Accept Credit Cards

How do they do it?  It seems like every week, you see another company announcing record profits or at least significant growth, even in a down economy.  Really, how do they do it? There are probably a number of things that contribute to their success, but certainly thinking strategically is a big part of it.  What does thinking strategically look like for your business when it comes to payment processing?  It's important to take credit card processing to the next level.  Some retailers would benefit greatly from having a wireless point of sale option in their stores or wherever business is conducted.  

Accepting credit cards, especially wireless payments, really does mean that your business knows no bounds.  The team at North American Bancard can help add wireless credit card processing machines to your existing service.  The process is painless and will allow you to accept transactions securely from just about anywhere.  With North American Bancard's wireless merchant services you can:

• Accept all major credit cards
• Receive near immediate authorizations
• Enjoy the lowest rates with the most secure transactions
• Access the GPRS wireless network, the most reliable network available in the U.S.
• Utilize "Store and Forward" capability which allows you to "swipe" transactions in areas with poor coverage and process later
• Include tips or tolls and also link transactions to specific customers
• Choose from the industry’s largest selection of free wireless credit card terminals

In today's business world, transactions can be processing in your home, in an office, at a tradeshow, county fair or from a mobile device.  Accepting payment via a wireless terminal is a hassle-free way to add yet another level of convenience for your customers and improve your profit potential.  Even if you don't do business on the road of from remote locations, there are still numerous brick-and-mortar applications for wireless processing.  Take your checkout counter to the customer and "wow" them with your service.

 

 

 

At North American Bancard, we take privacy and data security just as seriously as you do when dealing with your customers' credit card information.  There are a number of items of information that we may ask from you including name, job title, contact info, demographics info or other information relevant to customer surveys and offers.  We use this information to better understand your needs, to provide you with even better service on your merchant account and for a number of other reasons including:

- Internal record keeping
- Product or service improvement
- In order to send out periodic promotional emails about new products or special offers
- For market research purposes

Many people ask us how we protect not only their data but their money, as well.  In order to prevent unauthorized access to your account, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to ensure security of the information that we collect online.

And, similarly to how we protect you, our client, from privacy and security concerns, we also offer solutions to help you ensure PCI compliance for your business and privacy for your customer's credit card data.  Whether you require traditional or internet merchant account services, North American Bancard will walk you through the process of how to accept swiped transactions as well as card-not-present transactions.

Here are a few things to look for when attempting to spot a fraudulent card-not-present transaction:

- First-time shopper: Criminals are always looking for new victims.
- Larger-than-normal orders: Because stolen cards or account numbers have a limited life span, crooks need to maximize the size of their purchase.
- Orders that include several of the same item: Having multiples of the same item increases a criminal's profits.
- Orders made up of “big-ticket” items: These items have maximum resale value and therefore maximum profit potential.
- “Rush” or “overnight” shipping: Crooks want these fraudulently obtained items as soon as possible for the quickest possible resale, and aren’t concerned about extra delivery charges.
- Shipping to an international address: A significant number of fraudulent transactions are shipped to fraudulent cardholders outside of the U.S. Visa AVS can't validate non-U.S., except in Canada and the United Kingdom.

The secret to our success as a merchant services provider  really is no secret at all.  It's certainly not top secret, just above and beyond what others in the industry are willing and able to do.  When you meet the needs of your clients, you begin to build a more loyal client base.  This translates to greater revenues and greater, more sustained success.  Just take a look at what one of our customers had to say:

VIP World Club
I got involved with North American Bancard in an interesting way... I was their limousine company, offering service for all of their VIPs. One day, their CEO asked me if I accepted credit cards. One thing led to another and I ended up, not only utilizing NAB’s services, but also becoming a sales rep and selling credit card services to my fellow business people and beyond. I guess you could say I was sold! I have never encountered a better group of people who really love what they do. Plus their knowledge of the business has helped me and my company greatly. Business is up and life is good. I would strongly encourage businesses of all sizes to get to know the folks at North American Bancard. They truly changed my life for the better. Thanks again.

Walter (Mike) Hagen President, VIP World Club, Troy, MI

As you probably noticed, this client was so impressed by the solutions that we provided and the level of service that we offered that he not only became a client, he also became a reseller of our traditional and internet merchant account services.  You may look elsewhere and find similar rates or credit card terminal fees but most others will not meet the needs of their clients like we do. 

