficient and more profitable. With the introduction of Groovv, Total Merchant Services emerges with an unrivaled technology platform that integrates key business management solutions with point of sale, payment processing, data, and marketing. Backed by Totals unparalleled merchant and sales partner support programs, Groovv is being unveiled at the Electronic Transaction Association (ETA) Show in Las Vegas, running April 8-10 at the Mandalay Bay.

Just as Total revolutionized the credit card processing industry 18 years ago by being the first company to offer a free placement program, we are reinventing ourselves now with Groovv. With an unyielding focus on support, we are transforming ourselves from a credit card processor to a small business solutions provider with innovative, scalable and secure products and services that help small businesses succeed, states CEO Joe Kaplan.

Shelley Plomske, VP of Product at Total Merchant Services, adds, with the introduction of Groovv, Total is supporting businesses in ways they never have seen before. We understand the needs of small business owners and the sales partners who work with them to deliver the tools that make running their business easier, more efficient and more profitable. Most importantly, we’ve designed Groovv to be very easy to set up and simple to use.

In addition, not only does this innovative suite of products make it easy for sales partners to sell, but Total builds on its history of introducing free placement by giving them a suite of free options for merchants, which should open more doors so they can close more deals.

Groovv’s suite of offerings includes:

        Groovv Register: powered by the technology formerly known as Registroid (acquired by Total in September 2013), provides a point of sale solution for small to medium retail merchants. Operating on Android-based devices, Groovv Register empowers merchants to grow and manage their business with software options and multiple hardware bundles that can be customized to merchants specific needs.

        Groovv Offers: formerly Fanminder Offers (acquired by Total in January 2013), allows merchants to create and manage promotions by using customized templates via a web interface to send discounts through mobile devices, social media, email lists and websites. Groovv Offers also helps merchants build a database of customer contact information, with simple online forms and import tools.

        Groovv API: is a powerful, reliable and secure integration platform that provides third party developers with a way to integrate payments, customer data, and online marketing services (i.e. Groovv Offers). Merchants will have real-time access to their data presented in a way that is easily consumable and aids in managing their business more effectively. 

Customers choose Total and stay with us because our products are so compelling and easy to use that they can’t imagine running their business without us, adds Plomske. We believe that Groovv will provide a new way for merchants to operate, and an exciting opportunity for our partners to sell small business solutions like never before.

For more information on how the Groovv suite of  products can improve your business contact Chris Judy of Total Merchant Services at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825 today!

Does my business need an EMV smart card terminal?

 

EMV smart cards are a hot topic in the US right now due to the data breaches that we have been seeing here. This blog is going to cover the history of EMV, what EMV stands for, and where it is going in the United States.

What is EMV?

The term EMV stands for Europay, MasterCard and Visa, who are the three pioneers in the chip based smart card also known as integrated circuit cards (IC Card) or chip cards. The concept of smart cards is not new to the world as it has been around since the EMV version 2.0 was released in 1995. Since its initial release there have been many updates and currently is at EMV version 4.3. EMV smart cards are already in vast use in many countries including Europe, China, Brazil as well as others. 

EMV smart cards carry two main benefits over standard credit cards. The two benefits are the improved security that has a direct correlation with reduced fraud and the ability to have a finer control of “offline” credit card transactions. There are more cardholder verification methods (CVMs) supported by the EMV smart card over the standard magnetic strip card increasing overall security and making offline transactions more accessible. The CVM features for EMV smart cards are signature, offline plaintext PIN, offline enciphered PIN, offline plaintext PIN and signature, offline enciphered PIN and signature, offline PIN, no CVM required, and fail CVM processing. By default the cards are “chip and PIN” requiring when possible to have the chip read and the PIN entered by the customer. This of course is the most secure way that a smart card transaction can be handled. 

When will you be required to have an EMV smart card ready terminal?

Due to the increase in security that the EMV smart card provides the United States is moving toward converting cards and terminals over to be EMV enabled. The card companies (Visa, MasterCard, Discover and so on) implement the smart cards and greatly encourage their use by setting a ‘liability shift’ date. What does a liability shift mean when it comes to EMV smart cards? It means as of the date that is set, for each card brand of the liability shift, the merchant becomes liable for any fraud that stems from transaction systems that are not EMV capable. 

This date has come and gone in the European Union as of January of 2005. Here in the US the liability shift dates for merchants have been set.  American Express, Discover, Maestro, MasterCard, and Visa have announced that liability shift for point of sale terminals as of October 2015. The pay at the pump liability shift has been extended two additional years to October of 2017 with the exception of MasterCard where pay at the pump liability shift is set for October 2016.

