As we wrapped up our meeting he told me he had already given his credit card processing statements from his current provider to another company.  He’d go with whichever company — me or my competition — came back with a lower quote.

Isn’t that what you’d do, he asked?

I told him no.

And he looked at me like I had ants crawling out my ears.

I then relayed the following story to him:

I had presented a proposal to another local business to handle their credit card processing.  The merchant had agreed to switch but had never taken the necessary steps to do so.  Then I got a frantic call from him one day because his credit card terminal was fried.  It would not process.  He called me and asked me how quickly I could get him up and running with my company and get him a new terminal.  He was hoping hours!

But I had to tell him it would take at least a few days to get his application approved.  Probably another day to get a file built and begin processing.  At a minimum, we were looking at 2-3 business days if I pushed the application through with all my vigor.

But I had a solution for him.  I had in my possession working credit card processing terminals.  I would call his current provider and have a file built for one of my terminals and he would be able to process credit card transactions on my terminal with his current provider.  All I asked is that he sign the paperwork to switch to my company.  Then when his account was approved I’d come in and re-program the terminal I’d give him again.

The merchant completed the application on the spot.

I then asked the restauranteer who I was talking with whether he thought the sales rep he was talking with on the phone would deliver that kind of service.

It’s not just about how much money you can save.  Sure, chances are I can save you money.  But it does not matter how much money I save you if the service provided is lacking.  And it’s one thing to have a customer service line.  It’s another thing to have a dedicated rep who’ll be there for you when you are in a bind.

No matter how you process: traditional retail, online gateway, mobile payments, MOTO, and more — I’m here to help you.  Please contact me.  I’d love to be your rep.

High end and quick serve restaurants, construction and trades, retail, on-line. I serve just about every industry you can imagine and my clients process credit and debit transactions in just about every way possible–traditional terminals, online gateways, mobile terminals, etc. Additionally, through the special programs my company offers for non profits, I’m honored to serve many world changing non profit organizations.

I serve accounts nationwide with a specialize in the non profit and political fields. Whether your business is traditional retail,online, home based, non profit or ministry focused, I can provide a processing solution that is right for you. And I can help with more than just credit card processing.

If it’s money and it’s not cash, I can help. ACH, Direct Debit, Gift Cards, Customer Loyalty/VIP Cards, ATM, Payroll, and more.  My company also offers a free, state of the art POS.

As we talked finally she just shared some of the numbers with me the other provider has proposed.  It was sort of like she was saying, “Can you do better?”

Of course I could do better.

But first I had to peel through layers of deception.

I had to explain to her that 1.65 percent is…. not really 1.65 percent.

I’ve found that in being completely honest with merchants–how credit card pricing works, how my company makes money, and how I make money–I’ve found that I’m able to build up a level of trust with merchants that I just don’t hear about when I’m talking with others in this business.

It’s like my merchants feel like somebody as finally leveled with them.  The process is no longer a mystery.

And that’s what makes me different.

I’m told “oh, we take everything.  American Express.  Visa.  MasterCard.  Discover.”

Or, “We just take Visa and MasterCard.”

But that’s not what I’m asking.

There are literally hundreds of different card types within Visa and MasterCard.  Each has a different rate.

That’s why I want to look at the statements from your current merchant services provider.  I want to see the card types your customers use.  Knowing that will help me set you up on the most favorable pricing program for your business.

I know it sounds crazy.  Hundreds of rates.  It feels like more than you have time to get your mind around.

That’s why you need a rep who works for you.

Contact me and I’ll help you process more effectively, deliver a valuable service to your business, and help you save money on your credit card processing fees.

35% is pretty big.  I wanted to communicate that those kinds of savings are possible, even if they don’t happen every day.

And then I turned around and saved this new prospective client 45%.

The way I did this was figuring out how they processed.

This merchant was doing a lot of keyed-entry.  They were processing credit card transactions over the phone just by keying in the card number.

The rate that Visa/MasterCard charges on each card is based on two things.  Reward and Risk.

We’ll set aside the Reward Question for a moment.

It’s the Risk Factor this merchant was dealing with.

Rates go up when there’s a risk of fraud.

Obviously the risk goes down on card-swiped when the merchant is able to check a photo ID.

Risk goes up on keyed-entry when the transaction is taking place over the phone.  The card is not present, the customer is not present.  There is no ID check.  No signature.

