Tag Archives: credit card processing

Tips

Preparing for the Holiday Shopping Season

November 5, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

The holiday shopping season is quickly approaching, and you know what they say—“It’s the most wonderful time of the year!” As data indicates, this year should be the most profitable yet, with 82% of merchants expecting their holiday sales to increase from the previous year. Make sure that you’re prepared for the boost in customer traffic (and sales) with these four tips.

1. Adopt EMV Now

If you haven’t upgraded your POS equipment to for the new EMV chip cards, it’s time to do so. Accepting EMV technology at your store is critical for ensuring the security of your customers’ payment data. Plus, if a fraudulent charge occurs at your establishment, and the victim had a chip-enabled card, you bear the responsibility of paying for the loss. To minimize potential liability, you’ll want to get this installed quickly, before the holiday rush is in full swing. You will need time to properly train your staff on how to use the new system.

2. Ramp Up Hiring Efforts to Ensure an Enjoyable Shopping Experience

Lines will be longer than usual, aisles will be more crowded, and as always, customers will be in a hurry. Take measures now to ensure that your customers’ shopping experience will be enjoyable, no matter how busy your store gets. Ramp up your hiring efforts so that you can operate smoothly at full capacity. Consider bringing on specialized employees to assist with decorating the store, gift-wrapping, de-icing any slippery conditions outside and other seasonal needs.

3. Make Sure You’re Working with a Payment Processer You Trust

Between the increased customer traffic, extra-large seasonal inventory, and recent changes in payment processing (EMV), things might get a little messy this holiday. When you’re hit with a chargeback, whether “friendly” or not, you’re going to want to be sure that you have a payment processor in place that will fight for you and be available to answer your questions 24/7.

4. Don’t Forget About Gift Cards!

Gift cards continue to be the most asked-for gift item, making the wish list for 62% of shoppers, according to reports from NRF. The average person buying gift cards will spend $172.74. Are you taking advantage of this huge sales opportunity? If you’re still offering paper gift cards, it’s time for an upgrade. Talk to your payment processor about putting a stored value card program in place at your store.

Black Friday will be here before you know it, and if you haven’t begun to prepare, you may already be falling behind the competition. For more tips and tricks on how to prepare for the holiday shopping season, follow Abtek on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn! Or, to learn more about your payment processing options, give us a call at (800) 544-9145.

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EMV® Cards

3 Reasons to Adopt EMV® at Your Establishment Today

October 21, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

The liability shift has officially hit. Did your business upgrade its equipment in time for the deadline? If not, you’ve probably discovered that the world has not come to an end. However, while you might not feel the effects of the liability shift immediately, becoming EMV-compliant should still be at the top of your priority list.

Don’t just think of it as another task to add to your growing to-do list. By upgrading your equipment and payment processes, you’re truly being a responsible business owner, putting your customers’ data security first. Plus, at the same time, you save yourself the risk of taking on the (costly) liability should a fraudulent charge or data breach occur at your establishment. Here, we’ve rounded up the top three reasons why you should make the switch to EMV-compatible equipment ASAP.

Avoiding Liability Costs = Greater Profits

Every dollar counts when it comes to running a business, especially a smaller one. And that’s why it’s so important for merchants to get on board with new EMV terminals. New POS systems are an investment, but it’s certainly an investment worth making. Since the liability shift on October 1, merchants with outdated equipment are now liable for any fraudulent charges made at their store with an EMV chip card. No merchant is completely safe from fraud, but by upgrading equipment, they can avoid liability costs—and at the end of the day, bring home greater profits.

Meeting Consumer Demands = Happy, Returning Customers

Picture this: It’s the day after Thanksgiving and your store is flooded with customers trying to snag the best deals. A customer finally makes it up to the checkout counter, ready to dip his or her shiny new EMV card, just to find out that they have to use the mag stripe (dun dun dun…). Consumers are smart—they know that it’s more secure to use the chip to make payments than the mag stripe, and they probably also know that your competitor down the street is able to accept the new technology. Chances are, consumers may value the security of their payment data more than the deal you’re offering. Don’t risk losing customers simply because you’re behind the times. Consumers will appreciate the fact that you’re making the security of their data a priority, and you can bet that it will pay off.