 

If you've already got a merchant account and can accept credit cards, then you're headed in the right direction to making your business successful.  So what else can you do? Many clients of North American Bancard are looking for ways to improve their POS systems, but don't necessarily have the budget to add necessary services or upgrade retail credit card machines like they would like to do.  We recognized this and set out to partner with a company that provided our clients with this capital without all of the red tape and hassle of traditional business loans.  That company is Capital for Merchants.

Capital for Merchants is a merchant cash advance company.   The concept of a merchant cash advance is simple; Capital for Merchants will pay you (give you cash in advance) for your future credit card transactions up front. As credit card transactions roll in to your business, Capital for Merchants gets paid back by taking a small, fixed percentage of those daily credit card transaction receipts.

While the concept is fairly simple, many people still have questions because they are so used to the complicated and frustrating way that banks loan money.  Let's take a look at a few of the most commonly asked questions related to a merchant cash advance.

What qualifications do you need for a merchant cash advance?
To qualify for a merchant cash advance with Capital for Merchants, an institution typically has to be in business for a minimum of one year. The business must also be processing a minimum of $2,000 worth of credit card transactions a month, and have been accepting credit cards for up to six months prior to the time they apply for the merchant cash advance.

How quickly will I receive my cash advance?
After completing the Capital for Merchants Application, you can expect the approved cash advance in as little as 72 hours.

How can I use the cash?
You can spend the money from your merchant cash advance from Capital for Merchants any way that you want. We are only interested in your continued success.

How much cash can I get?
Capital for Merchants can fund your business up to $250,000 per location depending on your businesses credit card transaction volume.

For answers to any of your other questions or for more general information on Capital for Merchants or North American Bancard call 800-BANCARD.

If you're looking to offer your customers the best credit card processing for small business, North American Bancard can outfit you with state-of-the-art equipment to help you do just this.  Our product line includes one of the largest selections of credit card processing equipment in the industry, so no matter your needs we can fulfill them.

What sort of equipment does your business need to optimize efficiency of your POS?

- Internet Connected Terminal:  Allows you to process transactions through an internet connection (or a phone line)
   
- Wireless Terminal:  Uses the GPRS wireless network to process transactions wirelessly for businesses on the go
   
- e-Commerce Solutions:  Enables you to accept credit card and electronic check payments from your e-Commerce Web site
  
- Payment Processing Software:  Turns any PC or PC-based POS system into a secure payment-accepting and processing device
   
- Check Imager: Converts paper checks to electronic transactions at the point of sale
  
- Tap and Go: Enables almost any point of sale (POS) and Electronic Cash Registers (ECR) systems with contactless payments


In addition to the type of equipment that you need, you should consider whether the equipment provides you with adequate safeguards for your business and your customers.  All equipment provided by North American Bancard arrives fully PCI compliant and ready to use so you can start accepting credit cards faster.  Equipment is preloaded with your merchant information, pre-programmed for your specific needs and pre-tested to ensure full functionality.  Many of the retail credit card machines, including our wireless credit card processing machines, are offered to our clients as part of our free equipment program.  For more information on our free equipment program, visit our website today.

This is yet another way we meet your needs and help to ensure that your business is as successful and profitable as it can be.

 

Processing Rates & Fees:  With any merchant account, you'll pay various fees.  These will vary depending on the type of merchant account you need and the company that you select as your MSP.  However, there are two main costs that are charged.  Discount rates and Authorization Fees are the most common.

The discount rate charged is typically determined by classifying the purchase into one of three levels, qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified.  Each level and rate is determined by the type of card used, and/or how it is accepted and processed.  The authorization fee is charged for each electronic authorization request made.  This includes ALL sales, those approved, declined, returns, voids, etc.
 

As you probably already know, PCI compliance aims to protect credit card users by securing their personal information by using various secure data management policies. Any organization that transmits cardholder data, regardless of size or frequency of transaction, is subject to PCI Compliance.  With this in mind, many small businesses are hesitant to step into the "PCI world", afraid of the risks and potential fees associated with any mistakes made that could lead to a data or security breach. 

Part of the PCI Compliance Program at North American Bancard, the Breach Protection Program offers liability protection for merchants who have completed the PCI requirements that are required for their business.  This protection covers up to $25,000 in assessment fees, merchant fines and other expenses related to a qualified PCI data breach.  This protection does not equate to a full "PCI insurance policy", it does mitigate some of the risk that you face as a merchant offering credit and debit cards as payment options.

