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  • Ecommerce Nightmare: Going Global or Going Broke?

    Ecommerce Nightmare: Going Global or Going Broke?

    International expansion is the dream of many an ecommerce merchant, but that dream can quickly turn into an ecommerce nightmare if you’re not careful. Oversights can quickly turn to obstacles when it comes to overseas expansion. Maybe your customers are complaining they aren’t receiving their product, or you’re receiving bewildering notices about unpaid taxes, or even just a high rate of abandoned conversions. A fairytale of international expansion can rapidly turn into a horror show if merchants aren’t carefully prepared to scale overseas. While launching international sites is an admirable goal, it can cost you big if you aren’t prepared.

    Of course, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it. It’s simply important to be prepared for what’s in store. To that end, here’s a merchant’s guide on what not to do when expanding internationally. To avoid an ecommerce nightmare, read on!

    Don’t Neglect to Research Local Payment Preferences

    This might seem like a no-brainer. Of course you’ll accept international credit cards, right? But a would-be international merchant should be attuned to unique regional preferences. Different countries have different payment preferences. Some regions prefer e-wallets, debit cards, mobile payments or even cash on delivery over credit cards. If your payment processor doesn’t offer customers their preferred payment method, you’ll be looking at a lot of abandoned e-shopping carts. And it’s worth understanding cross-border fees so you don’t have any nasty fiscal surprises.

    Don’t Forget Local Taxes

    This is one of those things that might slip through the cracks when a merchant is focused on international expansion, but it’s one of the quickest ways to create an ecommerce nightmare out of your global expansion. For example, Brazil has a staggering seven different (and cumulative) income taxes. Preventing this kind of ecommerce nightmare is as simple as consulting with local experts. Someone who can guide you through the taxes and tariffs involved in the country in question will help facilitate a smooth launch. (A good accountant or lawyer won’t hurt here either.)

    Don’t Skimp on Security

    International customers will already be wary of buying from a foreign merchant online. Not taking precautions against data breaches is a surefire way to drive away would-be customers — and that’s only half the battle. You have to make it clear to international customers that their data is safe. There are a few ways of doing this. One is as simple as clearly describing the data security measures in place so customers will understand how you are keeping their payment data safe. Another way to foster feelings of security in international customers is to ensure your payment page is fully integrated on your site. A seamless transaction reassures customers and will help build loyalty — a must for successful international expansion.  A good payment provider will be able to help integrate a secure payment gateway on your site.

    Do Your Due Diligence

    Global expansion is a great dream, but it’s one that take a lot of work to achieve successfully. A good chunk of that work should be research into your proposed market. There are plenty of local quirks that can quickly become huge stumbling blocks. Chinese websites are subject to dizzying amounts of red tape, while Latin American countries might eat up a shocking of the cost of sold merchandise with transportation costs. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and online businesses already shouldn’t take many chances. There’s no shortcut: if you want to prevent an ecommerce nightmare, do your research.

    Conclusion

    There’s no question that there are plenty of things that can go wrong when merchants decide to turn to international markets. However, having an ecommerce business means that this kind of expansion isn’t impossible. In fact, with diligent research, following proper procedures, and a merchant account provider that understands the challenges of international expansion, going global is more possible than ever before. Expanding abroad doesn’t have to be an ecommerce nightmare. With the right preparation – and a great payment processing partner – your dream of going global can come true

    ‍

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights
    payment-processing
  • How to Accept Donations Online for Your Nonprofit or Foundation

    How to Accept Donations Online for Your Nonprofit or Foundation

    “Philanthropist” derives from Late Latin and from Greek. A direct translation from philanthrōpos or “loving people,” Merriam-Webster defines it as “goodwill to fellow members of the human race; especially: active effort to promote human welfare.”

    Nonprofit organizations are born from that love of other living beings, and the desire to improve their welfare. If your passion for a cause led you to start a nonprofit, maximizing results of online giving ranks as a top priority.

    People are accustomed to making payments online for everything today, and they want charitable donations to be quick and easy too. Fortunately, today’s technologies facilitate digital donations via mobile payments and online giving websites., making it fast and easy to accept donations online.

    But there’s a price to be paid by charities for this convenience due to transaction processing fees. These charges reduce the amount actually collected by a charity — a trade-off that most people don’t realize.

    Let’s take a look at a few helpful tips for accepting donations online while optimizing results for your nonprofit.

    Payments Industry Basics for Nonprofits

    Processing payments carries a cost for all industry sectors — charities included. The first thing nonprofits should understand is that choices exist to help them accept payments online and to maximize results.

    The payments ecosystem may seem complex to those not familiar with the industry. What with terminology like merchant accounts, issuing banks and acquiring banks, payment processors, payment aggregators, and other merchant service providers, how could it seem otherwise?

    Don’t let either the cost or complexity of payment card acceptance stand as a barrier to your nonprofit success. Resources and budgets are tight enough.

    Instead, choose a payment processing partner that specializes in working with nonprofits.  They’ll help you set up and optimize online transaction processing, and may offer payment processing at cost to qualified charities. Let the experts handle the intricacies of online payment processing for you.

