Is there a monthly minimum fee?… The monthly minimum fee, while seen by merchant account providers as a way to guarantee themselves an account is worth establishing, is seen by merchants as a penalty for being small or having a slow month.

• The monthly minimum fee is not required by Visa or MasterCard. Larger merchant generally don’t have to worry about this fee as they will process enough sales during a month to never see it. Smaller merchants or seasonal merchants can see their costs for accepting credit cards be as much as double of what they should be without this fee.
• A good follow up question to this would be, “Why do you charge a monthly minimum fee”?
• If they tell you it is a required fee from Visa and MasterCard, you now know they aren’t being very honest with you and you can end your discussions with them immediately.

Contracts…When establishing a merchant account every merchant must sign a contract specifying the responsibilities of both parties. You must agree to abide by Visa and MasterCard rules as well as those of the merchant account provider. However, this does not mean you have to be locked into a contract for any length of time (to learn more about contracts and term lengths see Understanding a Merchant Account Contract’s Length of Term).

Visa nor MasterCard require merchants to use their services for any length of time. Contracts that require a merchant to keep their merchant account for any length of time is solely at the discretion of the merchant account provider. The fee associated with terminating a contract early is also at the discretion of the merchant account provider and thus can vary. Contract lengths are not always disclosed up front so you must be sure to ask your provider what yours is. Make sure you don’t ask, “Is there a contract?” because the answer is always, “Yes”. You want to be sure to find out how long your contract is for.

Your needs….I know restaurants that process over $5,000,000 per month in credit cards, and they use 5 impact cash registers and 5 Hypercom T7 Plus credit card machines. While this may not quite meet the demands of your business, you should carefully weigh your options before making your decision. Do you really need to spend thousands of dollars on something that may not help you in the long run. Find a system that is able to grow as the needs of your business grow. If you do opt for a complex processing system, make sure you aren’t going to need to replace it any time soon, and that it is very well supported. Replacing a credit card machine is cheap, but replacing a POS system is not. Also, don’t forget to take into account the time it takes to train an employee on how to use your system. A credit card machine only takes about 10 minutes to learn the basics, a POS system could take 10 hours or more.

Especially in the case of a start-up business, the money spent on a complex, expensive system is almost definitely better suited elsewhere. Don’t believe a salesman that tries to convince you that you need their system just because they say you do or throw some charts at you. As long as your processing method works smoothly and securely, your customers will not know or care what you are using to process their card. Only you can determine if you need that expensive system. If you’re in doubt, opt for the cheaper method and upgrade later. Ask yourself if you really need all of the features, and if you really can justify the cost before buying into any expensive processing or other business equipment. Is your business better off spending that $10,000 elsewhere and upgrading later?

 A wide variety of customizable transaction reports provides you with a helpful as well as cost saving accounting business management tool.

Lipman Nurit 2085 Plus can handle multiple payment types Credit Debit Cash T & E EBT Check Verification, Guarantee and Conversion Pre-Paid Cards Loyalty / Gift Cards Smart Cards Proprietary Card Lipman Nurit 2085 Plus - FAST, FLEXIBLE AND HASSLE-FREE Occupying minimal workspace, the Lipman Nurit 2085 Plus continues to rank among Lipman’s most popular and attractive solutions. Employees who use it every day appreciate its menu driven, user-friendly interface. For the busy merchant, customizable hot key shortcuts make daily operation a breeze, plus it’s a cinch for new employee’s to learn.

Yes, as an internet online merchant you will be charged higher rates because the fraud issue is considered much higher for an internet online merchant than it is in the retail world.  The only rate changes you should see are in the discount rate and transaction fee.  Discount rates for Internet online merchants range around 2.50% and transaction fees around $0.30. Fees are different from provider to provider, but in general you can expect to pay around those terms, maybe even lower.  It might be in your best interest to sell your terminal (if already paid for or the lease is up) and use the money to upgrade to a Real-Time solution. With a Real-Time solution you will be able to do transactions automatically when someone orders from your site and also manually whenever a sale is made at your retail store. If you also do MO/TO (Mail Order/Telephone Order) the manual processing would work the same as for retail (face-to-face). Check with a Merchant Account Provider for details.

Before you choose and internet merchant provider, understand all of the cost components. Use your current or projected sales data to forecast what your internet merchant account costs will be. Planning ahead can save you time and money.

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Hypercom’s product portfolio ranges from basic credit authorization to full transaction transport and more providing complete, end-to-end transaction solutions that expand the possibilities at the POS in ways that translate to greater profits.

 Hypercom’s S1300 payment terminal automates electronic payment transactions, protects the entry of PINs and secures both data input and data transmission according to standards set by international payment bodies, regulatory authorities and banking associations. The Hypercom S1300 is a hardened PIN pad and card acceptance device that can be used either indoors or out, is easy to operate and enables fast, secure identification of both card and cardholder.


Hypercom’s rugged design protects against wear, dust and vandalism and is compliant with global and local security standards including PED*.
The S1300 was developed for easy integration and upgrade of existing unattended systems and easily connects to terminals, cash registers and peripherals while delivering all the functionality of PIN card reader and POS terminal.
The Hypercom S1300 can be implemented on both wired and wireless technologies for POS connection communications.