The protection covers a range of items and includes any qualifying merchant that receives written notice from any card association asserting that a breach has occured.  With this sort of offering, North American Bancard hopes to help ensure that small businesses, just like their larger competitors, have the freedom to offer credit and debit card services to their clients without fear of losing everything due to a PCI compliance error or breach. 

The ability to accept electronic payments and traditional retail payments is essential to the success of any type of business.  With the help of our secure payment processor software and payment devices, our clients can mitigate much of the risk of data breaches but the breach protection program adds that much more security to our clients' bottom line.




   

In order to fully understand the need for PCI compliance, it is essential that you understand how everything works and many times the process is a bit confusing.  Let's take a quick look at the "ins and outs" of PCI compliance.

Compliance with the Payment Card Industry (PCI) data security standard is a requirement for all merchants that process, store or transmit credit card data.  This requirement applies to all payment channels, regardless of industry or business type, including traditional retailers, mail order, pay-by-phone, and e-commerce merchants too.  The PCI standard has been endorsed by all major credit card brands by their respective data security programs.

Ensuring PCI compliance means adhering to a set of twelve basic requirements, which fall within the following categories:

Build and Maintain a Secure Network

Requirement 1: Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
Requirement 2: Do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters

Protect Cardholder Data

Requirement 3: Protect stored cardholder data
Requirement 4: Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks

Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program

Requirement 5: Use and regularly update anti-virus software
Requirement 6: Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

Implement Strong Access Control Measures

Requirement 7: Restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know
Requirement 8: Assign a unique ID to each person with computer access
Requirement 9: Restrict physical access to cardholder data

Regularly Monitor and Test Networks

Requirement 10: Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
Requirement 11: Regularly test security systems and processes

Maintain an Information Security Policy

Requirement 12: Maintain a policy that addresses information security

In addition to compliance requirements, businesses are also required to maintain proper certification, or validation, of compliance by demonstrating it.  North American Bancard's partner, ControlScan and it's interactive PCI portal walks you through each step of the certification process.  From selecting and completing a self-assessment questionnaire and conducting vulnerability scanning to preparing security policy documents, we can help through the entire process and make accepting credit cards that much easier.

For more information on North American Bancard's PCI Compliance assistance programs visit us online or call us at 800-BANCARD.

 

As you probably already know, having the ability to accept credit cards or other non-cash payments has become more and more of a necessity in today's business world.  Customers have come to expect these options, so it only makes sense that your business offers them.

For many small businesses, considering adding the ability to accept credit cards to your POS offering can seem like a daunting task.  In reality, while the benefits that you could enjoy are great, the actual process of starting things up isn't painful at all when working with North American Bancard.  We offer comprehensive payment processor software to ensure that your business can offer the convenience of payment by credit or debit card, to your customer.  In addition, because we are an industry leader, we can also offer the guaranteed lowest rates in the industry.

The benefits of working with North American Bancard don't stop at our low rates. Your business needs to offer your customers more payment options than just credit cards.  With this in mind, we offer capabilities to accept debit card, pre-paid cards, electronic balance transfers, gift cards, loyalty cards and more.

In addition, clients of North American Bancard enjoy the following benefits:
So, whether you are a business that is just realizing a need to accept credit cards for the first time or an established business looking for better processing options, North American Bancard is committed to help you grow your business by improving profitability and efficiency.

The most important thing to look at, when reviewing merchant accounts, is to find the right fit for you and your business.  Every type of business, from small corner bakery shops to the largest corporations can benefit from having a merchant account.  It does not matter the size of a company or the industry, having a merchant account, especially one provided by North American Bancard, can positively impact revenue and customer satisfaction.

Understanding the specific type of merchant account that fits you best can be a bit confusing at times, especially when more than one merchant account type seems to fit, but we are here to help.  Here are a few examples to help you figure out what might work best for you:

Traditional retail storefronts, which typically process credit cards on site by swiping cards manually will need retail credit card machines or countertop terminals to do so.  In addition, most retail merchants choose to add an integrated reporting package to their suite of software in order to more easily track sales and set goals for growth.

