Are You Getting the Best Rates?

There are so many things to worry about in life that thinking about processing rates may fall off your radar.  My job is to worry about that for you.  I look at all of your options and find the best rate for you and your business.  But, to give you peace of mind - and one less thing to worry about - there are some tips to make sure you qualify for and are receiving the best possible processing rates.

Seven Best Practices to Ensure You Qualify for the Best Possible Processing Rate

• Always swipe the card in any scenario you can.
• Always enter the billing zip code when keying in a card.
• Always enter the CVV (3 or 4 digit) security number on the front or back of the card.
• If your credit card machine or software prompts you for 'tax amount', always enter something.
• If your credit card machine or software has other fields available (this generally only happens when accepting corporate or purchasing cards - or level III data) such as invoice number, purchase number, tax rate, duty amount, freight amount, ship from zip code, ship to address, etc., it is most beneficial to you and your business to enter SOMETHING in these fields.  What you can and should enter is based on the software you use.  If you have any questions, I'm always happy to help.
• When your terminal or software asks for information - no matter the type - NEVER skip it.  Filling in all fields only helps you qualify for the best available rate.
• At the end of the day, always settle your transactions!  "Closing your batch" will help document and track your purchases and will lend you a leg up when applying for purchasing rates.

If you have any questions or comments, I welcome your feedback.  If there is a topic you would like to see addressed in a future blog, feel free to reach out to me.

Happy Processing!

Zach Allen Regional Vice President at Chosen Payments
Credit Card Processing | ACH | Gift/ Loyalty Cards | Mobile & Ecommerce Payments | ATM

Toll Free: 1.855.424.6736 x. 116
zach.allen@chosenpayments.com  |  www.ChosenPayments.com 
www.facebook.com/ChosenPayments  |  Twitter: @ChosenPayments 
http://chosenpaymentskc.blogspot.com/

Are You Prepared For EMV?

A new buzz word has been going around...EMV...what is it? How does it affect my business? And what the heck do I do to prepare? With so many recent data breaches making local, regional and national news and costing companies and consumers billions of dollars in credit card fraud, major credit card brands have been forced to shift the liability to acquirers and merchants beginning October 1, 2015.  So, what does this mean?

How are merchants affected? The major card brands have indicated that all liability from fraud losses will shift to the party who has not put EMV cards in place...meaning if you are an issuer or merchant that does not support EMV you will assume the liability for fraudulent card transactions. Not sure what EMV is?  EMV, which stands for Europay, MasterCard, and Visa, is a global standard for inter-operation of integrated circuit cards (IC cards or 'chip cards') and IC card capable point of sale (POS) terminals and automated teller machines (ATMs), for authenticating credit and debit card transactions.

If you are a merchant who accepts card present payments it is very important that you start planning now to implement a strategy to accept EMV payments before the deadline. But don't stress.  There IS good news! If your strategy includes upgrades that allow EMV contact and contactless-enabled point of sale devices, you may be eligible to be exempt from PCI (Payment Card Industry) audits. Although you may experience costs up front, making these changes now can save you money long term.

If you have any questions of comments, I welcome your feedback.  If there is a topic you'd like to see addressed in a future blog, feel free to reach out to me!

Zach Allen Regional Vice President at Chosen Payments
Credit Card Processing | ACH | Gift/Loyalty Cards | Mobile & Ecommerce Payments | ATM

Toll Free: 1.855.424.6736 x. 116
zach.allen@chosenpayments.com  |  www.ChosenPayments.com 
www.facebook.com/ChosenPayments  |  Twitter: @ChosenPayments 
http://chosenpaymentskc.blogspot.com/ 

What You Need, Baby We Got It!

As a Regional Vice President for Chosen Payments, a leader in the payment processing industry, I am proud to lead a team of professionals dedicated to helping businesses save and make money by developing a customized, effective and efficient plan of services.  Do you know what your company needs in order to succeed?  If you have questions, we have suggestions.

