Free Fanminder Service

Total Merchant Services now offers optional Fanminder services free with all new merchant accounts! Fanminder gives you the tools you need to grow your business and create customer loyalty. It integrates mobile, Facebook, Twitter and email marketing into an easy to use online tool. With services from Fanminder you are able to create coupons that can be redeemed by your customers and tracked from inside your Fanminder interface. If you were to subscribe to Fanminder without the free services offered along with our credit card processing, you would pay around $1,800 a year, including a $30 monthly fee with other expenses. We offer this at no cost along with our low cost credit card processing services. You can also combine any of our free credit card terminal offers with this service at no additional cost.

Fanminder allows you to get more business in to the door and keep your customers coming back to your business, earning you more revenue. It is easy to create a coupon in minutes and send it to your customers. Many merchants only will spend 5 minutes a week in creating a new offer resulting in an 8% increase in top-line revenue for your business. Take a look at a sample coupon that was created for a pizza shop. Text the word "joespizza" to 244326 and the example pizza shop coupon will be send to your phone. (This is only a demo so you will not be subscribed to anything.) As you can see on the coupon there is a green button that instructs the customer to click to redeem the coupon in front of the merchant. Once they do this, it will log the coupon as redeemed in your interface. With all of the templates that are available this coupon only takes minutes to create.

You may already be using some form of marketing that utilizes Facebook or Twitter. In this case you can add mobile and email marketing. All you have to do once you are set-up is to add you existing customer lists to your Fanminder interface and put up signs that instruct customers in your business to enroll in your loyalty/special offers program. After signing up they will get the initial coupon that you have designed for them. Each offer sent to your customers gives them the option to opt out of the program if they so desire, however you will find that the reason people sign up is so that they can get the offers and save money. Everyone likes to save money, right?

Fanminder is a wonderful tool, and since Total Merchant Services owns Fanminder, it  is offered free to any new set-up of a merchant account. If you would like more information on Fanminder feel free to contact me at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825 or visit www.fanminder.com. Remember: you have to set-up with me for credit card processing to get Fanminder for free.

Credit Card Merchant Services Cash Advance

Could your business benefit from up to $100,000 in working capital in your account within days? Many merchants are searching for a fast, easy way to get the working capital that they need to make improvements  of their business. One way a merchant can get the cash they need is to get a credit card merchant services cash advance. A cash advance from credit card proceeds isn’t a loan. It is a purchase of future credit card sales in exchange for cash now. Many times this money would be used in a way that would increase sales of the business providing a significant return on investment for the business. A merchant services cash advance is ideal for a business owner who does not want to get a traditional loan using and affecting their credit, their business has not been in existence long or if their current credit situation prohibits them from getting the cash they need now. Getting a merchant services cash advance is fast with the cash you need now in your account within 5 to 10 working days. Since a merchant services cash advance is not a loan there are no fixed payment amounts, you pay the cash back with a small agreed to percentage of your credit card sales.

What can you use the capital that you get through a cash advance? It can be used for any business expense including building inventory purchasing new equipment, marketing your business, remodeling or expanding your business, opening a new location and more. 

Your business could qualify for up to $100,000 in the working capital that it needs with a credit card merchant services cash advance. How much money does your business need? What would your business use the money for? If you would like more information on our merchant services cash advance program Cash-On-Demand contact me at 1.800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825. I would be more than happy to help you determine how much your business qualifies for and help you get the cash you need now with a credit card merchant services cash advice.

Are Free Credit Card Terminals Really Free?

Total Merchant Services was one of the first companies out there that started offering their merchants a free credit card terminal along with their credit card processing services. When we started, our competition could not understand how we could do this. At the time it would not be unusual to sign a lease on a terminal that cost $300 and end up paying thousands more than it is worth. Other people sold the equipment with a 100%+ mark-up. This is what our competition could not understand: they were making money on credit card terminals hand over fist and we were giving them away?!?!

“How is this possible??”- asked the competition. Many different scenarios unfolded as the competition attempted to also offer a free credit card terminal to their merchants. Some decided that the only way that they can offer a free credit card terminal and still make as much as leasing or selling the credit card equipment would be to raise the fees. They increased batch fees, transaction fees and added annual fees to offset the upfront monies they were so used to receiving from each merchant. Did Total Merchant Services do this to offer the credit card terminal for free? No, since I was already working for Total Merchant Services at the time that the free credit card terminal program was reviled, I know that the fees remained unchanged. 