The s1300 is perfect for semi-attended and self-service transactions with a clear, backlit LCD display provides better character distinction and is easy to see in all levels of light. Flexible programming, combined with strong physical and logical protection, enables implementation of a variety of market requirements and the S1300 ommunicates via in-store network or as a peripheral to a host device such as an Electronic Cash Register System.

Designed for indoor and outdoor unattended locations withstanding the harshest environments, the Hypercom s1300 is water and dust resistant. It has a simplified keypad that was designed in consultation with disability experts for easy use, with its concave keys and internationally-recognized tactile identifiers on the “5″ keys.

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Why?

Even though we would like your credit card processing business, we want you to make this important business decision with the most information possible.

Key Features

• Rugged design protects against wear, dust and vandalism
• Compliant with global and local security standards including PED*
• Developed for easy integration and upgrade of existing unattended systems
• Easily connects to terminals, cash registers and peripherals
• Delivers all the functionality of PIN card reader and POS terminal
• Implemented on both wired and wireless technologies for POS connection communications

Performance

• Perfect for semi-attended and self-service transactions
• Clear, backlit LCD display provides better character distinction and is easy to see in all levels of light
• Flexible programming, combined with strong physical and logical protection, enables implementation of a variety of market requirements
• Communicates via in-store network or as a peripheral to a host device such as an Electronic Cash Register (ECR) system

Design

• Designed for indoor and outdoor unattended locations
• Water and dust resistant; built to withstand the harshest environments
• Simplified keypad was designed in consultation with disability experts for easy use, with its concave keys and internationally-recognized tactile identifiers on the “5″ key
• Fits comfortably into any self-service system, including kiosks, ticketing, transportation, self-checkout, entertainment, fast food, pay-at-pump and more

Security

• Compliant with local and global security standards including PED*
• Minimizes certification and testing requirements for easy integration
• Tamper-proof architecture includes a variety of advanced anti-tamper and attack-resistant features which protect internal systems from invasion and maintain the financial integrity of each and every transaction

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Its 5.7” color screen puts specialized coupon and marketing campaigns right at checkout, where impulse buying is most effective, without slowing the transaction process.

The big bezel lets you customize every unit with your company colors, logo and brand graphics, turning the device into a true marketing tool. Sleek and easy to use, it also offers signature capture capabilities.

At the same time, you get the best possible payment processing, with Hypercom’s advanced technologies delivering fast transactions every time – from the compact Intel XScale® 32-bit processor for fast data transmission to advanced communications options, including RS-232, non-powered and powered USB and Ethernet.

The Optimum L4100 is the one you want in every lane, to maximize customer convenience and retail attraction.

Optional Accessories

• Snap-On Keypad - Lets you accommodate customers with ADA-compliant convenience.
• Replacement Stylus and Tether- Lets you replace worn stylus with new component on location.
• Flat Stand Adapter- Frees up counter space, puts unit closer to customers.

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Key Features
INTERAC certified
Intel® XScale® 32-bit processor
Dual head, bi-directional triple track magnetic stripe reader
Dynamic 65,536 color 5.7″ 1/4 VGA display
Integrated contactless payment reader supporting ExpressPay™, PayPass™ and Visa contactless programs
Advanced screen protection system
Signature capture capabilities
EMV approved smart card reader
Two RS-232 ports, high-speed USB (12Mbps), optional IBM USB, optional 10/100Base-T Ethernet with industry-standard RJ-45 connector
Customizable bezel


Cost Effective - Robust, pressure-sensitive touch screen, proven to provide high-performance signature capture in high-volume retail environments, ensures value and reliability with the lowest maintenance and repair costs in the industry
Non-powered stylus, with no on-board electronics, significantly reduces the cost for replacements at an industry common breakpoint.
Auto-sensing screen protection system dramatically expands the life of the device and minimizes returns for repair due to screen damage. Unique design allows operators to quickly and easily replace protectors in the field to maximize life of the product and ensure the best appearance of screen information.
Screen backlight automatically turns off which extends the life of the backlight, saving both money and time .
Customizable bezel and large color screen allow retailers to expand their branding directly to the point of sale and advertise company colors and logos directly on the device, which enhances a customer’s buying experience and protects a retailer’s brand investment .
Advanced hardware and software architecture provides solid investment protection with fast transactions, up to 24MB of memory and Intel XScale 32-bit processor.
Powered by Hypercom’s flexible and efficient Forms Processing Engine software, with available OPOS, JavaPOS and direct command interfaces, product integration can be achieved faster and at less expense than any other solution on the market today. Updates to transaction flow and screen content are quickly and easily managed due to the unique nature of Hypercom’s application architecture.

Performance - Advanced communications options including RS-232, non-powered and powered USB and Ethernet combined with Intel XScale 32-bit processor enables fast data transmission, which reduces transaction time. Bi-directional, dual head magnetic strip reader and an easy-to-use interface help customers check out faster. Flexible communications options allow for easy integration with existing POS systems, which reduces the time it takes to develop, test and certify a custom application. 802.11b WiFi capable via compact flash option.
 
Security - Easy-to-use interface allows customers to initiate all transaction types, which reduces costs associated with human error and fraud. Scalable transaction framework meets all industry standards and PIN entry requirements. Protection against unauthorized applications and PIN compromise attacks via our advanced standards-based POS Public Key Encryption using the RSA method. Using this method, the Optimum L4100 authenticates each downloaded application to ensure it came from a trusted source in accordance with PCI standards.

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