It comes with a heavy heart that I inform you that our mother, Georgia P. Zafiropoulos, passed away on Wednesday morning around 5:30AM after a long battle for the last couple of years. The 3 sons were blessed to be here for her last breath, and with her right to the end. God bless Georgia, and may God rest her soul!

Instead of flowers, please donate in her memory to the St Demetrios Church Building Fund. THEN go to “Building Fund” and Down at bottom where it says “Donation is in memory of” Please write: “Georgia P. Zafiropoulos”. you can also go here for more info: Thank you all very much for your love and support in her memory! God Bless You!

A very brief historical background of Georgia P. Zafiropoulos:
As a child growing up, she was an only child until the age of 14, raised by a father who was a military policeman and a traditional Spartan strong-willed mother. Georgia P. Zafiropoulos, affectionately known as Geitsa, preferred playing soccer with the boys over playing with dolls. She would frequently sneak away to play soccer with the boys in her neighborhood, and would return home to be scolded by her mother for soiling her beautiful white dress with a dirt imprint of a soccer ball.
At the peak of WWII, her parents moved to the island of Kos, where, as a child, she met her future husband, Panayiotis Zafiropoulos, whose father was a judge. Both their families had fled from Athens during the German occupation.
After the war, her family moved back to Athens, where Geitsa attended a highly regarded private high school called Arsakio, where she later returned to teach.

As a result of her academic accomplishments, she was admitted to the University of Athens, where she earned a master’s degree in psychology and philosophy. After completing her studies at the University of Athens, Geitsa and Payi got married.
Subsequently, she received a full scholarship to attend Radcliff College to earn a PhD in child psychology. However, due to financial hardship since her husband Payi was still in training to become a urologist, she chose to dedicate her time to raising a family. As a newlywed couple, they immigrated to the United States, to Boston in 1962.
Shortly thereafter, in 1964, they had their first child, Michael. In 1966, they had their second child, Nicholas, and their third child Solon in 1970.

Having moved from one hospital to the next during Pan’s lengthy internship and residency over the course of several years, they finally settled in Newton, MA, where they spent the better part of 13 years raising their 3 children.
During their time in Newton, they became parishioners of the original St. Demetrios Parish in Newton Lower Falls, where they remained devoted parishioners, even through the relocation to the new church in Weston in 1972.
In 1981, they moved to Weston, MA. During the time that the Zafiropoulos’ resided in Weston, Geitsa volunteered her time teaching Greek school. Many of her students subsequently expressed their fond appreciation of their teacher many years later as adults.

It was Geitsa’s influence that guided her oldest son Michael towards organized sports. She signed him up for little league baseball, where she herself displayed her athletic prowess by hitting a home run at the end of the season parent-child picnic!
As a result of Geitsa’s influence Michael developed a sincere passion for sports
Geitsa had artistic talent, and thought it was very fashionable to dress her children in the latest fashion trends, such as ascots, and other trendy clothing. Geitsa’s emphasis in academics was a strong influence in all her children’s academic endeavors and accomplishments, which resulted in Michael becoming a successful attorney, Nicholas becoming a highly regarded orthodontist, and Solon becoming a successful business man.

Geitsa always expressed what was on her mind, rarely withholding her feelings.
She taught her sons to have good manners, to show respect for all of their friends and relatives, and to be humble. She was very firm about these teachings in her foundation for teaching her boys right from wrong.
Her son Solon got his musical influence from his mom, as she frequently played reel-to-reels, 8-tracks, and vinyl albums ranging from classical music to Elvis, including the traditional Greek folk comedies of Karagiozi.
She was an artist who loved to paint, especially landscapes of Greek islands and religious themes.
Her avant-garde artistic taste was exemplified by her painting the boiler of their Newton home to look like something painted by an impressionist artist, for the purpose of allaying her children’s fears of entering the unfinished basement.
She loved Greece and its rich history, especially Ancient Greek & Byzantine history, which had an influence on Solon’s pursuit of a history degree.