How do you mitigate that risk? Get the address and zip code associated with the card.  The expiration date.  The security code on the back of the card.  The more information you get the more you mitigate the risk of fraud.  And the less you pay to Visa/MasterCard.

As a merchant services rep, my objective is to get you processing as smartly as possible to help you limit the amount of money you pay to Visa/MasterCard.  I don’t work for the credit card companies.  I work for my merchants.

Your success is my success.  Contact me so we can discuss how I can help you.

I asked, “What’s your rate?”

He said 1.34%.

I said, you’re with Costco aren’t you?

Dentist: “How’d you know?

Me: “Because that’s what they advertise.  Do you have a statement handy though?”

The merchant got out a recent statement and I explained to him that while Costco advertises 1.34%, he only get’s that rate on qualified debit transactions.  He didn’t even have a PinPad, which meant he NEVER got that rate.

I said, “let’s figure out your effective rate.”

That’s the rate you “effectively pay.”

Take the fees you paid and divide that number by the volume you processed.  Then multiply that number by 100.

Fees Paid / volumed processed X 100 = your rate

He paid about $750 in credit card processing fees.

And he processed $20,000 in credit card transactions.

That’s $750 divided by $20,000, multiplied by 100.

His processor sold him 1.34%.

He was paying 3.75%.

The only number that matter is how much you paid at the end of the month.

And that dentist is one of my clients now.

Ever wonder if your current process is giving you the run-around?

That’s a shame.  Contact me and worry no more.  I’m here to be your partner in helping you grow your business.  Your success is my success.

Been on-hold?

Still on-hold?

Tried to understand the person you’re talking to?

Can you say “outsourcing.”

I know it’s a little gimmicky, but often when I’m talking with a prospective client I find who their current processor is and ask if we can call them real quick using the merchants phone.  I put that on speaker and let the music start playing.

When I get to the point in the conversation where I’m talking about my company’s customer service I pull out my cell phone, put it on speaker, and call our customer service.

And just like that we’re talking to a real human being.

We’re one of the only company’s in the business that has not outsourced our customer service.  Not to India or to Nashville.  When you call our customer support there’s no hold time and you’re talking with one of our employees.

If you’re tired of customer-no-service…. contact me and I’ll help you process more effectively, deliver a valuable service to your business, and help you save money on your credit card processing fees.

In reality, most processors are actually charging several different rates.  And then on top of the “rates” there are transaction cost, monthly fees, annual fees, PCI fees…. even statement fees!  (Yes, they are actually charging you $10 a month just to mail your statement).

Here’s what I always say.  There’s only one number that matters.

How much did you pay at the end of the month?

Take the fees you paid and divide that number by the volume you processed.  Then multiply that number by 100.

Fees Paid / volumed processed X 100 = your rate

So you paid $500 in credit card processing fees.

And you processed $18,000 in credit card transactions.

That’s $500 divided by $18,000, multiplied by 100.

Your rate is 2.7%.

Your processor said your rate was 1.34%.

But the only number that matter is how much you paid at the end of the month.

That doesn’t mean you can’t switch processors.

If you have a PC, it likely came with Internet Explorer as a pre-set internet browser.  That does not mean you can’t download and use FireFox as your Internet browser.

I have a Mac.  It came with Safari as it’s default browser.  But I use Google Chrome as my browser.

The same is true with your POS.  It came with a default browser, but in almost all cases you’re free to switch.

There are a few cases where POS companies have struck exclusive deals.  Almost always these deals are at the expense of the merchant.

But don’t let the fact that your POS came with a default credit card processor keep you from taking a fresh look at your processing.  I’ve saved my clients as much as 45%.  It does not happen every day, but it does happen.  Wouldn’t you hate to leave those kinds of savings o the table!

But PayPal is good for some things.

If you’re a serious merchant the answer is almost certainly no.

I have a PayPal account because it’s an easy option that everyone is familiar with which allows me to collect a very small number of payments.

But if credit card payments represent a significant amount of your revenue… the answer is almost certainly “ABSOLUTELY NOT!”

PayPal has a one-size-fits all pricing structure.  A merchant that makes hundreds of $5 transactions with a  diverse clientele (who are using a wide variety of card types) is different than a merchant that makes a a dozen $1,000 transactions to a high-end clientele (who typically uses high reward, high fee card types).  PayPal essentially treats these merchants the same.

Your business is unique.  That’s why you want to work with a rep–an individual human being who treats you as an individual human being.  Contact me and I’ll show you the difference between “cookie cutter” and “personalization.”