Businesses that process the majority of their sales online will need an internet merchant account.  This is needed to process card-not-present transactions, which require additional security measures to be taken because the credit card is not physically swiped.  Many businesses who choose to accept electronic payments choose to do so with the help of an online payment gateway like Authorize.net or with virtual terminal applications.  These software packages help merchants view reporting in real-time and monitor payments with ease.

Mobile merchants need to be able to process credit cards wherever they go.  North American Bancard offers merchant accounts that include convenient payment processing options that allow merchants to accept credit cards via cell phone or with small, wireless credit card processing machines.

By carefully researching your options and speaking with a knowledgeable representative, you will be able to ensure that you are getting the exact merchant account and equipment that fit your needs.

In what ways do you attempt to make your business "stand out"?  There are thousands of ways, many of which are expensive and not as beneficial as you may think.  One thing that you may not have considered is upgrading your payment system for accepting credit cards.   Now, initially this may not seem like the best way to make your business stand out from the others but just hear me out.

There is certainly a place for marketing, promotions, advertising, etc. but everyone else is doing it too, right?  Some other businesses probably have larger budgets than you and, subsequently, are getting more/better exposure.  What if, instead of spending your dollars in vain, trying to keep up with others, you took that money and invested it back into credit card processing equipment, software and services that actually improved your customers experience in the store?  This might help by:

- Improving the customer experience & creating more loyal customers
- Increasing "word-of-mouth" marketing from improved experiences
- Saving you money or wasted time & effort on outdated POS solutions

As you already know, the key to having a successful business is keeping up with changing demand and adapting new technologies to your benefit. Many people say "if your business isn't growing, it's dying", which may be true, but I believe that you're in trouble if you aren't constantly looking at how you run your business and making adjustments to optimize its' efficiency.

Less than 20 years ago, no one would have ever imagined that consumers would prefer to make payments with debit or credit cards rather than paying with cash. Even more hard to predict would have been the prevalence of online commerce. Fortunately, North American Bancard is a company that will evolve with you and your changing needs. Today, most of our clients desire the ability to process credit card payments both in-store and online, using our Authorize.net solutions. Who knows what the demands of tomorrow will be? But, whatever they may be, North American Bancard will be there with the latest innovations to help you keep up with the marketplace.

What are the building blocks of your point of sale system?  When you started your business or began to accept credit and debit cards using a merchant account, what were the first things that you knew you needed?  Even if this is the first time you have looked into a merchant account, I suggest to start by looking at the basics.

As a retailer, most likely with a brick-and-mortar store, you will need hardware and devices that allow you to accept debit and credit cards.  This hardware comes from a variety of manufacturers, in all shapes and sizes, and to fit various applications and needs.  Many retailers are now experimenting with using a mobile credit card swiper to checkout customers on the sales floor.  It's just another, simply example of applying technology to improve the customer experience and ultimately your bottom line
In addition to the hardware element, you will need POS software and a merchant account, like the ones provided by North American Bancard. These basic elements & simple applications combined with great rates and exceptional customer service create the perfect platform to build an ideal payment processing solution for you.  For more information call 800-BANCARD or visit our website today.

The clients of North American Bancard are what makes us so successful.  We focus all of our efforts on ensuring that their needs are met.  This involves offering the best credit card processing for small business and large enterprises at some of the lowest rates in the industry.  See what one of our well-known clients had to say:

"Papa John’s Pizza has benefited greatly from our association with North American Bancard. They upgraded all of our existing terminals, supplied wireless units for delivery drivers and set us up with electronic check approval. Plus, the rates they offered were lower than our last supplier...The people at NAB were very helpful and knowledgeable about the business. Thank you, North American Bancard, from all the folks at Papa John’s!

Adrian Owens, Franchisee Owner, Papa John’s Pizza, Detroit, MI

Whether your business needs the ability to accept electronic payments or simply needs new processing devices, like those from Magtek or Hypercom, North American Bancard can help you out, just like we helped this Papa John's franchise.  We offer some of the best credit card terminal rates combined with the best customer service in the industry.  For more information on the services and products that we offer, visit our website today or call 800-BANCARD.

If you are a retailer, restaurant or other business that accepts credit cards, chances are that you've heard messages about the importance of maintaining PCI compliance.  My guess is though, that there has been little to no help offered to ensure that you are compliant.  That job, until now, has largely been left up to you with too much experience on how to manage everything.

North American Bancard is here to help in a few different ways.  First, we'll help explain exactly what PCI compliance means.  The Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) is a set of comprehensive requirements for enhancing payment account data security and was developed by leaders in the payment industry. These companies include Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover and JCB International.