    Follow these keys to success:

    • Choose a processor that provides the secure payment gateway needed to transfer payment information between your fundraising platform — the issuing and acquiring banks — and the processing networks.
    • Ensure your processor’s gateway is PCI-DSS compliant (Payment Card Industry – Data Security Standard) — a requirement for processing online payment transactions. Maintaining PCI compliance can be burdensome to nonprofit staff, so choose to work only with a processor who handles all PCI requirements.
    • Recognize that donors care about the security of their payment card data. Make website visitors comfortable by displaying information about security standards employed, so they feel comfortable sharing payment details — and become your donors.
    • Accept multiple payment types. Increase your potential market to maximize your fundraising efforts. The right payment processor will help set up the ability to accept donations online via major card brands (domestic and international), multi-currency options, and alternative payment types like PayPal and others. Make it easy for potential donors to help your organization, no matter where they live.
    • Easy integration with your fundraising platform or website describes the right processing solution for your nonprofit. Choose a processor that enables custom donation forms, or allows you to set up an online donation portal fitting the “look and feel” of your website. So that when you accept donations online, the processing solution facilitates an excellent customer experience and provides secure payment processing.

    We hope those tips help you find a payment processing partner that you can trust, and that offers favorable rates — because that’s often the bottom line.

    Charities That Accept Donations Online Make Giving Easier

    Do your homework, and aspire to work with a processor that offers services at a reduced rate, while helping your nonprofit streamline processes and reduce expenses. There are processors out there who want to help nonprofits thrive in the competitive online world.

    Yes, it does cost money to accept online donations. Flexible processing needs (like processing recurring donations and selling merchandise) can cost charities even more. But the good news is that some processors provide charitable payment processing at cost, for qualified 501(c) nonprofits.

    As Melissa Johnson (writing for Merchant Maverick) points out, it is possible to qualify for charitable payment processing rates to accept donations online — simply by asking and proving non-profit 501(c) status. “Which has a positive effect on any organization’s bottom line.”

    Let PayArc Reduce the Cost Footprint of Your Nonprofit

    American banks and credit card companies make huge profits — in the neighborhood of $250 million a year — from processing online charitable donations. They can afford to reduce the cost burden for nonprofits.

    PayArc’s program strives to do exactly that: reduce the burden on charitable organizations that accept donations online. We give them access to the lowest rates possible, and offer special processing programs that:

    • Maximize non-profit donations with electronic payments made via credit cards, debit cards, and ACH/eChecks through nonprofit-hosted payment forms.
    • Retain existing donors and reduce marketing costs with automated recurring donation options.
    • Increase payment security through PCI-compliant payment processing solutions.

    PayArc provides charitable payment processing at cost, for qualified 501(c) nonprofits. Explore working with us, and we’ll use our payments industry expertise to offer amazing pricing to your qualified charity.

    Because we’d love to help.

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights
    payment-processing
  • How to Choose the Right Nutraceutical Merchant Account

    How to Choose the Right Nutraceutical Merchant Account

    Finding the perfect payment processor shouldn’t be the most challenging part of starting a business. For those in the health supplement industry, however, it can often be an obstacle that they aren’t prepared for. In fact, when it comes to choosing the right nutraceutical merchant account, the expert advice available is limited – or even conflicting.

    Thankfully, there are payment processors with experience in this industry that understand the unique billing and processing challenges. Here are some of the proven tips for identifying and choosing the payment processor that can partner with you to grow your business goals:

    Find a Nutraceutical Merchant Account Provider that Understands Your Business Model

    There have been horror stories of businesses launching their online stores with Shopify or other large-name retail partners, only to find their websites shut down after two months. It’s always best to research ahead of time and ensure that your merchant account provider isn’t just familiar with nutraceuticals, they welcome the business.

    Nutraceutical-friendly merchant partners should be sought from the start. Look for vendors that use language stating they are friendly to your business. Terms like “processing for free trial merchants,” “fraud prevention” and “lower chargebacks” may indicate that they are equipped to handle the special challenges that your industry faces. Seek out companies that mention nutraceuticals by name, if possible, and can handle unique business models, such as $1 subscription trials.

    Know Your Customer

    While most shoppers will prefer to buy via their computer or even a mobile payment gateway, there are still shoppers who feel comfortable placing orders by phone. Since nutraceuticals are largely sold via “card not present” transactions, it’s important to know if this also means that your transactions will be protected when made by mail, phone, or the internet. Be sure to lay out your business model before you apply to be sure you are accounting for all methods of purchase – and to ensure your chosen merchant account allows for all possibilities.

    Seek out Help

    Applying for a merchant account can be a daunting process. It’s a bit more complicated for those in nutraceuticals. Is the processing for applying considerably more cumbersome due to the nature of your business? Will you get paired with an account rep that understands your unique needs and can help you through the application with the best chances of being approved? Don’t be afraid to tell your account rep how your business works and what concerns you have about applying. This isn’t the time to hide things, and your application can go more smoothly when you have partnered fully with your rep.