Chosen Payments offers a wide range of services to meet the needs of businesses of any size.  We were founded with merchants in mind.  Here are just a few of the services we provide:

1. Credit Card Authorization & Settlement - We have solutions for retail, restaurant, mail and telephone order, e-commerce, wireless, and much more. Through our industry leading partners we authorize and settle millions of transactions per month giving our merchants a competitive edge and wholesale processing rates. Security in accepting electronic payments has been taken to a new level with the amount of fraud the economy is facing. Chosen Payments takes protecting card holder data very serious. With our new CPSP compliance program we are proud to announce that none of our merchants have suffered from a data breach. We offer this program free of charge through all of our Credit Card Authorization and Settlement services.
2. Check Guarantee - Writing checks is still a popular form of payment for many consumers. As a merchant, if you do not accept checks you expose yourself to lose business. After industry surveys, Chosen Payments found that the number one reason merchants do not accept checks is due to the risk of a bad check. Through our Check Guarantee program we have a solution that will help solve this problem.
3. ATM - Chosen Payments is among very few in the payment processing space that offer a full ATM placement, service, and vaulting program. Statistics show that 84% of the money withdrawn from an ATM will be spent at the location of the withdrawal. If your neighbor has an ATM and you do not, allow Chosen Payments the opportunity to help grow your business by discussing ATM options.
4. Gift & Loyalty - In today’s ever competitive marketplace merchants are always looking for an advantage to keep their business successful. Chosen Payments can customize a gift or loyalty card program for you. Gift cards help to spread the word about your business, increase sales, provide free marketing, and work as a great GIFT! Loyalty cards help you show appreciation to your customers, track their buying habits, create excitement, and build brand awareness.
5. POS Integration - Chosen Payments partners with many POS (Point of Sale) vendors across the country. Our relationships with these companies allow us to integrate into the system of your choice. Either through a direct integration or through a third party gateway, Chosen Payments facilitates the payment processing for you. This secure and efficient integration will allow your business to leverage all the benefits of a custom POS for your industry, as well as the wholesale rates and quality service Chosen Payments offers.

To see a full list of our services, visit:  www.chosenpayments.com.  If you have questions about the services we provide or you have a topic you would like to see covered in my blog, feel free to reach out!  zach.allen@chosenpayments.com  1-855-424-6736 ext. 116

Welcome to my blog!

Why do people write blogs?  To inform?  To keep informed?  To share best practices?  To learn best practices?  As the Regional Vice President of Chosen Payments, a leader in the payment processing industry, I am constantly asked many questions related to the services we provide, which ones best serve different businesses and why they should trust me and Chosen Payments.  So I hope that my blog will answer some questions you may have.  I also hope to learn from you.  By sharing best practices, feedback and information, I believe I can help you better navigate your way through the not-so-easy world of payment processing and banking.

My blog is for you, the consumer, the business owner, the employee and the employer.  We service a wide array of businesses, designing a package tailored specifically for each one.  We don’t believe in cookie-cutter processing.  What works for one business may or may not work for another.  If you have questions on whether or not the system you are using is the right fit for your business or if you are prepared for industry upgrades, my staff and I are here to answer your questions.

From ATM processing to point of sale, gift cards and EMV (EuroPay, MasterCard and Visa) preparedness, my blog exists to be a resource center of information for a variety of hot topics in our field.  So, why should you trust me?

As a merchant services industry leader in the Kansas City area, I have leveraged my success with highly effective marketing, networking, and business development strategy. I seek to fully understand the needs and goals of prospective clients, determine if what I can offer is truly in their best interest, and deliver a solution that will best enhance their business. I have also developed partnerships with some of the area's leading companies, providing outstanding services and customer experience for clients ranging from mom-and-pop shops to billion-dollar enterprises.

During my time with Chosen Payments I am proud to have:

-Been a contributing partner in earning the coveted President's Club Honors in 2012, 2013, 2014.

-Developed a strategic partnership with EPAY Worldwide, spanning 70,000+ merchants.

-Built partnerships with local CEOs and top-level decision makers to build one another's businesses.

In addition to my achievements with Chosen Payments, I have had the fortunate opportunity to co-found and grow several other local start-ups. 

I look forward to hearing from you.  If there are topics of interest or questions you would like to see addressed in this platform, feel free to reach out to me zach.allen@chosenpayments.com.  Thank you for reading my blog and feel free to share it with others you feel may benefit from the tips and topics.  Happy reading and happy processing!