Building better businesses.
One of the most common questions I get as a payment services professional is, “What do you think of Square?”. I often express my respect for them as they have helped millions of micro-merchants enable mobile payments, and access funding while they've built their...
Every day, there’s a merchant out there in the world doing their best to negotiate for a new payment processing system, and it’s not their fault. Being a business owner is flat out hard, and dealing with all the vendors, employees, and customers while trying to turn a...
Today, I sat with a business owner as we met with a credit card processing company that sold them $600 worth of equipment on a 48-month lease for $400 per month. The business owner had been having problems with the credit card swipes on their Revel POS system and they...
When I was in sixth grade, I was considered an “at-risk” youth. I didn’t live in the best neighborhood and wasn’t exposed to the best influences. This led to me being kicked out or expelled several times before reaching high school. My dad remodeled and built homes so...
As a business owner needing a quality solution to accept credit cards, you are constantly pursued by credit card processing agents telling you to “Go Direct” so you can eliminate all your payment processing headaches. This “pitch” is used by thousands of credit card...
As a business owner, you rely on a quality business banking relationship to help you be successful as banking is an integral part of paying yourself, your employees, and your vendors. And while having a quality business banking relationship is important, it’s equally...
As a business owner, dealing with credit card processing can be challenging, especially when you decide to search for a new credit card processor. When you start your search, you want to understand how the industry works so you don’t choose the wrong provider for the...
Every day, millions of business owners pay credit card processing fees without knowing where the fees go. To make matters worse, there are millions of credit card processing agents calling on these business owners every day, promising them reduced credit card...
When most business owners start their business, one of the first things they do after getting their business license is open a bank account for their business. It’s an exciting time! This is also a time when business owners are evaluating the financial products they...
I know it sounds odd that I would say that, but it’s the truth. There are 10-15 payment processing platforms in the United States that deposit money. The most commonly used platforms are Elavon, First Data, WorldPay, Vantiv, Chase Paymentech, Global Payments,...
If you’re like most business owners using Square, PayPal, or Stripe to accept credit cards, you are likely looking for ways to grow your business while also controlling your expenses. Accepting credit cards is one of the top 5 expenses a business has regardless of the...
If you’re like most business owners, switching payment processing is a headache for you. In fact, you probably have told people, “I’m only switching if you can save me a bunch of money!”. While saving money is important, there are a few reasons I’ve seen business...
The business of March Madness is here! It’s a time where most of us fill out our brackets at work and wait to see who will win the office competition. It’s also a time when we see the underdog win and overachieve on one of the biggest sports stages in the world. For...
Yes, I’m admitting that credit card processing companies FAIL. This is one topic your credit card processor won’t like admitting. Unfortunately, failure happens. I have a long list of failures as a human being and credit card processing professional. The road to...
If you're the person responsible for making sure you're getting a good deal and service on your payment processing, you"ve probably wondered if the company you're working with is being truthful. I've been around lots of payment processing companies and agents in my...
If you've ever wondered what's really behind this beautiful company that has no apparent downsides, you're not alone. For years I would recommend Square to small startups that were looking into simple payment processing solutions until I read their actual privacy...
I know. I'm probably the only payment processing representative in the United States that isn't jazzed up about the cash discounting craze. As a business owner, I too have to pay credit card processing fees on my merchant account, and it isn't something I...
I absolutely hate credit card processing! Those are the words I hear when I meet with business owners and ask them how they feel about credit card processing. It's one of the topics that business owners, no matter what industry, seem to have deep frustration with. Not...
Ring, Ring, Ring! Ring, Ring, Ring! Ring, Ring, Ring! If you’re a business owner, you know that jingle isn’t Santa Claus. It’s probably another merchant services solicitation call, one you get every single week. In the book I wrote about the payment processing...
Twelve months ago, I sat at client's cafe in Lake Oswego, OR and bawled my eyes out as I wrote a resignation letter on my iPad. I was emotional because I was really going to miss serving my clients. I really enjoyed helping businesses with their credit...
You’ve got your business plan, store equipment, decorations, and inventory. The one thing you don’t have yet is customers! Here are 16 ways to get the word out about your business so you can climb the ranks as another successful business in your town. Get...
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