Georgia P. Zafiropoulos was a very religious woman of profound theological and spiritual depth.
She accepted everyone and always made herself available to help people in any way she could as well as very generous to both friends and strangers in need. She was a very loyal friend, and was always a good listener of people’s problems, always offering advice to many young adults, and new immigrants to America. Georgia cherished the time that she spent with her family at their Cape home, where she cultivated many strong lifelong friendships. That legacy has been passed down to her grandchildren.
But what she valued the most in her later years was spending quality time with her beloved grandchildren, Maria, Georgia, Payi, Michael and Alexandra (and Charlie)

There is some symbolism about this ceremony in that it coincides with the birthday of her much adored, deceased baby brother Elias, who tragically passed away at the young age of 32. It is also notable that she passed between the birthdays of two of her sons, which are February 20th and 28th.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724

Shock, Sorrow and Anger from Sandy Hook Connecticut?  Time To Do Something About It!

By Solon Pan Zafiropoulos
After the recent tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, CT, I was both horrified that something like this could happen, and sad for all those helpless, and innocent little children who lost their precious lives to a sick, and evil coward. The one place we all felt was still safe even after 9/11; a place even the most hardened criminal or terrorist would never target – is no more. Similar to how we all felt after 9/11, we now know that evil follows no rules for men, women, and now children. Our great society has reached a new low where chivalry, and honor have been replaced by evil and cowardice. 12/14 will be the new starting point for what should be yet another call to action for new safety measures in our nation, this time aimed to protect our youngest Americans. I can only imagine the pain those parents must endure, and how with heavy hearts they must try to move forward and stay strong, especially if they have other children.

Upon hearing this sad news on December 14th, I became concerned about the well being of my own children in a world shared with anarchy and evil. As the father of 3 small children, the tragedy in Newtown, CT drives home the need for getting involved more with my children’s school on safety measures moving forward. They attend a conservative private school, which like other similar schools, has a buzzer/camera system that everyone must use in order to gain entry. However, with the alarming increase in school violence over the last 14 years, it’s clear that more needs to be done to stop this upward trend in our educational system. We can no longer depend on traditional methods for security, and we can’t just depend on our President and government leaders to help protect our schools. The famous quote from John Kennedy rings loud and clear again today when he famously said, ”Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”. It should be up to all of us on how we move forward from the devastating massacre of innocent young lives at Sandy Hook in Newtown, CT. Gun control has been needed for years; as it’s been far too easy for anyone to obtain firearms, but it’s not a cure all end all. Just as the war on illegal drugs hasn’t done much to eradicate violence, strict gun regulations will prove just as ineffective. If people want to obtain either, they can. Increased mental health programs may help, but again not nearly enough to quell these kinds of violent acts. Knowing full well that there is a chance for copycat acts of violence, we must take action to join together in developing better security standards. So, what immediate and effective ways are there to tackle this growing threat to our schools? The best defense is a good offense!

Some say an armed guard would be the answer. An armed guard costs $60,000-$70,000 per year and doesn’t do nearly enough to protect an entire school. Think about that for a minute, how quickly could 1 or even 2 armed guards arrive in time to help prevent danger? WHY NOT spend that much or a little less to integrate an internal camera system, along with converting every hallway and classroom door into automatic swinging doors that can be remotely locked down in a moments notice? Similar to what you see being used for security in hospitals and universities by manufacturers such as Stanley Security Solutions, who produce high security doors, and Tormax. The idea is to create a series of sealed off chambers strong enough to provide both a safe haven for children in danger, as well as to isolate the perpetrator. This delay would give enough time for police to arrive, and the integrated camera system would give administrators the ability to monitor the exact whereabouts of this danger within the school complex. This measure would make a great first and second line defense to securing schools, and then if need be – combine this with one undercover-armed agent either from the Department of Homeland Security, or privately hired. But really, just the concept of an integrated camera system along with automatic swinging doors throughout a school alone would have a big impact in deterring school violence. Michigan and other states are pushing for having teachers trained to have access to, and using a gun in an emergency, but I’m afraid this opens up a whole new can of worms. School staff should only have to focus on teaching our children, and following safety procedures in order to lead in times of crisis like those brave women at Sandy Hook.

I believe this defensive solution quickly isolates danger and severely delays or eliminates casualties. It could prove a more immediate and effective solution compared with increased mental health programs and gun control as strategies for curbing school violence. Both Private AND public schools from Newtown, CT and throughout the rest of the country should consider a defensive system like this. Private schools could raise the capital for this kind of project thru a small one-time assessment per student. Or, a small increase in annual tuition per child would help absorb the immediate cost and help cover any future maintenance as well. For public schools, this could be done with a very small increase in taxes to cover the costs and maintenance of such a project. Diverting tax dollars away from wasteful spending and cracking down on Medicare and Welfare fraud are another great way to obtain public funding. Opponents might say that something like this would increase government spending, and also expand the job of Homeland Security. I agree, but the purpose of the government is to serve the people, and let’s not forget that this would also create more jobs for our economy! If our leaders are going to invest in rebuilding America’s bridges and roads to create more jobs, shouldn’t we reinforce our educational buildings to protect the little citizens who are the future of this great country as well? We can no longer keep things business as usual after the tragic Sandy Hook elementary killings in Newtown, CT, more steps must be taken to ensure child safety.

