Fadi Cheikha, US Alliance Group’s CEO stated: “Greg’s contribution to US Alliance Group’s growth has been critical to our success. We are looking forward to his leadership and him taking the company to a new level of innovation.”

In his new role Mahoney will oversee USAG’s entire operation and expansion plans. The company is focused on the payment processing space and expect higher revenues in 2010, after immense growth in 2009.

Prior to working with the US Alliance Group Mahoney worked for Electronic Cash Systems as their Executive Vice President. He also previously held the position of General Manager for Ingram Micro. Mahoney obtained his Bachelor of Science degree from California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.

The new applications are the next logical step in the company’s mobile strategy, which focuses on meeting the needs of a growing micro-business community. As always, the company says they will deliver secure, affordable mobile payments options while maintaining their high quality customer support. Businesses can save money and time thanks to the free applications, automatic email receipts and immediate payment approvals. The applications are an optimized solution for businesses on the move that want to be able to accept credit card payments in real-time.

The MerchantWARE applications are free, but do require a Merchant Warehouse merchant account, and with the exception of the iPhone/iTouch app (which uses cradled card reader), use a Bluetooth enabled card reader to complete transactions. The new Windows Mobile and Android offerings mean that even more merchants can access mobile payment processing from an industry leading company. After all, Merchant Warehouse has been operating since 1998, enabling merchants to process various forms of electronic payments such as debit, credit, gift cards, and checks.

As mobile technology improves and advances, MerchantWARE Mobile has plans to stay ahead of the game, with their secure and compliant credit card processing applications and portable card readers. Their method and platform allow for card swipes so that merchants can the significant expense of “card-not-present” fees, which are often otherwise attached to mobile transactions. After data is entered, via swipe or keying, the information is securely transmitted and stored at Merchant Warehouse’s data vault. Data is not stored on the mobile devices themselves, which should give both merchants and their customers true peace of mind.

“We recognize that the mobile micro-business is growing and will be a driving force in our economy,” said Henry Helgeson, co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “Our goal is to be ready with affordable, secure mobile payment applications for all devices. The addition of the Android and Windows Mobile applications brings us closer to that goal. Because Merchant Warehouse is self-reliant and does not depend on third parties for our gateway or support services, we are able to readily address the needs of the business customer and deliver better support and innovative solutions with the most flexibility. Delivering scalable, affordable and secure mobile applications for all businesses just makes sense for Merchant Warehouse.”

With 2010 having been unofficially dubbed, “The Year Smartphones Become Mobile Credit Card Terminals,” MerchantWARE® MobileTM is responding to the need for safe and secure mobile payment processing.

Different processing rates are available to businesses depending in large part on the type of merchant account that the business owner utilizes. To save money on overhead costs and to make sure that the best account is used, it is important to identify your processing needs.

Basically there are two kinds of merchant accounts, and then each of those has sub accounts available under them. Information that will be needed to determine which processing solution is best for your business includes things such as whether you process payments by phone or over a website, or if you mostly process transactions on site, such as in a restaurant or retail store.

If you feel you’re currently paying too high of credit card processing rates, you should contact different merchant account providers and evaluate whether your current set-up is the best choice and hopefully you will be able to receive lower rates for credit card processing and thereby start increasing your revenue almost immediately.

Prior to implementing the eMerchant Solution’s suite, the traditional setup of the management company involved some difficult processes and numerous inefficiencies. Photocopies were required for all incoming paper check payments, and then the checks had to be physically transported to each of the providers’ banks, consuming significant time and resources. Credit card payments weren’t any easier, as they required staff to contact providers’ offices to verbally relay the credit card information. The company realized that in order to accept credit and debit transactions without staff intervention would require a high quality and technical system, and thus their search began.

The company determined that the perfect solution would provide maximum flexibility for payment acceptance and several processing options for patient satisfaction. Options required included that they must offer the ability for patients to make payments by credit card over the phone, online and also simply by mailing in a check. The company also wanted to reduce both the time and overall cost involved in handling these payments. It was also important that providers not be required to change their banking locations, as, according to the CEO, “To have a physician, or group of physicians change banks is almost impossible. It is an enormous decision for any practice as they have typically built their banking relationship over the years, they have strong relationships with their banker, and they utilize many services making it difficult to move.”