    Avoid Restrictions

    Even if your chosen merchant account provider is well-versed in your industry, not every part of it may meet their regulations. Even those who offer a nutraceutical merchant account may have restrictions on how you can sell through their accounts. These restrictions may be set by federal, state, or local regulations, as well as any limitations imposed by each card company individually. Ask your account rep what their procedure is for communicating changes to these restrictions over time. If something was allowed to be sold through your account at the start of your contract, what happens if it is no longer allowed? Ensure your processor has a plan in place for setting you up to always be compliant.

    Ask about Chargebacks

    Chargebacks are the elephant in the room, but they shouldn’t be ignored. The right nutraceutical merchant account provider won’t be put off by your asking about them, and will instead have advice for ensuring your chargeback number are kept as low as possible. In addition to providing you with best practices and tools for communicating with customers, they should be able to tell you how to read statements and use reporting to spot trends in your chargebacks. An open door policy is key to having a good relationship with your merchant account rep. If you don’t feel that they are interested in communicating and helping you succeed, they are not the right choice for you.

    Running a successful nutraceuticals business can be rewarding – even with its unique challenges. One way to make sure you meet growth goals and increase customer loyalty is through taking advantage of the services of a reputable payment processor, one that offers optimized payment options for a natural products e-commerce store. In addition to keeping transactions seamless, they should act as an educator and advocate along every step of your journey, helping your dispute chargebacks, get access to up-to-date transaction info, ensuring industry compliance, and planning for the future.

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Fraud Prevention, Security
    payment-processing
  • How to Optimize Your Natural Products Store Online

    How to Optimize Your Natural Products Store Online

    Running a natural products store online can be highly profitable due to the growing consumer interest in organic food and beverage items, as well as supplements. The U.S. Natural and Organic Product Industry sales surged 6.5% to $207 billion in 2017, while the natural supplement market grew 6.1% to $44 billion in the U.S. over the same span, according to New Hope Network’s Nutrition Business Journal.

    The number of individuals and investors opening up natural products stores is on the rise due to the high revenue opportunities that the natural and organic product space offers. Working with a reputable credit card processor can help these merchants optimize payments—and growth.

    How to Get a Natural Products Store Merchant Account

    Merchants in this space are well-advised to open a merchant account through a specialized payment processor that understands the industry. This requires completing a few simple steps and providing the necessary information.

    Most applications for a natural products store merchant account will request that your business share a valid, government-issued ID, a bank letter or pre-printed voided check, three months of the most recent bank statements, three months of the most recent processing statements and a Social Security Number (SSN) or Employer Identification Number (EIN).

    Working with a payments services provider that specializes in this niche can speed up the application process. In some cases, merchants can get approved within a matter of days. Specialized payment processors often offer one-stop solutions to help augment your payments operations, including fraud prevention, risk mitigation, and PCI compliance. This is to the merchant’s benefit as they have one resource to help manage and lower chargebacks, protect customers’ sensitive data and receive advice on streamlining payments.

    Managing Chargebacks Natural Products Stores

    Like most online businesses, natural products stores are not immune to the chargeback problem. In some cases, customers have buyer’s remorse, blaming the merchant for how supplements or other natural products that seemingly didn’t work. These disputes snowball into chargebacks, costing the merchant dearly in fines, fees, and penalties.

    Many online shops offer free trials to customers as a way to let people try their natural products, risk-free. This is a handy marketing tool; however, it can also cause an increase in chargebacks. Without excellent communication about the terms of a free trial, customers can become confused about payment conditions—or simply forget about their purchase—and dispute the charges later on. It is imperative for natural product store merchants running free trials to provide email confirmations, email reminders, and other information on the website so that customers have the right information.

    Optimize Your Site — and Your Brand Story

    In an industry as competitive as the natural products business, you’ll need to develop a brand, website and line of products that are unique. Don’t try to carry every natural supplement or vitamin available simply to follow industry fads; quality always trumps quantity.

    Be straightforward in your advertising. Maintain high standards and carry products that you know will help customers. Use a marketing approach with long-term goals in mind. Build your business as a farmer rather than a hunter, with a focus on harvesting a long-term relationships with customers rather than shooting for quick sales with customers who won’t return.

    Avoid misinformation and clearly articulate the benefits of the products you offer. Where possible, reference industry experts that can back claims and provide additional guidance. Educating your customer base can add to your appeal and it also helps customers feel secure in what they are purchasing from your brand.

    Another way to bolster trust is to ensure that your brand experience remains consistent from the home page through product pages and all the way to the end of the payments process. Checkout pages or portals that veer from the regular branding can cause confusion and distrust among consumers.

    Follow up online sales with a branded confirmation email that includes a receipt for each customer’s purchase. This goes a long way in improving the customer experience, and also provides a way for customers to get in touch if they have a question or an issues. The more you communicate with your customers, the less likely it is that disputes will arise and snowball into costly chargebacks.

    Conclusion

    PayArc offers comprehensive payment processing services, which include a PCI compliant payment gateway, mobile payment processing solutions easy integration of your online systems with our full API and SDK.