This standard is applied to every business that deals with cardholder data, basically anyone that accept credit or debit cards as a means of payment.  It also covers technical components, equipment and POS system included in or connected to cardholder data.  Adhering to the requirements of the PCI data security standard could mean the difference between success in your business and litigation or security breaches that could mean total failure.  Fortunately, North American Bancard understands the standards and how to ensure compliance and can help you figure everything out too.  Give us a call at 800-BANCARD or visit our website for more information.

Would your business benefit from the use of a mobile credit card terminal?  Retailers and restaurants are now applying this new technology to better serve their customer.  Products like the Nurit 8000, provided by North American Bancard, can help take your innovative idea for payment processing and make it a reality.

The ingenious applications for devices like this include on-the-spot payment for restaurants with outdoor seating, immediate payment and verification at mobile events like county fairs, farmers markets and more.  With North American Bancard's wireless solutions, you'll get access to our GPRS wireless network.  This provides you the essential network coverage you need to process debit and credit cards, quickly, no matter where business takes you.  The technology relies on cellular data service, so there are some areas where coverage does not exist.  Even in these instance, most wireless devices include a "store and forward" feature, which allows you to swipe the card and store the data for processing once the device reconnects to the network, or at a later time.  You'll never again have to do business without the ability to accept cards.

Visit our website or call 800-BANCARD for more details on our services and to find out how you can apply this technology to your business.

Isn't your business complicated enough?  Why add unnecessary complexities by using a merchant account provider who can't meet all of your needs in one, easy to use system with one point of contact for questions or concerns?  With consumers becoming more and more reliant on the use of debit and credit cards each year, most businesses have begun offering card processing as a payment option to their customers.  But, retailers or restaurants shouldn't think that simply by adding this option, that things will run smoothly and efficiently for their checkout staff or for the customers. 

Many times valuable customers are won or lost  based on whether the POS process was efficient and smooth.  It make senses.  After all, this is the last memory that your customers will have in the store.  Let North American Bancard help you simplify your ability accept debit and credit cards by putting together a customized merchant services package.  It will include all of the things that you need, and none of what you don't, so you don't pay for unnecessary services.  Once you call 800-BANCARD, our customer service team will work with you to ensure that the merchant services that we provide fit your needs precisely.  Whether you're looking for the ability to accept electronic payments or just to lower your debit card processing fees, we can help.  Visit our website to find out more.

You know it.  I know it.  Customers like options.  The more, the better.  With this in mind, why not give your customers several different options for payment?  In today's retailing world, it's usually assumed that your brick-and-mortar location will accept debit or credit cards.   Think about taking things a step beyond.  North American Bancard can help your business offer payment options like online, electronic payments or pay-by-phone.  The options may give your business the edge over your competition.

How does it work?  It's not too difficult to do with our help.  All that is need is a payment system that allows you to accept card-not-present transactions.  North American Bancard offers a number of merchant account options and can easily add this functionality to our members accounts, if requested.  Options include the use of an online gateway like Authorize.net or phone-based processing from companies like DialCharge.  Simply give us a call at 800-BANCARD, if you would like to find out more about what is available.

Heard all you need to know?  Begin the North American Bancard merchant account application process online right now!

No, it's not a 12-step program toward a better life, it's an 8-step process toward enjoying a number of innovative services and solutions from North American Bancard.  It's fast.  It's easy.  It's secure.

Taking only minutes to complete, the North American Bancard online merchant account application has simple, straightforward questions.  All answers are fully-encrypted for protection of any private and personal information provided.  And perhaps best of all, investing only 15 minutes of your time now could turn out to save you thousands of dollars in the future.

We offer some of the best credit card processing for small business and large enterprises.  We offer competitive rates and are able to provide processing solutions for virtually any application or need, regardless of industry.

Here's how it works:

Step 1- General Information - contact information and facts about your business.
Step 2- Web Site Information - general information about your web site. (if applicable)
Step 3- References - business owner(s) and bank reference information.
Step 4- Bank Information - information on your business checking account
Step 5- Choose Card Types - set up your store to accept all major credit cards
Step 6- Service Fees - review your processing fees.
Step 7- Submit - send us your application and complete the agreement.
Step 8- You are finished

Don't wait!  Begin the online application process right now.