This type of defensive solution is too over board you say? Maybe 20 years ago it would have been viewed as such, but today it’s a must. I’m not suggesting we build a moat, or erect fortress walls around our schools like they did in the Middle Ages. But, our society is in a dangerous place similar to those times, and so we need to keep an open mind on better ways of protecting our young. These are just my ideas, and I don’t claim to be an expert, but I believe we all need to initiate discussions on ways to advance security for all elementary schools, both public and private, here in the US and abroad. These last few days are surely a time of great sadness and grieving for the victim’s families, and will take many years to heal. But, the tragic events that unfolded at Sandy Hook in Newtown, CT should also serve as a wake up call for us to implement more safety measures for the protection of innocent and helpless children. I sincerely hope our government leaders take the time to discuss tangible solutions but also that parents become more involved in school meetings to discuss improved safety measures that will help address this alarming trend in violence. We owe that at least to those 26 innocent children and teachers who lost their lives on 12/14.

God bless you, your families, the victims and all of their families, and all of the innocent children who deserve a normal life free of evil, and free of danger – especially when they’re at school!

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724

Small business owners can increase profits by selling products that are in high demand. They may obtain retail reports about these products when starting out, or keep track of sales trends. Subsequently, they can continue ordering the products that sell and drop those that don’t sell. It is also important to have both an ATM machine and credit card processor in the store. Customers who don’t have credit cards or checks with them can use their debit cards for cash. This prevents them from going elsewhere for their purchase. Having a merchant machine is just smart business. Credit cards can increase a merchant’s business by 40 percent or more.

Advertising is another way to increase profits. Retailers must advertise to increase traffic to their stores. The best ways to advertise are newspapers, radio, television and direct mail. Coupon magazines are highly effective in generating traffic. These publications are distributed through newspapers or by mail. They contain ads and coupons from many different retailers, but usually not directly competitors. It is best to put a deadline on coupons to get people in stores more quickly. Merchants can then take their orders by check, cash or credit card processor.

Business owners can also increase profits by having a fair return policy. Customers should be allowed to return merchandise for up to 30 days minimum. Some may receive duplicate gifts, or the merchandise may be damaged in some way. A clothing item may not fit a family member. Whatever the case, customers are much more likely to regularly patronize a retailer that has a fair return policy. The charged purchases can easily be refunded by running a person’s card through a merchant machine.

Frequency programs also help boost profits. A frequency card is usually run through a POS system or computerized cash register. People are then rewarded according to the number of times they shop at the store and make purchases. Rewards can include coupons, free items and even cash back. The magnetic stripe on the card can easily be programmed and run through the card processor.

Internet and mail order retailers can also boost profits by opening a MOTO account. MOTO stands for “mail order telephone order. Telemarketing companies can also benefit by using a MOTO account to process credit card orders. Internet companies can use the web-based systems on their websites. Mail order and telemarketing firms may use the touch-pad or portable units. They both work wonders in increasing sales from people who prefer paying with credit cards.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724

Merchant Services America will work with you to analyze your business, and then customize a program for you that will include check and credit card processing.  We do more than just save your business money on processing.  We ALSO help you INCREASE your revenues and bring in NEW BUSINESS with gift, loyalty & marketing programs!  You get all this backed by industry leading  TransArmor data security & 24 x 7 customer service in 140 different languages, at NO COST.  If you sign up by April 28th, 2012, we will also provide you with a NEW,  SECURITY COMPLIANT credit card terminal – at NO COST!

To get started, please call 1-888-RX-MERCHANT for a FREE rate comparison. You have nothing to lose but the high rates and inferior data protection of your current processor!