New Terminals = Cool New Tech

It’s so easy for POS terminals to fall out of date. You miss one software upgrade and from then on, the technology is unable to live up to its capabilities. Use this opportunity to get a fresh start with your POS system. You can choose to include NFC or contactless payment technology, POS marketing capabilities, and many other perks that you couldn’t justify purchasing on their own. Your new terminals will be easier to manage (your employees will thank you), easier to use (your customers will thank you) and ultimately, they’ll make you look tech-savvy and cool. Bonus!

So, what are you waiting for? The sooner you adopt new EMV technology at your establishment, the sooner you can reap the benefits! Contact your credit card processor today to get started making the transition.

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EMV® Cards

EMV Equipment Guide

September 23, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

By now, if you haven’t updated your payment equipment to be compatible with EMV chip cards, you’re already a step behind. But, don’t fret—if you own a small business, there’s still time to get new terminals before the liability shift hits on October 1. This late in the game, it will actually be tough to find a new point of sale system that isn’t compatible with EMV chip cards. That’s good news for you because it will make your search easier, plus you’ll have a wide selection of options. We’ve put together a guide to help you determine which type of EMV terminal is right for your business.

What Exactly is an EMV-Compatible POS System?

An EMV terminal differs from traditional magnetic stripe terminals in one major way: it includes a chip-reading portal into which customers insert their EMV cards. This portal features technology that can read the unique payment information that’s generated by the microchip embedded into the card.

What are Your Options?

Different types of businesses have different needs when it comes to payment processing. Here’s a look at the most popular types of EMV-compatible terminals available.

Countertop Terminals – Like their name implies, countertop terminals are placed on top of the checkout counter for customer use. These terminals are available with a number of different features including WiFi connectivity, receipt printing, near-field communication technology and more.
Pin Pads – Pin pads function similarly to countertop terminals. The only difference here is that they can only be used to process debit transactions, which typically have lower fees for the merchant. Often, pin pads are used in conjunction with compatible countertop terminals.
Near-Field Communication Peripherals – NFC is a technology that enables wireless data transfers between two devices in close proximity, often a phone or enabled credit card and a credit card terminal. NFC is kind of like a modern, cool “bonus” feature that can help to speed up the payment process. If the technology is not already embedded into the terminal, peripheral equipment is available.
Wireless Mobile Terminals – Mobile terminals will be key for businesses in the restaurant industry and businesses that interact with their customers on the floor. (Think Apple.) These point-of-sale systems are battery-powered, feature wireless connectivity and give the merchant the freedom to process payments from anywhere.

Where Can You Buy an EMV Credit Card Terminal?

If you work with a reputable merchant services provider (MSP), they’ll have a large inventory of EMV terminals for you to choose from. They’ll take care of all of the programming for you to ensure that it works properly in time for the liability shift. While you could technically purchase a terminal from an outside seller, it would still need to be reprogramed by your MSP, so it’s typically easier and more cost-effective to go directly through your provider.

Don’t Delay – Get Started Now!

Contact your merchant services provider today to place your order for new EMV-compatible terminals. The sooner you take action, the better the chances that you’ll get through this EMV transition chargeback- and fee-free!

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Break Up With Credit Card Processor | Abtek

Merchant Service Providers

Is it Time to Break up with Your Credit Card Processor?

August 10, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Not all credit card processors are the same. Some processors are truly dedicated to your business’s success while others–well, let’s just say they have other priorities. Here are a few warning signs that may indicate it’s time for you to make a change:

They’re Not Open and Honest About their Fees

One of the biggest complaints we hear about other processors is that they’re not honest about the fees they charge. Unless they have something to hide, there’s no reason for a processor to keep their fees a secret. Honest communication is the key to a strong relationship, after all! Here at Abtek, we don’t play games with our clients—we tell them right up front exactly how much they’ll be charged and why. Take a look at our fee breakdown to learn more.