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights
    payment-processing
  • Using payment solutions to grow your meal prep business

    Using payment solutions to grow your meal prep business

    Ecommerce merchants choose their industry sectors for many reasons. That’s half the fun of coming up with, and executing on, a business idea.

    Sometimes your choice furthers a life-long passion, while other times it’s as simple as recognizing and filling a market need. Being first off-the-block is often a winning strategy for a sprint, but not so much in a marathon.

    Of course, meeting market needs in the long-term isn’t really a simple affair. Long-term business viability falls more into the marathon category. What’s required are several layers of expertise — Some related to the chosen product or service, along with know-how in managing your business.

    For example, a passion for healthy eating and good cooking may lead you to open a meal prep business. You’ll love the first stage, when serving delicious and nutritious food made with your own hands proves super-rewarding.

    But for how long will that “hands-on” approach serve the business well, given your ambitions and the blossoming market in your chosen niche?

    As your business grows, reaching out to others who possess the knowledge and skills — the expertise — you need isn’t always easy. But it might be the best option to support the growth ambitions you harbor.

    Using the meal prep sector as a proxy for all ecommerce shops, let’s take a look at an example of tough decisions one merchant made while managing business growth. The business lessons demonstrated in the story remain universal, proving useful to all ambitious ecommerce merchants.

    Another lesson to consider while in the growth phase of your business: Leveraging expert payment solutions helps online shops grow.

    True Rapid Growth Story Shares Lessons for All

    Business principles remain true for all merchants, regardless of the chosen sector. eCommerce may be relatively new, but the quest to launch and grow a business persists in all industries. Like the story of a couple whose meal prep business growth lessons will resonate with all small business owners.

    Danielle Hrzic told the story to HuffPost. The Hrzics built a meal prep business to improve the quality of school lunches available in Chicago. Gourmet Gorilla began by producing meals and snacks for three area schools. Now they serve schools throughout Northern Illinois and Wisconsin.

    As more schools and parents joined the service, the business outgrew their initial kitchen space, and also the ability for the Hrzics to remain “hands-on” with meal production. As Hrzic says, “Small business owners often feel the need to be a part of every aspect of the business.” Letting go can be hard.

    But Danielle learned that she had to pull herself away from the business, “…to work on it instead of in it” — and the business expanded rapidly.

    Merchants keen to launch their own payment prep businesses will find useful information on the sector here, including info on the types of expert payment solutions needed in the sector.

    Become Expert on Business Growth

    It’s one thing to work in a business, and quite another to own and manage one. Launching and running an ecommerce business, regardless of sector, takes a lot of energy and passion for what you do.

    Some online merchants open up shop following business careers, but many don’t have the first clue about doing the books, ordering and managing inventory, or supervising employees. And without stellar funding and steady cash flow, hiring the expertise just isn’t possible.

    Do you know about the standard business growth curve? From start-up to survival to success at various levels, and all the way up to mega-successful large corporations — five growth stages get you there.

    Start-ups challenge even the best and brightest new merchants. Passion for your business only takes you so far, when cash flow makes or breaks the business. It’s financial survival that moves the company up the curve. And expert payment solutions help ensure financial success.

    Reaching out to experts to help your company grow — and letting go when necessary — reflect mature resolve as an owner. Our featured story didn’t highlight payments, but it’s clear that selling to schools requires B2B payments expertise, and directly to parents means B2C payments.

    Do other eCommerce merchants know enough about payments, to get past start-up and survival, then on to success? Like why a landing a merchant account reflects your best interests, and how to protect your payments from fraud? If not, payments may be an area in need of expert assistance.

    Expert Payment Solutions Help eCommerce Shops Grow

    No matter where your business falls on the growth curve, you need expert payment solutions to help you grow. To find payment solutions that will both save your money and give you peace of mind, look no further than PayArc.

    Our mission is to bridge the gap between online merchants and payment solutions — for all types and sizes of merchants.

    PayArc’s industry leading payment processing solution gives you all the tools you need to start accepting payments online, while lowering your risk to fraud and giving you some of the lowest rates in the industry.

    We leverage strong industry relationships — developed over decades in the payments industry — to help you land an individual merchant account so you can start processing payments quickly and securely.

    Take the headache out of credit card processing, so you can process with confidence. PayArc wants to act as your payments advisor and consultant, not only your processor.

    You have a business to run. Our business is to help you run it better.

    Give us a shout today.

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights
    payment-processing
  • 4 Ways to Make Your Ecommerce Shop Holiday-Ready

    4 Ways to Make Your Ecommerce Shop Holiday-Ready

    The back-to-school season is upon is, which means that the bustling holiday shopping season is right around the corner. For many e-commerce shops, this is the bread-and-butter season. With U.S. consumer confidence at 15-year highs and e-commerce projected to take an even bigger slice of the overall retail pie, online stores must go into the holiday season prepared.

    Optimize for Conversions

    Many small- and medium-sized online retailers utilize one of the popular ecommerce platforms out there like Magento, Shopify, or WooCommerce. Let’s look at how each one can be optimized for maximum conversions during the holiday shopping season.