In rolling out the free terminal placement program, as the merchants representative I was still able to offer the same great pricing that we offered prior to the program. Some of our competition still does not understand this and tell their prospective merchants that it is “never free”, attempting to sell or lease to them an overpriced terminal. Total Merchant Services stands behind our free credit card terminal program. So what’s the catch? There is no catch, no hidden fees, no annual fees, no cancellation fees, all with our low cost pricing backed by our meet or beat guarantee. We want you to have the best credit card terminal available simply because when your business thrives, so does ours.

For more information on our free credit card terminal programs click on one of the following links:

Free Ingenico iCT220 – Counter-Top Credit Card Terminal

Get one of the following state-of-the-art countertop terminals: Ingenico iCT220, or Verifone Vx520 in our counter-top free terminal program. (A $399 value)

Free Ingenico iWL255 - Wireless Credit Card Terminal

Get a free state-of-the-art wireless terminal: Ingenico iWL255  (A $599 value)

Free Authorize.net Virtual Terminal – Online Credit Card Processing

Get an Authorize.net online payment gateway for free along with your merchant account. (A $99 value)

Free Groovv POS System - Powerfully Simple Point of Sale 
You have a choice of our Groovv Storefront, Groovv Restaurant, or Groovv Tablet.

Free Payment Jack – Mobile Phone Credit Card Processing

Enable your smartphone to process credit cards. Credit cards can be swiped or keyed in manually to your phone. (A $49 value)

If you have any questions feel free to contact me at any time at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825. Have a fantastic day!

New QuickBooks Pro 2013 Credit Card Processing Integration

QuickBooks is a leader in business and personal accounting software enabling you to manage your expenses, credit invoices, generate reports and process credit cards.

Total Merchant Services now offers our Total Processing in QuickBooks (TPIQ) add-on to fully integrate our credit card processing services in to QuickBooks (a $249.95 retail value) along with a USB credit card reader (a $69.95 value) for card present merchants. The best part of it all is that we are offering a free copy of QuickBooks Pro 2013 & USB reader (if needed) along with our no commitment services. We can also integrate the TPIQ in to your existing QuickBooks software if you choose to take advantage of one of our other free terminal programs. If you prefer, you can upgrade your current QuickBooks to QuickBooks Pro 2013 for a discounted $129.99 while taking advantage of one of our other free terminal placement offerings such as out free wireless, free physical credit card terminal or online virtual terminal. 

By utilizing the TPIQ within QuickBooks you will streamline your business, and eliminate the need for a separate processing terminal and the time-consuming process of entering credit card transactions into accounting software.

If your are interested in learning more on our QuickBooks processing solution or any other terminal program we offer,  feel free to contact me at anytime at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825. Have a fantastic day!

Visa MasterCard Change Surcharging Rules

Visa and MasterCard have made changes to their merchant acceptance practices effective January 27, 2013 as a result of the Merchant Class Action Litigation Settlement.

Merchants will now have the choice to add surcharges for some card based transactions. With the exception of pre-paid & debit cards, a merchant can now add a fee for accepting credit cards not to exceed the cost to process the card. Visa has determined that the surcharge should never exceed 4%. For full details on each brands rule and regulations regarding the new surcharge visit www.mastercardmerchant.com or www.visa.com/merchantsurcharging.

Before you choose to add a surcharge, you would want to take a few things into consideration. Your customers may find that your competitors have chosen not to add a surcharge on their products or services. This may lead to losing your customers to the competition. Another issue to look at is the complexity of training your sales representatives in adding the surcharge to some cards yet not on others such as debit. If your staff would miss-recognize a card, it could lead to penalties enforced on to you from Visa or MasterCard.

Your best route of travel  is to insure you have the best rates available to you, so that the cost of credit card processing is at a minimum. Contact me at 800.51.TOTAL / 800.518.6825 if you would like to have your processing rates evaluated. Feel free to visit my website at www.totalmerchantservices.pro to view information on our free credit card terminal programs and other services I offer.

Have a fantastic day!

Simple Way To Determine Credit Card Processing Costs

An easy way to keep tabs on your processing costs is by simply taking the total you were charged for credit card processing and dividing it by the amount you processed. This gives you your effective processing rate. Many merchants already know this simple trick, however if you do not, I ask you to give it a try now.