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, an independent payment processing firm that assists merchants with payment security, credit card processing, gift card, cash advance, internet marketing, and other value added services. He can be reached at (888) 796-3724 x701. Or, email him at solon@merchantservicesamerica.com.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724

Very serious problems indeed when it comes to data theft!  Here is the article about the recent data breach:  Massive Credit Card Data Breach Of 2nd Largest Processor

With the recent news reports of data security issues at the 2nd largest processor, isn’t it time dentists speak with an agent of First Data?  Small businesses are the target of more than 80% of data theft crimes.  Think your practice is immune to a data breach? THINK AGAIN!  The economic impact of a data breach can be devastating on your business!  There’s a reason why you don’t see First Data in the news regarding data breaches, because they haven’t had one in their entire 40 year history.. With it’s industry leading security solution, TransArmor, customers aren’t just protected with plain encryption, BUT encryption AND tokenization, which renders the efforts of data thieves useless against sensitive patient information!  This 1-2 punch protects sensitive patient information.

First Data’s TransArmor solution protects payment card data the moment it enters the merchant environment with encryption and substitutes a risk-free token number for use in any post-authorization business processes. In the event of a compromise, there is no sensitive data for attackers to steal, thus protecting sensitive patient info, and the dental practice from exposure!  The TransArmor solution preserves the value of cardholder data for merchants while eliminating its value for cyber criminals and risk for merchants.  Because it’s a service-based solution, no new hardware, no changes to back-end systems and no employee training are required. The solution is integrated with First Data terminals and will soon be available on a wide variety of other terminals and point-of-sale systems.

The TransArmor solution combined with EMV chip-based technologies is the perfect combination of data theft protection and fraud prevention technologies.  EMV Chip based credit cards are much harder to hack into compared with traditional magnetic strip credit cards.

• EMV helps mitigate fraud at the POS
• EMV does not protect card holder data once the payment method and consumer are validated
• Card and cardholder data still sent “in the clear”
• A strong encryption and tokenization solution can bolster the security of the entire payment transaction and reduce PCI compliance efforts

Limited warranty— An extra layer of security for merchants. First Data offers a limited warranty that if the token number returned to the merchant is stolen, it cannot be used fraudulently by an unauthorized party. See the TransArmor terms and conditions for full details.

 VISA statement concerning the recent data breach incident:

http://corporate.visa.com/media-center/index.shtml

“Every business that handles payment card information is expected to protect the security and privacy of their customers’ financial information by adhering to the highest data protection standards. Visa also supports advanced security layers such as encryption, tokenization and dynamic authentication through EMV chip technology to further protect sensitive account information and minimize the impact of data compromises.”

As an agent of First Data, I take great pride not just for the competitive rates I’m able to offer, but also the value added services like TransArmor data protection, and gift/loyalty cards that have helped businesses increase sales by an average of 25%.  When I first looked into providing customers with ATM & credit card processing 4 years ago, I had been recruited by Elavon, TransFirst, TSYS, and RBS WorldPay, and I chose First Data because of their strength in many areas.  Security and customer service being the biggest reasons for me, and they have both… I may not earn high commissions with them, but knowing that I provide the best products and customer service to my merchants, makes my job that much easier.  I’m able to help business owners cut costs, protect their data, AND increase their revenues!  Who else can say that?  First Data handles 6o% of all card transactions worldwide, including all of the processing for businesses like Wal-mart, McDonalds, and Starbucks.  There’s a reason why large, successful chains use First Data processing!

More and more doctors and dental practices have signed on with me because of the TransArmor data protection i can provide them.  Sure, everyone wants to shop for a better rate too, but what good is a better rate, if your data can be easily breached?  We provide all of the above, but my point is security is so important these days, that rate becomes a secondary part of the conversation it seems, and for good reason.  The dentist who is serious about data protection should contact they’re current processor to find out what they’re doing today to protect data!

Prevent data theft against your patient’s card information with TransArmor! We provide it to you at NO COST, along with wholesale credit card processing rates as low as 1.36% plus .13¢ per swiped card, AND a new SECURITY COMPLIANT credit card terminal, ALSO at NO COST!  CALL (888) RX MERCHANT or visit us at: www.MerchantServicesAmerica.com!

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, an independent payment processing firm that assists merchants with payment security, credit card processing, gift card, cash advance, internet marketing, and other value added services. He can be reached at (888) 796-3724 x701. Or, email him at solon@merchantservicesamerica.com.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724

A little change of pace from the business side of our blog… By Solon Zafiropoulos

Business man during the day, and for 15 years on weekend nights around New England, I moonlighted as the lead singer for a popular Boston band, Guy Smiley. After a few years away from the stage to raise 3 beautiful children, and concentrate on family and business,  I was asked to perform the Hard Rock Cafe in Boston this past December 2011.  We agreed, and enjoyed a very nice evening with the audience.  Here is a link to the Recording of our live show from that night:  http://ge.tt/9G8PVkF?t.