    Magento

    Speed and ease-of-use are key. In default form, Magento checkout consists of 6 steps, which can cause lower conversion rates. Removing some of those steps can speed up the process and improve conversions. Consider installing a one-step checkout extensions (see: OneStepCheckout, Checkout Pro or MageWorld’s One Step Checkout).

    Shopify

    In the same vein, Shopify Plus merchants can make things easier for online shoppers by including a checkout progress bar. About one quarter of shoppers will abandon the checkout process due to time constraints, so if you let people know how far along they’ve come (and how much more they have to complete), they may be more inclined to complete the purchase.

    WooCommerce

    Not everyone is going to complete a purchase, but that doesn’t mean they’ll never complete a purchase. With the Recover Abandoned Cart plugin, WooCommerce merchants can recapture shoppers by sending them a sequence of follow-up emails that include difference offers to entice them into completing the purchase.

    Broaden Payment Brand Acceptance

    The beauty of e-commerce is that your consumer base isn’t limited to one location. With the potential to make global sales, you should ensure you that your payment gateway can accept as many different payment types as possible (and rational). In addition to the major credit card brands (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express), consider enabling payments from PayPal.

    Merchants that have a significant consumer base abroad should also consider popular payments types for the regions they are targeting. Some countries have popular payment methods that are not used in the U.S., so you should be sure to talk to your payment processing partner about how to add those options to your gateway.

    The other consideration here is currency. Global ecommerce merchants will want to be sure their gateway supports processing charges across currencies. Presenting prices in a customer’s native currency can improve conversions and boost sales.

    Guard Against Chargebacks & Fraud

    Along with the increased traffic and sales volume of the holidays comes increased fraud. The sheer increase in both can be overwhelming for some merchants. In some cases, it may make sense to outsource chargeback prevention and management during the holidays. Companies like Chargebacks911, Ethoca, or Verifi offer solutions and services that can remove some of the burden from busy online retailers who want to focus on making sales.

    In any case, ecommerce merchants can implement some best practices to reduce chargebacks:

    • Establish realistic and enforceable return policies with specific time frames, conditions for returning merchandise, and exceptions.
    • Be sure your return policy is clearly presented – both in language and presence. Use clear, concise, and direct language and be sure it’s easy to find on your website.
    • Properly staff customer service call centers and set your reps up for success. Having a straightforward script that can address all customer issues, complaints, and questions will ensure favorable resolution in most cases.
    • Include accurate product descriptions and photos for all in-stock inventory. Including customer reviews alongside products can also be helpful in building trust with shoppers about the quality of your product.

    Up Your Security Game

    Consumers shop with sites they know are secure. Be sure your site has a high-assurance SSL/TLS certificate, which signals to consumers that you are a safe site to shop with. Getting an EV SSL can be even better as it includes additional trust indicators: green padlock and green address bar with your company’s name. Customers recognize those indicators and are more comfortable shopping with merchants that have them.

    Be sure your payments gateway complies with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).  Additionally, use additional security features for authorization:

    Address Verification System (AVS) – this system verifies the address of the person using a payment card to make a transaction by checking the billing address the user inputs against the one on file with the credit card company.

    Card Verification Value (CVV) – this anti-fraud feature helps verify that the purchaser is in possession of the payment card with which he is attempting to make a purchase by asking him to enter the number at the time of purchase. The CVV is a three-digit number printed on the back signature panel of a card.

    IP Address verification  – This protocol compares the IP geolocation from the device used to make the transaction with the actual billing address the user enters online.
    The holidays are an exciting time for buyers and sellers alike. Making the entire buying process — from browsing to paying — as seamless as possible can increase sales and help ecommerce merchants avoid unnecessary holiday headaches.

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    Trackbacks/Pingbacks
    1. Biz Tips: 3 Things Ecommerce Merchants Need to Know Before The Holidays Hit | BizAtomic – […] because a payment option is not available. This cause for abandonment can be avoided if you accept multiple payment…

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights, Technology
    payment-processing
  • 7 Payment Processing Trends to Watch for 2019

    7 Payment Processing Trends to Watch for 2019

    Consumers are becoming more familiar with alternative payment methods and more confident in their security. As these payment options continue to gain in popularity, businesses need to adapt to consumer preferences — and having a clear understanding of the latest payment processing trends can help them make the right decisions for their future.

    For business owners looking to stay relevant with a diverse group of consumers, more flexible payment solutions are necessary. But first, it’s important to have a firm grasp on what’s happening in this growing market. Below are seven payment processing trends to watch for in 2019:

    In-store mobile payments to overtake credit cards

    Chief among the leading payment processing trends for next year is the steady emergence of in-store mobile payments as the primary payment method in the U.S. By 2020, in-store mobile payments are expected to overtake credit cards, at $503 billion. The added speed and convenience of in-store mobile payments is particularly attractive to a younger generation of consumers. Demographic info of note: At 73 million, millennials are expected to overtake Boomers in population in 2019. Meanwhile, generation X is projected to pass the Boomers in population by 2028.

