Secure Merchant Services

What Secure Merchant Services All About

Secure Merchant Services refer to a financial service that is provided to a client which gives businesses the option to receive debit and credit cards, and other kinds of electronic payment methods. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are over 191 million credit card users in America due to the sheer convenience of going to different locations without having to worry if you have enough cash on hand to handle making payments. 

It’s safe to say that electronic cash has gained popularity over the past 10 years and it doesn’t look like it will be stopping anytime soon. To keep up with the growing need for cashless transactions, it is necessary for businesses to offer options that accommodate the new technology by investing in merchant POS software or Petroleum POS systems. By finding someone that can provide them with the ability to do so without leaving a heavy mark on their business’s wallet.

Before the invention of merchant services, customers could withdraw money from the bank, pay the merchant, and the merchant deposit the money back to the bank. To make this easier, the buyer can now transact without going through a brick-and-mortar banking hall. The concept saves time and money for the bank, as well as the merchant and customers.

A merchant processing account allows businesses to receive payments, which are then held for a particular period before transferring them to the bank. If you have done online purchases before you may have interacted with a payment processing system. 

Merchant services allow customers and sellers to have smooth and secure transactions. But there is a lot that happens beyond the keying of details and putting passwords, which affect your operations and some people who have had experiences in software like this may be wondering ‘how to eliminate credit card processing fees?’ We’ve had the worst experiences with POS system providers due to hidden charges and that is exactly why we’ve decided to create our own, to help boost other businesses that may be experiencing the problems we’ve had.

In addition to that, Free merchant services are important for businesses to stay competitive in the market. The importance of free merchant services is not just limited to the business itself, but also impacts the consumer’s experience. Plus, free merchant services have been around for quite a while now, but their importance has never been higher than it is today.

Get a better grasp of secure merchant services:

  • Merchant service provider (acquirer)

    a company that acts as an intermediary between the bank, seller, and the customer.

  • Merchant account

    a bank account that holds the money from the buyer and allows a deduction of all the necessary charges from the merchant. A merchant account should not be confused with a bank account because it only allows debit, credit, and electronic money payments.

  • Issuer

    a financial institution that offers cash advance through credit cards or issues debit cards to customers.

  • Payment gateway

    online software that allows transactions through the internet from one card to another.

  • PCI Compliance

    regulatory requirements that ensure the safe use of credit and debit cards to avoid fraud flagging.

  • Virtual terminal

    a merchant service that allows the business to receive payment from plastic money without the card’s actual presence.

Common Terms In No Fee Merchant Services And Free Merchant Services

  • Merchant service provider (acquirer)

    a company that acts as an intermediary between the bank, seller, and the customer.

  • Merchant account

    a bank account that holds the money from the buyer and allows a deduction of all the necessary charges from the merchant. A merchant account should not be confused for a bank account because it only allows debit, credit, and electronic money payments.

  • Issuer

    a financial institution that offers cash advance through credit cards or issues debit cards to customers.

  • Payment gateway

    online software that allows transactions through the internet from one card to another.

  • Debit cards

    a plastic money technology that gives cash advance and allows you to make transactions without your bank balances.

  • PCI Compliance

    regulatory requirements that ensure the safe use of credit and debit cards to avoid fraud flagging.

  • Virtual terminal:

    a merchant service that allows the business to receive payment from plastic money without the card’s actual presence.

What are merchant services
What are merchant services scaled

Participants In Merchant Services

Credit card processing is another name for merchant processing that involves the business, merchant service provider (MSP), and bank. The bank provides a merchant account to receive the amount transacted throughout the day, week, or another set period. Before transfer to the bank, the money is held by a merchant provider.

The business can use secure merchant POS software such as Petroleum POS systems to charge clients and record transactions. The business owner closes the transactions and deposits the amount to the bank account and if you catch yourself still hung up on the idea of ‘how to eliminate credit card processing fees?’ that may occur then it may be high time that you find something a little more transparent and reliable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Merchant services are essential for both small and established businesses. They not only offer the payment platforms but also ensure the security of your customers’ data. You also don’t have to worry about PCI compliance, which is a major concern for startups. Your account can be frozen if you are not compliant.

The idea of MSP is to help your business transact flawlessly without affecting your profits. The charges for merchant services are usually below 5 cents for every transaction. Your customers are not charged any fee; therefore, it does not affect them.

Because a merchant account is not a transaction account, you want the bucks to be in your bank account as soon as possible. It should take less than 2 days to process the money from your merchant to a checking account.

Although the two are interdependent, they serve different purposes. A payment gateway allows your business to receive online payments while merchant services provide a holding wallet for the payment before transfer to your bank account.
Cryptocurrency is a new technology that allows transactions without a central regulatory body. Bitcoin falls under this category. Bitcoin merchant services help businesses to receive the cryptocurrency in their local currency within 48 hours after the payment.
Some of the most common merchant service fees include interchange transfer, markup, PCI compliance, account setup, and cancellation fees. Although it is not a must to be charged all the fees, it is essential to confirm from the provider the charges.

When selecting an MSP for your small business, you should consider the fees, PCI compliance, and complimentary services. It can be costly to source services like the point of sale and credit card terminals from another company. Full disclosure of all the fees on the part of the provider is also an essential factor.

If you are looking for a reliable merchant service provider that will help your business grow through seamless transactions, get in touch with us today. You can get all the services of an MSP under one roof and cut on the cost and time of consolidation.