They Don’t Offer 24/7/365 Customer Service

In the real world, a question or problem can arise at any time of day. Your processor should be available to help you solve your payment processing challenges whenever the need arises—even if it is at the crack of dawn on a Saturday morning.

They’re Not in it for the Long Run

Unfortunately, some credit card processors are only in it for the money—and once the money stops flowing, they drop their clients and move on the next big idea. If you get the feeling that your processor is less than dedicated to your success, you should get out, quick, because your business deserves to have unwavering support. One of the easiest ways to tell if a processor is in it for the long run is to take a look at its history. How long has it been in business? Does it have reputable clientele?

Abtek has been in business since 1986—that’s almost 30 years! And ever since our start, supporting our customers has been our number one priority. Our business is built on integrity and because of that, we’ve been able to grow a client base that includes everything from retail to B2B to governmental agencies. Take a look at some of our valued clients.

They Don’t Offer High Tech Equipment

Are the POS systems provided by your processor holding your business back? If you are consistently frustrated with the ancient technology that you’re being forced to use, then that’s a problem. Additionally, if your processor hasn’t yet reached out to you to get your business set up with new EMV-compatible equipment, that’s a sure sign that they’re not putting your best interests first.

BONUS: Abtek will Pay for You to Make the Switch

If you’re not happy with your credit card processor, don’t worry—you don’t have to be stuck in a bad relationship. In fact, Abtek will help you break up with your processor and actually pay to break your current contract! Give us a call today at (800) 544-9145 to get started.

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Merchant Service Providers, PCI Compliance

Four Common Misconceptions About PCI Compliance

April 29, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

The cost of not maintaining PCI DDS compliance can be huge, especially when it comes to data breaches and fraud. Unfortunately, many merchants don’t fully understand everything involved with PCI compliance, so card security breaches will continue to occur.

According to a survey conducted by Proficio, 23% of respondents did not even know if their businesses met the most recent set of standards, PCI DDS 3.0, which was released at the beginning of this year.

It’s important for every merchant to understand what PCI DDS means, so that they can take the necessary steps toward ensuring payment security. While it’s not a foolproof solution, it can significantly help to deter data breaches and potential fraud.

Deciphering the Alphabet Soup (PCI DDS)

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DDS, called PCI for short) is a set of 12 requirements that merchants must meet to ensure a secure environment for credit card transactions. The requirements were put in place by the Security Standards Council, comprised of the five major credit card companies: American Express, Discover, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.

PCI Myths Busted!

There are many misconceptions surrounding PCI. Here, we reveal four of the major myths and the reality behind each of them.

Myth #1 – I own a small business; only large companies and e-commerce websites need to be PCI compliant.

False! Every organization or merchant that accepts credit card transactions must be compliant. The size of the company doesn’t matter, nor does the number of credit card transactions. There are, however, different levels that businesses can fall into, as defined by the major credit card brands. Businesses must determine which level they fall into for each brand and complete the correlated compliance verification requirements.

Myth #2 – Once my business is PCI compliant, I never have to worry about it again.

Many merchants don’t realize that compliance is an ongoing process, not a one-time deal. As a business owner, you (or your merchant services provider) will need to be in continuous communication with your acquiring bank and the card brands with which you do business. This will ensure that any payment security vulnerabilities are identified and fixed in a timely fashion to maintain PCI compliance.

Myth #3 – My outsourced credit card processing company automatically takes care of all PCI issues.

Using a third-party processor can help to improve payment security and reduce risk exposure, but it is not a guarantee that your business is PCI compliant. As a business owner, you need to take responsibility to ensure that your payment processing system is up to PCI standards. Ask questions and be proactive—if they can’t answer or don’t know, it may be time reconsider your merchant services provider.