Now, utilizing TotalTransact, the medical management company has seen a 45% increase in online patient payments and they have also nearly eliminated occurrences of declined credit card transactions. The company had realized that manually processing hundreds of thousands of payments every year from patients was draining significant cash resources and that finding a more efficient method was the most prudent choice they could make. The company implemented the Lean Process of continuous improvement and the leadership team was able to define opportunities for process improvement which would speed up patient payment collection. The results of implement eMerchant’s payment suite include enhanced staff efficiency, increases in customer satisfaction and an improved (and faster) collection process. The company began as a two-person operation in 2006, but has since grown to have 35 employees who process over 700,000 claims per year, and with the help of TotalTransact they will be able to grow even more.

TotalTransact’s system allows the company to work from a single integrated payment platform that includes all of the company’s desired features. They also received benefits above and beyond those they had originally sought. For example, the Remote Deposit Capture (check scanner) feature, allows them to scan and deposit check payments directly into providers’ bank accounts. Credit card payments received over the phone and by mail are processed through a web-based “virtual terminal”.

There is also an online payment page which allows patients to make payments at their convenience. The system utilizes a patient personal identification number and provider ID to guarantee payments are applied to the correct patient account. Patients can pay online via credit card, their Health Savings Account debit card, or even their usual bank account. The TotalTransact™ Payment Suite also gives the company an automated, recurring payment plan option for patients who require time to pay off larger balances. This feature is actually one of the most significant benefits for the staff, as each client has significant numbers of patients who are already on payment plans. Automating these patient’s payment plans reduces the need for staff involvement while ensuring that payments are received in a timely manner.

There are numerous benefits in the hosted solution provided by eMerchant. Payment processing can be provided without the risk or overhead costs thanks to the fact that all payments are processed on behalf of the provider under their own credit card processing merchant accounts. Each of the solutions offered by eMerchant Solution have allowed the company to decrease the amount of staff time spent in processing payments and have increased the turnaround time for outstanding receivables. The new process has also significantly reduced credit card payment denials because of more immediate funds verification.

The company has saved thousands of dollars each month in overhead expense as a direct result of utilizing TotalTransact. These savings were realized by eliminating time spent copying each check received; by eliminating multiple daily runs to different banks; and by eliminating the set-up and management of monthly payment plans. The electronic payments processing technology solution has also allowed them to have higher workflow capacity even while maintaining their current level of staffing. In fact the company estimates that they have realized additional savings as a result of not having to add and train additional staff for payment processing. Most importantly though, the company is thankful that the solution has made their clients’ lives easier The CEO stated, “Our clients have been very happy with the results we have been able to deliver since implementing the TotalTransact Payments Suite.”

ReServe Interactive is a leader in hospitality management software solutions, and they have chosen Element Payment Services as its PCI DSS partner in compliance solutions for its suite of software products, which include options for Event Management, Catering, Table Management and Dining Reservations.

The new partnership will ease PCI compliance for customers of ReServe Interactive and the software company itself. By July 1, 2010 merchants in the credit card processing industry will need to use software applications that meet the Payment Application Data Security Standard (PA-DSS). Businesses that do not meet this rapidly approaching deadline risk fines, audits and may even lose the option of accepting credit cards for payment.

“After researching several providers,” says Lynn Carter, ReServe Interactive’s executive VP & chief technology officer, “we found that Element’s purpose-built platform was superior in terms of ease of integration and the suite of innovative processing technologies supported such as end-to-end encryption and tokenization. Not only does the platform exceed PCI DSS requirements but it also features Hosted Payments, an integration method which allows our software to remain out-of-scope for PA-DSS validation requirements”.

Thanks to Element, ReServe Interactive customers will be able to conduct business as usual knowing they are in compliance with PA-DSS and they will know they are providing a more secure environment for their customer’s information. As Sean Kramer, CEO and President of Element says, “No sensitive cardholder data ever enters ReServe Interactive’s software application or a merchant’s processing environment, PCI DSS compliance is dramatically simplified and business liability is greatly reduced.”

A recent announcement from the company highlighted that it had received a Best Channel Vendor award from the Business Solutions Best Channel Vendors report. The report is based on a survey of resellers with a response rate of 1,354 resellers representing over $8 billion in annual sales. Merchant Warehouse received recognition in 2 top categories; “Channel Program,” and “Channel Friendly.”