To ensure that your business is ready for the EMV smart cards you may want to consider getting an EMV smart card ready terminal in your business. We offer both the Hypercom T4220 & Hypercom M4230 EMV smart card capable terminals free along with our month to month agreement. 

If you have any questions or would like information on getting an EMV smart card terminal contact me, Chris Judy, at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825 or complete an inquiry form on my website www.totalmerchantservices.pro.

Merchant Services Explained – The Basics

Do you have a new business and need to set up to process credit cards? If so then you probably understand that you will need to get merchant services for your business by setting up a merchant account. What you may not fully yet understand is exactly how the merchant account works. If you have been processing credit cards for some time now you probably will not benefit from reading this post about merchant accounts since this outline will very basic. However, if you are new to credit card processing and need a merchant account read-on.

A merchant account acts as an intermediary between the credit card issuer’s account and the merchant’s actual bank account. The merchant account compiles the monies that are processed in a given day and moves that money in to the merchant’s bank account. When the merchant swipes a credit card through their credit card terminal the processing company (a.k.a. Merchant Service Provider) checks with the issuing bank to see if the funds are available. When it is found that the monies are in the account they are put on hold. At the end of the day the terminal will either close itself out or be manually closed by the merchant in a process called batching. The merchant account then will move the money from each of the issuing bank accounts over to the merchant’s bank account in one lump “daily batch” total that equals the amount processed; this takes 1-2 business days.

This process will repeat throughout the month as the merchant handles transactions through their merchant account. At the beginning of the following month the Merchant Services Provider takes the processing fees out for the previous months credit card processing. There is a second option on how the fees are taken from the merchant’s bank account called daily discount. In this type of merchant account the base fees come off of the top of the batch before they are deposited in the merchants account. This type of merchant account is preferred in some cases of very large sales, however most merchants prefer that the fees come out the following month due to accounting reasons.

I hope that in being new to merchant services that you have found this basic explanation helpful. If you have any additional questions or need assistance with getting set up to accept credit cards with your own merchant account contact Chris at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825 or visit www.totalmerchantservices.pro.

News - Total Merchant Services Acquires REGISTROID

Woodland Hills, CA – January 7, 2014 – Underscoring its commitment to building a comprehensive portfolio of technology-driven business and payment solutions that drive sales for small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs), Total Merchant Services announces the acquisition of Registroid, one of the leading point of sale (POS) software downloads on Google Play. The acquisition provides Total with a robust POS solution that will serve as the backbone for future expanded offerings from the company, which will help merchants grow and manage their business more effectively.
A tablet-based POS system, Registroid operates on most Android-powered devices while also offering a complete back-office solution that allows merchants to manage their devices and inventory online.
Registroid Pro, currently available as a free app on Google Play, is a single-device POS that includes all of the basic point of sale functions needed for a single lane merchant. Merchants can upgrade to Registroid Cloud, which provides multiple lane functionality, online reporting, and POS management. Both solutions now include integrated credit card processing with Total Merchant Services. Merchants can easily enroll for credit card processing utilizing Total’s new integrated online application.
“Registroid’s technology and team are a perfect fit to help accelerate our mission of enabling our customers’ success,” says Joe Kaplan, CEO of Total Merchant Services. “Tablet point of sale is where the retail sales experience is heading. The acquisition of Registroid, along with our Fanminder marketing solution and service-focused culture, enables us to empower small businesses. As Total Merchant Services expands its offerings into the cloud to become a full-service software company, we are excited about the future and look forward to providing new opportunities for our customers and sales partners.”

About Registroid

Registroid LLC, a Mobile, Alabama based company, specializes in developing point of sale software for the general retail and restaurant markets with its Registroid line of Android POS systems. For more information, visit www.registroid.com.

About Total Merchant Services

Founded in 1996, Total Merchant Services is a leader in the merchant services business, providing cutting-edge and cost-effective solutions to merchants and sales partners, and focusing on new technology-driven products to help small businesses prosper and grow. With a comprehensive portfolio of offerings, Total Merchant Services is committed to providing small businesses with easy and affordable business solutions. With free equipment, we allow small business merchants to easily accept and process all major credit cards — with funds deposited electronically into customer accounts within two days. Our solutions help small and medium-sized businesses minimize risk, save time, and improve cash flow management. In 2012, Total Merchant Services was named ISO of the Year by the Electronic Transactions Association (ETA) for providing payment industry sales professionals with outstanding product and service innovation. For more information call: 800.518.6825 or visit: www.totalmerchantservices.pro

Chris Judy
National Sales Manager
Total Merchant Services
800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825

PCI Compliance Simply Explained

PCI compliance is something that is crucial for any business that handles credit card numbers – including merchants, processors, financial institutions, and service providers. PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard is a set of requirements that are set forth to ensure all companies that process, store, and transmit credit card transactions do so in a secure manner. Simplified PCI compliance is measures that are taken to help protect card holder data, keeping it out of the wrong hands. Recently in the news Target the second largest US retailer had a substantial data breach you might recall involving cardholder data of 70 million people. Even though most of the time when you hear about a data breach in the news it is a large company, in reality 98% of data breaches occur within small business. This is why it is important for everyone to know about PCI compliance and what to do to stay complaint.