Myth #4 – Nothing bad will happen if my business isn’t PCI compliant.

If a business fails to maintain PCI compliance, payment brands, such as Visa and American Express, have the right to fine acquiring banks anywhere from $5,000 to $100,000 per month. These fees eventually trickle down to the merchant who violated the compliance. On top of that, the bank will very likely increase transaction fees or terminate the relationship with the merchant. It’s important for merchants to understand that the costs associated with PCI violations can be destructive to businesses of all sizes.

Business Owners: Take Action Now!

Not sure if your business is PCI compliant? The experts at Abtek are experienced at guiding business owners, just like you, through the complex validation process. Contact us today to find out how we help you ensure that your business’s payment processes are secure.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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Data Breach, Merchant Service Providers, PCI Compliance

Could Your Payment Processing Methods Be Endangering Your Customers?

March 16, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Adopting good business finance habits ensures an establishment’s security and longevity. When credit card processing is treated with acute attention, point-of-sale transactions are quick and simple.

However, many businesses engage in a slew of less-than-safe practices, capable of undermining the entire establishment’s security.

Both negligence and bad bookkeeping can severely harm a business—and poor payment processing can compromise its customers.

Insecure Data Storage

Merchant services requires consistency and protective storage methods. Unfortunately, when PCI compliance isn’t regularly practiced, digital payments may reduce an organization’s security.

An Oswap.org business data breach analysis has figured in the many threats posed against companies utilizing point-of-sale technology. Store-based devices aren’t entirely safe from malware, malicious users or false authentication. Similarly, the following habits can severely compromise a customer’s security at, and after, the register:

Writing down credit information by hand
Using insecure mobile applications for promotions
Improper maintenance of addresses, social security numbers and credit card data
Easily accessible information systems

The Importance of Employee Training

Delegating business tasks effectively ensures a resource-savvy business. However, employee training benefits the customer’s security directly.

Task distribution promotes business connectivity, and a well-connected business may further assist its customers. When employees aren’t trained effectively, however, their customer attentiveness may dwindle. Similarly, they may forget or fail to execute vital actions needed for customer safety.

Anyone operating a business register or information database should be capable of utilizing supreme precaution. A negligent employee may not mean to compromise a customer’s information—but poorly trained job skills can absolutely exploit important information.

Credit Card Security

Forgers often utilize fraudulent credit cards and their potential danger should be understood. This primarily affects the business, rather than the consumer. However, anything capable of targeting a business’s secure data infrastructure should be considered a vital security risk to everyone involved.

When examining credit cards for purchases, merchants must remember to check the following:

Valid expiration dates
First four account numbers above the card’s first four numbers
Three-dimensional security hologram
Matching signatures

Fraudulent credit cards can affect a business when high-tech sales processing machinery is forgone, which is why maintaining comprehensive point-of-sale processing is incredibly important.

Remember: The consumer is relatively unprotected during most transactions. While a business actively maintains systems to ensure their own privacy and sustainability, consumers may be exposed. Proper routines, effective employee training and a watchful eye during transactions will not only protect the consumer’s information—it’ll breed a business atmosphere deserving of trust and success.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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EMV® Cards

How Will the EMV Mandate Affect Your Bottom Line? What Businesses Need to Know

March 9, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Credit card processing will go through major changes this year–but how will the 2015 EMV Compliance Mandate affect your business? The United States is the world’s final market to become EMV compliant. Our adoption and accessibility to the technology will likely transform all industries reliant upon processing payments via credit cards.

What is EMV Compliance, Anyway?

EMV is an acronym meaning “Europay, MasterCard and Visa.” The “big three” of globally standardized circuit payment cards utilize a chip for payments. These chips are used for ATMs, credit card terminals and digital registers. The EMV Compliance Mandate updates these cards’ internal mechanics and any provider using EMV-reading software will need to comply, too.