Guy Smiley was formed by friends Solon Zafiropoulos and Dave Gilmartin in 1994.  Together, they would go on to perform New England’s most popular bars every weekend, as well as weddings.  From the “Purple Shamrock” in Boston, MA to “the Pelham” in Newport, RI, Guy Smiley enjoyed a strong following that kept the band busy most every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night for 15 years.  Their highlight was headlining President Clinton’s Farewell show in Boston in January 2000, in front of 15,000 people, even getting a request from President Clinton to meet backstage after.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, an independent payment processing firm that assists merchants with credit card processing, gift card, cash advance, payment security, internet marketing, and other value added services. He can be reached at (888) 796-3724 x701. Or, email him at solon@merchantservicesamerica.com.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724

There are a couple ways Internet and mail order companies, and merchants can reduce costs and increase profits simultaneously. One way is by controlling inventory costs. Companies that control their inventory costs boost profits by lowering their inventory expenses. A retailer can waste a lot of money ordering products they don’t need. And it is difficult poring over written notes or ledgers, figuring out which products must be ordered each week. It is much easier to use a credit card gateway system. A credit card gateway is basically a POS system or computerized register. However, the gateway fully encrypts a person’s credit card number so it cannot be stolen or used by others. These gateway systems come with a credit card processor. And credit cards have been know to boost profits for some retailers as high as 40 or 50 percent.

An Internet or mail order company can use a MOTO credit card processor. This unit can be placed on a merchant’s website, or the business owner can use portable or touch-tone devices. These units can boost profits. But Internet and mail order companies still need to control their inventory costs. The credit card gateway can make ordering much easier. Companies will have lists of the items they purchases and know their best sellers. However, these types of retailers must also have flexible suppliers which accept damaged or returned merchandise. Thus, saving costs starts with the selection of a supplier, its policies and how quickly they can ship products.

Merchants can also reduce costs by watching their labor expenses. Most of the gateway processors are interconnected with time clocks. This enables managers to determine when they have too many employees at stores for the amount of sales generated per hour. They can then send people home and better manage their labor expenses, which are one of the highest expenses for retailers.

Reducing inventory costs and managing labor expenses can greatly increase a company’s bottom line. But adding an ATM machine can also increase profits. Some people may not have credit cards or checking accounts. Besides, checks are paper and cost money to process. Any person with a debit card can access cash through an ATM machine. This may prevent the person from going elsewhere, and increase profits for the day. One company that sells ATM machines, card processors and gateway systems is Merchant Services America. They can help you with all your card processing needs and ATMs, and their processing fees are the cheapest around.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, an independent payment processing firm that assists merchants with credit card processing, gift card, cash advance, payment security, internet marketing, and other value added services. He can be reached at (888) 796-3724. Or, email him at solon@merchantservicesamerica.com.

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724

February 28, 2012 By Solon Zafiropoulos

I was meeting with one of my client’s last week to discuss logistics for the delivery and installation of ATM machines to their new stores. We’ve been servicing their ATM machines now for 3 years, and providing some value added services for them with internet marketing. Business has been very good for them, and they’re expanding by opening up 2 more stores.

I’m not a big fan of persistence when it comes to sales, because I myself don’t like being sold that way. So, every year I follow up by letting them know that we’d like the opportunity to compete for their credit card processing contract.

Well, this past Thursday, they asked me to take a look at their processing statement and see what I could do, because their contract expires in a few months and were also looking for a volume discount. They felt since they were growing from 3 stores to 5, that they deserved a volume discount, which they have every right to expect.

Upon analyzing their statement, I noticed a few things that stood out, and made me wonder why they would even stay with this processor for as many years as they did.