    Increased prominence of mobile wallets

    The convenience of mobile wallets is appealing for the consumer: Mobile wallet transactions tend to be quicker than paying by cash or credit card. When the consumer is ready to make their purchase, all they need to do is open the app, touch their phone to the compatible reader located next to the register, and the transaction is complete. Added security is also a plus. Unlike cash and credit cards, the card information a customer puts into a mobile wallet is encrypted, requiring them to unlock their device and use a passcode or fingerprint.

    Apple Pay, Google Wallet, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay are the top mobile wallets currently used at small and medium businesses.. Apple Pay and Google Wallet are expected to continue battling it out for the top spot into 2019 and beyond, but Android Pay and Samsung Pay still have their share of supporters.

    Payment methods of online shoppers

    The most popular payment methods for online shoppers include credit cards, electronic payment, and debit cards, respectively. While it’s unnecessary to offer every single payment method, merchants will want to have an understanding of which methods their consumers prefer and select a merchant service provider who can support their specific needs. The exact combination will depend on your customer base. Not only learning the latest payment processing trends, but understanding how they apply to your unique situation, is essential to giving yourself a powerful advantage in today’s market.

    mPOS devices rise in popularity

    According to TYSY, roughly 27.7 million mPOS devices will be in circulation in the U.S. within the next three years, almost 10 times the amount in 2014. An mPOS device can be cost-effective for small and medium business owners, who have limited staff and resources for electronic registers and software support. The average credit card processing cost for a retail business is around 2 percent for cards that are physically swiped in-person, compared with 2.3 percent to 3.1 percent for card-not-present transactions.

    Blockchain technology offers benefits

    Beyond giving consumers more payment options, blockchain technology gives small businesses the opportunity to reduce costs by allowing them to work directly with other businesses. Over the next five years, blockchain technology is expected to reduce the cost of accounting reconciliation by 70 percent and compliance costs by up to 50 percent. Along with reduced financial burden, the blockchain boasts improved transparency and security for both businesses and consumers. Information housed in the blockchain is entirely decentralized, rather than stored in one location.

    Biometric authentication enhances consumer security

    Biometric authentication — examples include fingerprint ID and financial recognition — will be used in more than 18 billion transactions by 2021. Apple Pay and Samsung Pay both use fingerprint identification, but not all platforms offer these levels of security. But the technology as a whole is more reliable and cost-effective, reducing password administrations costs and decreasing the likelihood of loss prevention. With the steady increase in fraudulent transactions and security breaches, adoption of this technology is essential to making customers feel more at ease with making their purchase.

    The improved customer experience

    Perhaps the most important of all payment processing trends is the renewed emphasis on the customer experience. Today’s alternative payment options are not replacements, but rather improvements on previous methods. Younger generations agree: More than 60 percent of millennial and Generation Z customers willing to share their bank account credentials with third-party vendors. That total will only increase as customers become more familiar with alternative payment options.

    As a business owner, keeping an eye on the future and staying informed about the latest payment processing trends is an invaluable part of increasing sales and improving customer satisfaction. In this ever-changing environment, there’s much to look forward to as we approach 2019.

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights
    payment-processing
  • 7 Ways to Streamline the Payment Process for Online Customers

    7 Ways to Streamline the Payment Process for Online Customers

    It’s gearing up to be a busy holiday shopping season and many retailers are trying to make the most out of increased traffic to their ecommerce stores. One of the best ways to increase conversions and sales is to make the payment process as simple and seamless as possible.

    From the shopping cart to the checkout page to payment confirmation, making a few small tweaks can mean the difference between tens of thousands of dollars. As the popularity of online shopping surpasses that of brick-and-mortar shopping, online retailers need to optimize their checkout process to make things smooth for paying customers.

    While many merchants opt for the easy route of PayPal for payment processing, merchants with more complex payment systems can take advantage of the full control they have over the entire checkout process.

    The next 7 steps can help you optimize the process for increased conversions and sales.

    Diversify payment methods

    Users expect to have a choice when it comes to how they pay on your ecommerce site. Best practices is to include all major payment card brands (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, etc.) as well as PayPal. That said, if you truly cater to an international audience and analytics show that you get a decent amount of business from specific geographies, you may want to consider the payment preferences of those countries as well.

    No registration? No problem.

    Never make people register in order to complete the checkout process. This can be one of the top conversion killers for an ecommerce site because it’s intrusive and unnecessary. It’s another step to what many users already view as a long process to get what they want. “Checkout as guest” is the best route to take, enabling users to get through the checkout process without handing over any more information than they’re already providing.

    While you don’t have to require registration, you can always offer it as an option. Just be sure that it does not impede the checkout flow or become too aggressive.

    Consistency matters

    The design and experience of your brand should be consistent across all channels and along every page of your website – including checkout pages. While some online payment providers and gateways may offer out-of-the-box functionality, you’re relinquishing control of the experience, look, and feel of your brand. Take caution here.