The primary purpose of PCI DSS is to protect account data. The account data is broken in to cardholder data and sensitive authentication data. Cardholder data includes the credit card account number, cardholder name, expiration date, and service code. Authentication data consists of the full track data (magnetic-strip data), CVV2 number or equivalent, and any PIN numbers. Generally the cardholder data is able to be stored however it is not permitted to store any authentication data. It is important to keep this information out of the wrong hands. Fines that can be levied by Visa and MasterCard range from the minimum of $10,000 up to $500,000. What it all comes down to is regardless if you are a large business or a small business you run the risk of a data breach and should do your part in staying PCI compliant.

You can visit the PCI Security Standards Council’s website at https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org for full details on all PCI compliance.

What should you do to take the steps in becoming and staying PCI complaint? The first step is to ensure your credit card receipts are truncated properly. They should display only the last 4 digits of the card number or no card number at all. With the most recent update of the PCI DSS you can no longer have an expiration date on the receipt. These rules apply to both the customer and merchant copies of the receipt. If your terminal is not printing the receipts correctly then you need to contact your merchant services provider to have a download completed so that it is corrected.  Next you would want to educate yourself on PCI DSS by visiting the PCI Security Council’s site. After you brush up on the rules and regulations you need to complete a Self-Assessment Questionnaire (SAQ) for your business type. The SAQ needs to be completed annually. Some businesses may also be required to complete and document a scan of their network quarterly. A SAQ will assist you in finding if this applies to your business or not.

We offer to our merchants the compliance facts website that reviews, explains the required documents and online tools that you need to stay complaint. It also covers IRS compliance. You can visit this site at www.compliancefacts.com.

If you find that your credit card terminal is out of PCI compliance and would like to take advantage of our free terminal placement program contact Chris today at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825.

Helpful PCI Compliance Links:

• Total Merchant Services – ComplianceFacts Site
•  PCI Council Website
•  Visa's Information Security Program
•  MasterCard's PCI Education Program
•  The 12 Key Requirements of PCI DSS

Wireless Credit Card Processing – Saving Your Business Money

Want to save your business money? Wireless credit card processing could help! No matter if you are running a small flower shop or a large furniture store you can lower your credit card processing costs by accepting credit cards at the point of sale on deliveries. Many businesses accept credit cards over the phone prior to going out to drop off their merchandise. When this is done you will end up paying much more to process these cards since there is no magnetic strip verification. Credit card processing fees could be up to a whole percent or more higher than it card present comparison. Also, by processing your cards with a wireless processing solution you will reduce your chargeback liability by having a signature on file for the transaction.

How can you reduce cost by implementing a wireless solution in accepting cards when you get your product to the consumer’s front door? To do this you have two primary options with Total Merchant Services. The option that would be preferred for a small business is to add on a Payment Jack device to your existing credit card processing solution. If you intend to process a larger volume of transactions you would want to consider putting an independent wireless credit card processing terminal in place. 

The Payment Jack device would connect to your existing smartphone allowing it to process the credit card at the point of delivery. Processing your payment with this option has its drawbacks. The main disadvantage is the fact that the device is assigned to one smartphone. Since the device is assigned to one phone number you may need more than one device if you have multiple delivery drivers. Secondly, the mobile device does not have a receipt printer. For some this may be an advantage, however many businesses and customers like to receive a receipt for the credit card sale.

The independent wireless credit card terminal as mentioned before would be a great option for a business that needs a paper receipt and or has many drivers that handle the credit card processing throughout the day. This method’s main advantage of having its own wireless connectivity to process credit cards live over the wireless network also brings us to its disadvantage, the cost. Since the device has its own wireless service to connect and process the credit cards, it carries a wireless service fee.

Both the wireless credit card processing solutions are covered by our free terminal placement program. The Payment Jack device can be added on for free to any of our free credit card processing terminal programs such as our free counter-top credit card terminal. An independent wireless credit card terminal could be added on to an existing free terminal program if your credit card processing volume permits. 

If you would like to discuss the possibility of adding wireless credit card processing to your existing credit card processing account by utilizing our free credit card terminal programs, feel free to contact me, Chris Judy, at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825.

Links:

Free Wireless Credit Card Processing (Independent Terminal)

Payment Jack Smartphone Credit Card Processing (MobileDevice)