The New Liability Shift

The EMV Compliance Mandate isn’t just a software update. Its attached Liability Shift may affect your business’s transaction policies. USAVisa.com contains the shift’s entire workings, and, as per their description:

“When a transaction occurs using chip technology, any liability for counterfeit fraud, though unlikely, would follow current Visa Operating Regulations.”

In other words, this shift will greatly reduce your business’s fraud liability, assuming your software and hardware is up-to-date. If and when fraud occurs, new standards will neutralize losses while protecting you from liability. Within the financing world, such a shift is incredibly significant: Reduced liability and expenses can be re-balanced and shifted to other business areas.

Fewer Fraud-Related Chargebacks

Historically, credit transaction authentication and completion has been tied to fraudulent chargebacks. However, EMV’s updated technology will reduce fraud-related chargebacks due to the following mechanics:

Increased protection against card skimming
Increased protection from magnetic strips
Dynamic authentication possibilities

Reduced fraud chargebacks similarly boost a company’s ability to reallocate resources. While merchant services should always be treated with high security, EMV compliance will greatly enhance a business’s processing and transaction flexibility and security.

Fewer Data Breaches

As stated above, credit card processing will become increasingly stable and secure via EMV compliance. Participating U.S. merchants will be required to maintain full software and hardware upgrades, too, increasing their edge against data breaches.

The mandate promotes immediate liability focus on the party containing “lesser” technology. In short: A consumer using old EMV technology will be recognized as “at fault” in the event of fraud. This same aspect is directly correlated to the mandate’s facilitation of up-to-date vender technology.

So, on average, companies will maintain higher technology than surrounding entities and consumers. This will add further protection, as the superior technology will likely outrun malicious data breaches. The new EMV technology renders extracted information “useless,” as it’s encrypted to fit a digital format—rather than to a readable, magnetic strip.

Staying Aware: Adapting to the Change

Point-of-sale security is still important, and maintaining a healthy workplace promotes sustainability and protection. To ensure your employees and relevant decision makers are up-to-par with new security standards, it’s important to:

Create a relevant business plan before changing to new technology
Immediately migrate to new EMV standards
Train product awareness

New hardware and software changes may take time for adoption, but supporting network connectivity and internal effectiveness will ensure heightened protection. It’ll put your business ahead of the curve, security wise.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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Mobile Wallets

Will Mobile Wallets Soon Replace Actual Wallets?

February 23, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Mobile wallets aren’t just on the horizon—they’re already here. Recent smartphone applications have facilitated consumer technology capable of making instant purchases, and the trend may replace commonplace wallet purchasing within the next five years.

Mobile Wallets: The Pros

Credit card processing is quick, and it’s reliable. However, mobile wallets—when created and utilized effectively—are incredibly convenient for consumers. Mobile wallets are incredible marketing tools, too, due to their incredible accessibility and mobile purchasing’s increasing popularity. Mobile wallets propose a slew of benefits for consumers, including:

Ease of accessibility
Consolidation of funds
Immediate coupons and savings
Customer reward programs

The above mention of mobile-accessed coupons is considerably important. An Inmar Solutions trend catcher has depicted an astounding 2.9 billion digital coupon redemption volume. Additionally, approximately 77 percent of shoppers purchased groceries from non-grocer vendors in 2013. Due to a mobile wallet’s wide market accessibility, some of the world’s most vital markets will likely hook into the trend.

Mobile Wallets: The Cons

With great accessibility comes high responsibility, and the mobile wallet may propose several problems for future consumers. Merchant services still aren’t accustomed to the change—and several providers may never be.

Additionally, the mobile wallet’s incredible accessibility may pose a problem for some spenders. If you could make a purchase with one quick tap to the phone, wouldn’t you? The following cons also exist within the evolving technology, and it may hold mobile wallets back from their full potential:

Consolidation of existing technology may cause bugs
Security risks from hacking
Access to high-limit purchases may be imbalanced against credit cards

The infamous cellphone hack scandal in the UK definitely plays upon the above worries. Easy banking accessibility may enable thievery and digitally-stored credit card information may not be safe.