There are many variables involved that could make your rate higher or lower. One is the fact that Visa, MasterCard, and Discover all have per items that are charged that range from $0.05 to $0.22 in addition to the network processing fee charged by your processor. This results in a higher effective rate for merchants that have small average transactions, conversely merchants who have a high average ticket will have a lower effective rate. Another major factor is dependent on if the merchant processes cards by swiping or by key entering the transactions.

The following is a few examples of each:

Card Present Transactions
A merchant who processes credit cards card present swiped and has an average transaction of $25 should have an effective rate of right around 2.25% give or take a few basis points.

A merchant who processes credit cards card present swiped and has an average transaction of $1000 should have an effective rate of right around 1.25% give or take a few basis points.

Card Not Present Transactions
A merchant who processes credit cards card present swiped and has an average transaction of $25 should have an effective rate of right around 2.53% give or take a few basis points.

A merchant who processes credit cards card present swiped and has an average transaction of $1000 should have an effective rate of right around 1.68% give or take a few basis points.

Summary
Based on the above examples you should be in the below range once you have calculated your effective rate.

Card Present Transactions - 1.25% to a 2.25%
Card Not Present Transactions - 1.68% to a 2.53%

If you found that your effective rate is much higher than the above mentioned the most likely reason is the Durbin Amendment that went in effect October 1st, 2011.This amendment to the Dobbs-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 significantly reduced the cost of debit card processing.

The effective rate is by far the easiest way to determine what you are paying to process credit cards. This is why each and every custom savings analysis I prepare for a merchant includes their current effective rate and the new effective rate based on the proposed new credit card processing costs.

If you do the math and your current company just doesn't add up contact me so that I can prepare a custom savings analysis for your company. Visit this link where you can upload your current processing statement to have one prepared for you today. You have nothing to lose but everything to save!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

News - Total Merchant Services Acquires Fanminder

Purchase Underscores Company's Commitment to Help Merchants Grow and Manage Their Businesses

BASALT, CO--(Marketwire - Jan 8, 2013) - Total Merchant Services (Total) announced today the purchase of California-based Fanminder. The acquisition adds a social, mobile marketing tool to Total's existing portfolio of innovative payment solutions. Fanminder will immediately provide Total's entire base of small to mid-sized merchants with enhanced social media, email and text messaging abilities -- that help stimulate sales via personal interaction with their customers and prospects.

"Merchants are demanding more, and our industry can no longer strictly sell on price and service. ISOs and Sales Agents need to forge partnerships with a company that helps businesses manage and grow their top and bottom lines," said Joe Kaplan, CEO, Total Merchant Services. "The acquisition of Fanminder helps accelerate our business strategy and competitive advantage. Now our sales partners can provide merchants with strategies for driving social media promotions to help grow their businesses. This results in more meaningful customer engagements through digital offers, quickly distributed through social media networks and mobile devices."

Fanminder is a multi-channel, mobile marketing platform that enables business owners to easily design and publish everyday promotional offers to Facebook, Twitter, SMS, email and even their own websites. The platform provides simple-to-follow templates, eliminating the need and expense for a professional graphic designer. Customers redeem promotions at the store of origin and all redemptions are tracked in a dashboard, "closing the loop" for the business owner and helping them grow sales. The company is adding more than 1,000 small business customers per month and is used by 10,000 small businesses ranging from clothing boutiques to pet shops, and casual restaurants.

"We built our company to provide merchants with a turn-key system for producing engaging promotions that drive the success of their businesses," said Paul Rosenfeld, Co-Founder and CEO, Fanminder. "We see many synergies between our offering and Total's current services; we look forward to integrating our perspective offerings for the benefit and growth of all small businesses."

About Fanminder
Fanminder powers fan relationships for small businesses and is leading the way for Fanbase marketing. Launched nationally in 2010, Fanminder is privately-funded and based in Silicon Valley, California. The company is happily satisfying artisan donut shops, hip urban clothiers, and edgy tattoo parlors, among its thousands of customers. From one easy, do-it-yourself place on the web, Fanminder helps businesses publish gorgeous offers that reach and reward their fans on social networks and through mobile and other devices.

Keep a look out for exciting new services that I will be able to offer due to this acquisition. Once they become available I will publish a new page explaining the offers available on www.totalmerchantservices.pro.

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