1st: they had my customer on what’s called a Tiered Pricing plan. There are 3 types of processing plans out there. Interchange + Assessments, Tiered, and Rate Transaction Fee & Bill Back. The use of either depends on the volume of sales, ticket, etc. In some cases, tiered works well, other cases Interchange + Assessments works well, and so on. Interchange + Assessments can be confusing if the customer hasn’t been educated on how interchange works. The processor for my client had them on a 6 tiered system, which they basically made up, because there really isn’t such thing as a 6 tiered system! As a matter of fact, any ethical honest processor I know (Few and far in between unfortunately) doesn’t user this type of pricing plan. Many processors out there today are converting their current and new customers over to something called Interchange Plus Assessments Pricing, which is all good, and a cost friendly way of processing payments, but not necessarily the best! The bottom line is the merchant should be given a fair price regardless of the processing plan. Our merchant clients end up saving hundreds of dollars per month, and stay with us for the long term because we put them into a plan that saves them money, but we also provide them with other value added services. It’s not out of the ordinary to get rates as low as .49% and $.11 per bankcard authorization fee, especially for high volume merchants.

2nd: I saw that they were given the same rate for the high volume of transactions they do each month (7,300 Transactions) as other clients I have who may do 1/4 of the volume. Not very fair, let alone ethical. Everyone knows high volume = better rates.

3rd: The new Durbin Amendment just went through last October, which in a nutshell means there’s a cap on the amount of interchange that can be charged for each transaction. I noticed that my customer was being charged 5 times higher than normal – $1.20/Pin based Debit transaction! A more appropriate charge for this should be $.20-.30 per transaction depending on again volume.

When I explained these issues to my customer, he felt betrayed, as he should have. Their processor was taking them for an extra $400/Month per store – over $1250/Month total. This money left on the table could’ve been applied to other business expenses like dumpster, liability insurance, workers comp, etc.

My client called his processor, a big nationwide bank whose name I will not reveal, and asked why his businesses were being raked over the coals? The answer customer service provided him was they were more than willing to reduce the fees. In proper fashion, he didn’t feel they deserved the business anymore, and hung up. His business had 3 merchant accounts with this processor for 7 years! You do the math, and quickly see that he lost $105,000 in that period, enough to buy a condo in Florida! Suffice it to say, he asked me for a proposal, which I beat by $527/Month AND provided him with other value added services he wasn’t getting before. Value added services that helped him increase security, and profits! More on that topic next time.

BOTTOM LINE: Unfortunately, credit card processing is slippery slope, filled with independent sales agents who come to you as a trusted adviser only to take you for a ride. It is paramount that you perform your due diligence online, and research the customer service ratings of the acquiring bank you will be processing with, as well as the local agent who is working with you. Also, be sure to read your contract AND make yourself a copy! When searching for a list of reputable credit card processors, make sure to search for independent agents who work with merchant acquirers like TransFirst, TSYS, RBS WorldPay, First Data and Elavon, as they have the best customer service ratings in the industry, and breadth of resources to support merchant needs. Reputable and honest agents who provide their merchants with solutions to their needs, earn less in commissions, yet make it up in volume, AND rarely lose customers! Because they do whats right for their merchant, and not their pocket! Quality of customer service and pricing go a long way, but it’s the genuine trusted advisers who provide merchants with value added services that truly HELP the business. In the end, that’s what we as small business owners all want, isn’t it? A consultative approach where the merchants needs are being met or exceeded.

I strongly recommend that ALL merchants, both big and small, shop around their credit card processor to be sure they too haven’t been taken for a ride like my merchant client above. There absolutely are honest, ethical agent consultants out there, just as in every other business. You need to take the time out to find them using due diligence. Good luck to your success in reducing your bill, and finding that trusted adviser your business deserves!

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, an independent payment processing firm that assists merchants with credit card processing, gift card, cash advance, payment security, internet marketing, and other value added services. He can be reached at (888) 796-3724. Or, email him at solon@merchantservicesamerica.com.

QUESTION: Why Isn’t YOUR Business Using Facebook? How Much Lost Revenue Do You Have Out There?

Facebook with 800 Million users and growing, is a great resource for targeted online audiences, reporting tools, less competition, building a like/fan page to engage prospects, drive traffic to your web site, create brand awareness, and publishing blog posts. Speak with your marketing agency to include Facebook in your Internet marketing road map!

Do you want to learn more about how to market your business on the internet, or payment processing solutions? Sign up for our Free Newsletter at: http://www.merchantservicesamerica.com/get-started/

This post was provided by Solon Zafiropoulos of Merchant Services America, a merchant services firm that assists businesses in setting up ATM processing, credit card processing, gift card processing, check processing, cash advances and more! OR, Go to www.merchantservicesamerica.com or call (888) 796-3724