    Be sure to use consistent fonts, colors, logos, and other design elements from start to finish of the user experience. Not only does it look more professional, but it builds trust between you and your customers. Given the rash of fraud, phishing, and other online scams, keeping a consistent design element during checkout can help put customers at ease and reinforce that you are a legitimate seller.

    User flow matters, too

    In the same vein as point #3 above, keeping users on your site is imperative. Redirecting to an outside gateway (like PayPal) erodes trust and also leads people away from your brand. Keeping users on your site from start to finish also makes it more likely that they’ll continue to browse around after their purchase.

    Also avoid pop-ups or any other advertisements that may distract users as they are attempting to checkout. Anything that takes someone away from the checkout process is bad form. Keep customers moving seamlessly through your site without distractions.

    Make payment forms intuitive

    Most online shoppers are already leery when offering up payment card information online. Making payment forms intuitive can relieve some of their anxiety while helping them to complete the process quickly and easily. Displaying a progress bar at the top of each checkout page is a great way to keep users on task and in-the-know about how many steps they have left to complete.

    Intelligent forms are also helpful. Some may be able to use geolocation technology to pre-fill fields like the country or state to which users are purchasing from. It may also be able to pre-fill some data from return customers, making a repeat purchase seamless.

    One final consideration is how to address errors as users are checking out. Be sure to present clear and relevant error messages if a form or field is filled out incorrectly or incompletely. Avoid displaying error messages at the top of the page, which forces users to scroll all the way up to see what they missed. Error messages should be displayed near the field where they occurred and should be clearly worded so the user understands what they need to do.

    Use clear calls to action

    Nothing is worse than a confused user who just wants to make a purchase from your ecommerce site. Offer clear calls to action and directions on each step of the checkout and payment processes. Be sure to use bold buttons and clear, concise wording directing the user what to do next.

    It can also be helpful to offer information buttons that allow users to click and receive more information about what is being asked. These additional instructions can mean the difference between a low conversion rate and a high conversion rate.

    Email a receipt

    This is perhaps one of the most overlooked steps in providing a cohesive, reliable, and easy checkout and payment experience for customers. It’s also a lost opportunity to upsell and cross-sell or to simply add to user’s pleasant shopping experience.

    Not only does it provide a record of the purchase for both you and the customer, but it can be a great way to market to customers that are at their highest level of trust with your brand (they just completed a purchase!).

    Use the opportunity to ask customers to rate their experience, provide a review, share with friends, or to offer a coupon for the next time they visit your ecommerce store.

    Conclusion

    Employing the tips above can boost your conversion rates, lower cart abandonment, and increase the trust and credibility of your brand. A/B testing is a great way to test out some of  these methods and to see what works for your particular customer base. Checkout and payment is an important – and often overlooked – piece of the overall user experience. Keeping on par with best practices is a great way to keep customers happy from start to finish.

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights
    payment-processing
  • Bridging the Gap in Payment Processing Technology

    Bridging the Gap in Payment Processing Technology

    Being an online merchant can be a careful balancing act. You want to deliver quality service to your customers, while maintaining security and a good cash flow. In theory, it doesn’t sound too bad, but if one small thing goes awry in the transaction chain, it can be difficult and costly to figure out what went wrong. This might shake customer faith in your business, present extra security concerns, and eat into profitability. If nothing else, having a long process between the time the customer puts their card info in to the transaction actually hitting your pockets is just tedious.

    Finding an end-to-end payment processor can help with these issues. A end-to end payment processor simply means that the processor handles the entire transaction chain: they are there from the beginning when the transaction is initiated, all the way to the end. It might not seem like a big deal, but these kinds of processor have serious benefits for merchants. Read on for three big ways that end-to-end processing can bridge the gap between online merchants and payment solutions.

    1: Easy integration

    Easy integration is one of the most important parts of an online payment processor. You want a product that can easily integrate with your site, offering a professional and simple experience for your customers. An end-to-end processor can help with that — these payment processors integrate will all kinds of technology at the very beginning of the transaction chain. From there, they can leverage their relationships with banks to support merchants at every point of the transaction process. Instead of handing things off to an acquiring bank, issuing bank, or other parties, you’re in one pair of hands the whole way.

    2: Fraud Protection

    Consumers are wary after the major data breaches of the last few years. Online security is on everyone’s mind, and if customers are too jittery about potential fraud, it could cut into your bottom line. As a merchant, you should take steps to reduce the likelihood that payment information might get stolen. One way to do that is to look into end-to-end processing. The more steps there are between when a consumer swipes their card to when a merchant absorbs the transaction, the more opportunities there are for that information to become compromised. And if there’s a breakdown anywhere in the process, it take more time to locate it and make sure payments are still secure.

    A single point of contact reduces all of these risks. End-to-end processing simplifies the transaction chain and provides fewer opportunities for information to be stolen. And with only one payment processor, any issues that arise in the transaction process can be taken care of quickly. This higher level of security in end-to-end payment processing technology gives consumers and merchants more peace of mind: a win-win scenario for everyone.