It Isn’t Over for Traditional Payments, Either

In fact, mobile wallets rely upon pre-existing monetary exchange systems. Small businesses can definitely profit from the mobile wallet’s design and functionality, but they’ll need to maintain classic systems and policies to take full advantage of the technology.

Why? Mobile wallets, primarily, connect to a business’s checking accounts. For now, mobile wallets are simply “quick access doors” to business transactions. They aren’t exclusive services.

You’ll Still Need Your Wallet

Mobile wallets can’t just replace fundamental wallet contents. Your driver’s license, registration, insurance card and other important, physical documentation are still required by law. Likely, mobile wallets will never accommodate for such provisions. Simply put: Security, legality and accessibility are important—more-so than a consumer’s ease-of-access to retail spheres. Regardless of a mobile wallet’s capabilities, their boundaries end where life’s other priorities begin.

In many ways, the world still needs physical proof of monetary funds, legal accessibility, health information and other important items. Mobile wallets will definitely play an integral role in retail’s future, but, for now, the leather bi-fold wallet still has a place in your back pocket…and for good reason.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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Merchant Service Providers

3 Ways Merchants Can Revolutionize the POS Experience for Customers

February 4, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

Merchants today are using innovative technologies to improve the customer experience, giving the buyer more power and more control over the POS process. Customers are responding with increased enthusiasm to improved POS systems, and with renewed interest in the way they buy. This can be seen at retail leaders like Apple, in the everyday buying experience with online retailers and even when ordering a sandwich from tech savvy restaurants.

Using New Tech to Revolutionize POS

We can look at a few examples to see how merchants are leveraging technology, merchant services options and smart sales techniques. They use what they have available to make their jobs easier, improve sales and excite customers. Consider the following:

Apple iPad Checkout

Apple stores are famous for having numerous “Geniuses” available to guide customers through the purchasing process. It is easy to get help there when you need it, and no customer is left in the dark on what is available and what will work best for him or her. But Apple goes one step further by giving the control back to the customer–and highlighting one of its flagship products, the iPad.

When customers want to start choosing what to buy, customizing and adding different components, they are given an iPad to do it on. They can enjoy the tactile feedback and high quality visuals offered by the iPad, and choose exactly what they want to add to their shopping carts. It’s a great idea, and may even lead to an additional iPad sale. Credit card processing can be initiated on the iPad as well, making the process a complete experience.

Online Countdown Deals

Many ecommerce retailers have discovered a way to get shoppers more involved and active while perusing their stores. These merchants offer limited time deals that are tied to a countdown clock. The shopper has the option to review the deal, but is only given a limited time to decide whether or not to buy. Smart merchant services providers make this easy, giving merchants quick and painless credit card processing options and the technology to customize the shopping experience with things like countdown deals and customized shopping experiences.

Self-Checkout Sandwiches

Even certain restaurants are getting on the technology wave, using mobile merchant accounts and iPads to let customers do their own ordering. These restaurants display a menu, give a written explanation of how the system works and then allow customers to order exactly what they want on an iPad. Instant online payments and credit card processing through modern merchant services providers make customer payments a breeze as well. This also makes customized ordering–no mayo, add mustard, hold the pickles–painless for the buyer.

Customers Love Innovation and Control

Consumers enjoy using innovative technologies like touchscreens to enhance their buying experience. They also appreciate the control that these tools give them. Granted, there will always be a few people that dislike what’s new. Returns, complaints and chargebacks will still occur. But overall, these revolutionary approaches to POS and customer experiences offer a better way of doing things, both now and in the future.

Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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Chargebacks

Keep Your Holiday Profits: Chargeback Prevention Tips

January 12, 2015 Abtek Leave a comment

The holiday season has once again come to an end. Whether your customers used in-store credit card processing systems or visited your ecommerce site, you don’t want to see your holiday profits whittled away by subsequent chargebacks.

Common Reasons for Chargebacks

Before we discuss how to prevent chargebacks, let’s look at the most common reasons that chargebacks occur.

Fraudulent card was used
Cardholder disputes merchandise quality
Incorrect amount was charged to the card
Errors occurred during credit card processing
Proper authorization wasn’t obtained

General Prevention Tips

Here are some general chargeback prevention tips that apply to merchants who accept online payments as well as swipe cards on POS systems.

Be sure the customer recognizes the business name you give to your merchant services company. Many chargebacks occur because customers don’t recognize the business name that appears on their statement.
Respond to retrieval requests in a timely manner. If you don’t respond within the number of days allowed in your merchant services agreement, it’s likely a chargeback will occur.
Get an authorization 100 percent of the time. Failure to get an authorization will result a chargeback.

Prevention Tips for Swiped Cards

Following are tips that merchants who process cards through POS systems or mobile merchant accounts can follow to lessen the chance of a chargeback occurring.

Swipe all cards through your credit card processing terminal. Doing so proves the card was presented at your store. If you have to get an imprint because your terminal is down, be sure all information appears: amount, business name, business location and signature.
Always compare the signature to the back of the card. Understandably your cashiers want to get customers through their lines quickly, but it only takes a few extra seconds to check the signature. Your cashiers should check the signature against a photo ID if there’s no signature on the back of the card.
Ask for another form of payment if the card is declined. Don’t continue to swipe the card.
Make sure the number on the screen and the credit card number match.
Get an authorization for the full sale amount – don’t break the sale amount into smaller amounts.

Prevention Tips for Online Businesses

Here are some helpful tips that online merchants can follow to prevent chargebacks.

Make sure your customer is giving you the correct billing address by using the Address Verification System (AVS).
Provide your merchant services company with a telephone number that it can print on your billing statement. This increases the likelihood that the customer will call you and determine what the purchase is before disputing it with their card issuer.
Use shippers that provide proof of merchandise delivery to the full billing address. This will help you in case of a dispute. Require a signature for expensive merchandise to be left with the purchaser.

Stay up-to-date on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter and Facebook. Sign up to receive our newsletter, too.

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What Exactly is an EMV-Compatible POS System?

What are Your Options?

Where Can You Buy an EMV Credit Card Terminal?

Don’t Delay – Get Started Now!

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They’re Not Open and Honest About their Fees

They Don’t Offer 24/7/365 Customer Service

They’re Not in it for the Long Run

They Don’t Offer High Tech Equipment

BONUS: Abtek will Pay for You to Make the Switch

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Deciphering the Alphabet Soup (PCI DDS)

PCI Myths Busted!

Myth #1 – I own a small business; only large companies and e-commerce websites need to be PCI compliant.

Myth #2 – Once my business is PCI compliant, I never have to worry about it again.

Myth #3 – My outsourced credit card processing company automatically takes care of all PCI issues.

Myth #4 – Nothing bad will happen if my business isn’t PCI compliant.

Business Owners: Take Action Now!

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Insecure Data Storage

The Importance of Employee Training

Credit Card Security

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What is EMV Compliance, Anyway?

The New Liability Shift

Fewer Fraud-Related Chargebacks

Fewer Data Breaches

Staying Aware: Adapting to the Change

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Mobile Wallets: The Pros

Mobile Wallets: The Cons

It Isn’t Over for Traditional Payments, Either

You’ll Still Need Your Wallet

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Using New Tech to Revolutionize POS

Apple iPad Checkout

Online Countdown Deals

Self-Checkout Sandwiches

Customers Love Innovation and Control

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Common Reasons for Chargebacks

General Prevention Tips

Prevention Tips for Swiped Cards

Prevention Tips for Online Businesses

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Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account Solutions