Henry Helgeson, co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse shares, “This is an honor, and a testament to the dedication and commitment of the teams at Merchant Warehouse when it comes to providing competitive, PA-DSS validated, secure processing solutions.”

This year a total of 12,073 votes were cast by the 1,374 VARs and ISVs who participated in the survey. The votes were cast across seven categories, and the survey is one of the largest of its kind, offering resellers a guide to who their peers believe to be the Best Channel Vendors. As part of the survey, ISVs and VARs were asked to rate their vendor partners on, overall channel program, service and support, margins, and friendliness in addition to judging innovation, features and reliability in relation to the vendor’s product.

“At Merchant Warehouse, we believe our core business advantage is our integrity, honesty and customer service combined with innovative and PCI compliant products that anticipate and address our customers’ needs,” concluded Helgeson.

As a Best Channel Vendor for 2010, Merchant Warehouse was featured on the BSMInfo.com Best Channel Vendors Feature Page and in the January 2010 issue of Business Solutions Magazine.

At the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver there is not surprisingly a very high demand for credit card processing and to meet that demand Visa has over 250 merchant locations, with over 800 POS terminals in place, including in the Olympic and Paralympic Villages, the Main Press Centre, the International Broadcast Centre and the Olympic Superstore. Throughout Whistler and Vancouver there are also more than 3000 ATMs available for the use of Visa cardholders who need to withdraw cash advances, and of course between the two locales there are thousands of restaurants, retail stores and service providers who accept Visa from all of the hundreds of thousands of Olympic fans.

In partnership with Scotiabank, RBC, Citizens Bank of Canada and Vancity, Visa has also released a number of prepaid cards for the Olympics, featuring images of athletes in such diverse Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games sports ice hockey, snowboarding and alpine skiing.

In the first quarter of 2010, Visa’s recently released earnings were shown to represent a year-over-year increase of 13 percent which was driven in large part by revenues earned off of payment processing.

Credit card associations set interchange rates, which are the minimum rate that every merchant must pay for credit card processing. Leap Payments intends to make sure that their merchants don’t have to pay extra for start-up fees or other transactions. This will allow small to mid-sized business a chance to garner the same low rates previously available only to larger businesses, with processing levels of more than $50,000.

Will Detterman, CEO of Leap Payments, says “This prepares our merchants for a change in the industry. Despite the fact that the additional costs added to interchange rates are prohibitive for small businesses, advocacy groups have been unsuccessful in influencing card associations or the federal government to make changes. Our new policy relieves businesses of this burden without having to wait for intervention.”

Leap Payments also provides their merchants with simple processing solutions for payment and credit card acceptance, such as their single statement for MasterCard®, Visa®, Discover® and American Express® transactions. The company also provides point-of sale solutions, terminals and machines, mobile commerce and internet and phone payment options.

Up until now, ProPay has offered an option that allows buyers to pay with their credit card at checkout without the necessity of having to ensure they have enough funds in an account for a purchase and has allowed them refrain from opening up an account. The new policy will give ProPay buyers and sellers the benefits of eBay’s Buyer Protection; as such protection will now be available to all approved and safe electronic payment methods.

“As eBay’s first electronic payment method added in addition to PayPal and credit cards, we’re extremely encouraged to be part of eBay’s New Buyer Protection program,” said Gary Goodrich, CEO of ProPay. “This new program adds another layer to the protection already offered by the individual card brands and signifies both companies’ commitment to simple, safe and secure payment transactions for eBay buyers and sellers.”

ProPay provides credit card processing, data security encryption and electronic payment services.

The goal of the selector tool was to help consumers make more educated decisions about which card would work best for them, taking into account numerous factors like conditions, rewards and other options. Once a consumer utilizes the tool their information is sorted according to their priorities.

The new tool comes at a time when even the government is making moves to protect consumers and merchants from unfair payment processing practices. A code of conduct for credit and debit card processing was announced late last year by Finance Minister Jim Flaherty.

For their part, the FCAC via their commissioner, Ursula Menke, advises consumers, “Avoid making a decision based solely on the rewards or advantages you are looking for. Take the time to carefully consider interest rates and conditions.”