    3: Saving Time

    It’s not a hard calculation: subtracting the middlemen from a transaction saves you time. With other payment processors, it can sometimes take up to a week for merchants to receive a payment, creating potential cash flow issues. Switching to a processor with end-to-end technology makes this process not only simpler, but faster as well. Having only one point-of-contact helps facilitate smoother and faster transactions. And as an added bonus, there’s better accountability from the beginning to the end of the process: there’s only one party dealing with this transaction, rather than many different banks.

    With an end-to-end payment processor, cutting out these other entities can also save you money.  The more people that are involved in a transaction, the higher the labor and overhead costs can rise. An end-to-end processor can complete a transaction much more rapidly than the alternative, simply because there are fewer parties involved. And time is money, after all. ..Shouldn’t you be trying to get more of it?

    End-to-end payment processors take care of every piece of the payment puzzle. They have strong relationships with banks, deliver more cohesive reporting, and experience greater operational efficiency than the standard payment processing chain. Ready to make the switch? Find a merchant account provider like PayArc. With over 300 integrations, merchants can connect with PayArc virtually any way possible,  allowing them to focus on growing and managing their business. Are you ready to explore payment solutions for your business?

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Industry Insights
    payment-processing
  • Fees 101: Understanding NABU – Network Access and Brand Usage (NABU) Fees

    Fees 101: Understanding NABU – Network Access and Brand Usage (NABU) Fees

    Have you received your merchant services statement recently and wondered what all the fees mean? It’s not uncommon for those new to credit card processing services to be a bit confused by all of the charges that may come with your invoice. Here’s what you need to know about the most common of them: card brand fees.

    First, every card issuing company that you work with (including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express) will charge these fees on your statement. Sometimes referred to as Card Brand Fees, or even Card Association Fees, they get paid directly to these card issuers. They sometimes show up as NABU (“Network Access and Brand Usage”) next to the charge on the statement.

    Who Benefits?

    Because the money charged for card brand fees goes to the card (VISA, for example), the credit card processor doesn’t usually benefit. While some processors may charge a cost above this fee, your statement should break this out. If not, you can view the line item charge to see what the actual cost is and subtract that from what you were charged to know for sure.

    NABU card brand fees help defer the cost of each transaction processed. They keep MasterCard and American Express in business to serve merchants who accept their forms of payment, either as a debit or credit card purchase.

    What Do Card Brand Fees Include?

    Fees vary by card issuer, bank, and your specific agreement with the processor. While not every merchant will pay the same, some common charges may make up these costs.

    They include:

    • Credit and Debit Assessments – These fees are based on a percentage of volume, plus a charge per transaction. All card issuers charge these.
    • International Processing Fee – This is an extra charge for purchases made from cards that originate outside of the United States. It is also referred to as an International Assessment, Cross-Border Assessment Fee, International Service Assessment Fee (ISA), or International Acquirer Fee.
    • Processing Integrity Fee – This per-transaction fee is charged when charges are not settled within a suitable time frame (usually 24 hours for Card-Present sales, or 72 hours for Card-Not-Present sales.) These may also be called a Transaction Integrity Fee (TIF) or Noncompliance Fee. The card issuer may also charge a fee on top of this for detailing these charges on your statement.
    • Card-Not-Present Surcharge – This fee applies when a retailer or merchant charges a card that’s not physically available. It is also called a Digital Enablement Fee.
    • Account Status Inquiry Fee – Sometimes, it’s necessary for a merchant to check for available funds without making a charge. Card brands will charge a small transaction fee for this. It may also be called a Zero Dollar Verification Fee.

    Other fees that cards can charge include a per-location monthly fee, Misuse of Authorization Fee, and various pre-authorization fees.

    Depending on whether the charge is through Discover, MasterCard, VISA, or American Express, you can see between four and fifteen various fee types per statement. Costs range from a tiny $0.0025 per transaction to a flat fee of $15 per month for each kind of brand card fee. Some of the fees charged, however, are very rare and do not apply to all business types.

    Why Pay Fees?

    The costs associated with credit card processing may seem intimidating, but the benefits are clear. Having the ability to proudly display that you accept the major card brands can be a significant win for your business. As more people choose to carry an average of two or more major credit cards with them when they shop each day, it’s become apparent that consumers love choice.

    Switching between a VISA and a MasterCard, for example — so that they can benefit from card rewards or optimal interest rates – is desired by smart shoppers. Knowing that your store accepts a variety of cards will help you remain competitive in today’s business world. These mandatory card brand fees may be a small price to pay for the type of customer experience most have come to expect.

    How to Save on Card Brand Fees

    While most of the NABU fees are set in stone with the credit card issuer and are not usually up for negotiation, there are ways to ensure that the number and scope of these charges remain manageable. Putting robust security features in place and using best practices for card acceptance can reduce some of the penalty fees that occur for transactions without a physical card or that don’t clear on time.
    PayArc has special offers for foundations and nonprofits, sometimes providing processing at cost. For additional tips for managing your card account fees, see your PayArc  representative.

    ‍

    Payarc

    November 15, 2021
    Uncategorized
    payment-processing
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