Business Improvement

Multiple Merchant Accounts May Help Save On Processing Fees

Getting multiple merchant accounts may seem counterproductive when you’re trying to save money on merchant account fees but for many businesses another account would actually lower credit card processing charges.

Lower processing fees due to mid and nonqualified surcharges.

The largest cause of avoidable processing expense is downgrades due to mid and nonqualified surcharges. Exactly why credit card transactions downgrade is beyond the scope of this particular article but downgrades are unmatched when it comes to inflating credit card processing expenses. You can learn more about downgrades at merchantcouncil.org but for now I’ll discuss why another merchant account can help you avoid these costly surcharges.

Cardpresent and cardnotpresent are the two general categories of merchant accounts that the more specific types of accounts fall under. Cardpresent merchant accounts are used by businesses that process a credit card transaction when the customer and their credit card are present. Retail stores are the most obvious example of a cardpresent merchant. Cardnotpresent merchant accounts are used by businesses that process transactions when the customer and their card are not present. An ecommerce business is a great example of a cardnotpresent merchant.

Now that we’ve got the formalities covered you’re probably wondering what mid and nonqualified surcharges have to do with saving money by getting multiple merchant accounts. For businesses that accept a substantial number of both cardpresent and cardnotpresent transactions having two merchant accounts will decrease surcharges due to downgrades. When a cardnotpresent transaction is processed through a cardpresent merchant account the transaction will automatically downgrade to the mid or most likely nonqualified discount rate tier. Using multiple merchant accounts allows a business to process transactions through the proper type of account thereby avoiding expensive surcharges and downgrades.

Some business owners are apprehensive about getting multiple merchant accounts because they don’t want to double fixed monthly fees such as a merchant account monthly minimum or statement fee. This problem can often be avoided by getting both merchant accounts through the same provider. When you buy in bulk it’s usually possible to negotiate lower fixed monthly fees for each account.

Multiple merchant accounts will help you avoid losses due to processor downtime.

Although it’s not common credit card processors and acquiring banks sometimes experience problems that cause intermittent service disruptions. For the merchants that depend on them being unable to accept credit cards for any length of time often means lost revenue.

By getting multiple merchant accounts through different processors you can protect yourself against service disruptions due to downtime. However the cost of having two merchant accounts to protect against service outages won’t outweigh the benefits for all businesses. Processor service outages aren’t common and monthly fees will have to be paid for each merchant account that you have.

To figure out if having a second merchant account to protect your business against service disruptions would be beneficial subtract the sum of monthly charges for the dormant merchant account from a hypothetical 24hour period of not being able to accept credit cards.

About the writer:  This article about multiple merchant accounts and more merchant account information is available at merchantcouncil.org to help you find the best merchant account for your individual processing needs.

Mistakes You Could Commit In Sales Letter Writing!

Sales letters whether they’re taking the form of an email or direct mail are easy to write but easy to mess up as well. If you want to make sure that your sales letter writing will achieve your desired results the following mistakes are something you should avoid committing above all things. There’s nothing wrong with writing sales letters that are more than one page long if you have confirmation or you’re relatively sure that the reader would welcome a letter of such length. But if it’s your first try to contact a prospective customer then it’s better to play it safe by not going beyond the one page mark. Granted it might be difficult to compress all the wonderful news you wish to share with your future customers but you really have no choice .Instead of thinking about this as a reduced marketing opportunity why not see it as a way of encouraging more interest from your readers? Rather than give everything away consider giving them just a bite or a teaser of what they can expect. And if they take the bait then that’s when you can write to your heart’s content. If you hadn’t bothered to research about the full name of your recipient then don’t expect your recipient to bother reading the rest of your sales letter as well.
Showing courtesy is an essential part of sales letter writing and the first way to show that is by addressing your letter properly. Know who you’re writing to. That’s the first rule of all. Secondly know how they prefer to be addressed. Some people prefer an informal approach by having the letter addressed in their first name while others prefer a more formal tone. Knowing the preferences of your readers is a privilege that small businesses and not large ones have because the comparatively smaller size of their markets. If however you don’t have the time to do the same simply base your decision on your knowledge of and familiarity with your target market. You’ve written a great sales letter and you’ve successfully convinced your reader to avail of your company’s products or services. Your job is finished right? Wrong! It doesn’t end there and those who had thought so have committed one of the worst mistakes they could do in sales letter writing. Go back to the basics of sales letter writing and ask yourself what’s your objective. It’s to sell products or services right? Convincing your readers that they need what you’re selling is therefore simply the first step in the process. Your job isn’t over until your reader successfully completes the transaction.
Consequently your letter must include clear instructions as to what the reader must do in order to perform the desired action. Links must be clearly visible and identifiable. Additional information must also be provided either on the letter itself or to the landing page. Anticipate possible questions and concerns your reader may have and address all of them in your FAQ section. Again make sure you provide a clear link to this in your landing page or letter. The success of sales letters doesn’t rely solely on your choice of words. It also relies on the credibility of your business and your letter. Start with your email address. It must be valid preferably a paid account and using a name that perfectly symbolizes the essence of your company. Thirdly use a credible sounding subject line and not one that contains false promises. Lastly provide a link for readers who wish to know more of your company. The willingness to give information about your business is always considered a good sign by readers. Features are important yes but they’re important because of the benefits they provide and that’s what your sales letter should emphasize! If you’re selling a mobile phone you don’t merely stop at mentioning it has a 3.0MP camera feature but you go on by saying how the mobile phone makes it convenient for people to take photos that are clear as those provided by a number of digital cameras.

About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;www.10stepstokillerwebcopy.com

www.saleslettersecret.com

Locksmith Freedom

Too Much Freedom?

MA has no restrictions on the Locksmithing Industry.

Our country was founded on the idea of freedom. But allowing anyone to be in charge of the security of your business or family is just going too far. In Massachusetts there are absolutely no restrictions when it comes to certification of a locksmith. They do not need to be licensed bonded or even have the slightest clue as to how a lock works! Just put a number in the phone book and off they go… putting your business and family’s well being in jeopardy.

It is absolutely outrageous that something so important in this day and age is not being taking seriously by anyone in or around Boston. Steps need to be made by lawmakers and legislators alike to help filter out the fake locksmiths who will not only charge ridiculous prices but who will also not even do the job correctly!

A very nice woman came into our shop today here in Randolph with a bill she received from a sub contracted phony locksmith. He charged her for a service call 30 to rekey a deadbolt and 25 in labor. She was confused and upset and so was I. In my book rekeying the deadbolt IS the labor! Why was she charged twice? She wanted to have it rekeyed one more time because she did not trust the man who went to her home. When we took the cylinder out to rekey it it was grinded down and ruined. The man had over charged her and ruined her lock! What a crook.

One organization that is working to correct this problem is the Associated Locksmiths of America ALOA. You can visit them online at www.aloa.com to learn more about what they do and how they are working to rectify such a large national problem. Here at the Flying Locksmiths we rely on more than just our 63 years of creditable service. Every technician is certified through ALOA and obtained a rating of Certified Registered Locksmith. We are urging everyone to find a local Boston MA locksmith they trust before they need one. It can’t hurt to program that number into your phone for emergency use and it might save you a lot of trouble.

The Flying Locksmiths A Local Boston MA Emergency Locksmith

About the writer:  The Flying Locksmiths is a GENUINE local family owned and operated full service locksmith provider. We have been servicing the Boston MA area for over 63 years!