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Why Accept Gift Cards?

by merchant-account-services on May 18, 2010

in Giftcards

The Benefits of Gift Cards

Paper, or Plastic?

These days, consumers prefer plastic. So fulfill your customer’s demand, and replace those old-fashioned, paper gift certificates with plastic gift cards today!

Already throughout the retail industry, merchants are issuing their customers gift cards, and to keep your business competitive, you should do the same.

GiftCardsInfinity

Gift card services can be beneficial for you and your customers….

Merchant Benefits:

  • Enhance sales and revenue. By offering customers more options and incentives to remain loyal to your business, sales will automatically increase.
  • Earn interest from each gift card, from the point of purchase to the time of use.
  • Encourage, build, and maintain customer loyalty. To redeem the card value, customers will revisit your store and, quite possibly, purchase more.
  • “Slippage.” Unlike gift certificates, cash is not reimbursed to customers who do not redeem their full gift card value. Estimates state that approximately 10-15% of gift card balances are never used.
  • Avoid theft and fraud damages. Gift cards require activation to be used and contain other security features to help minimize the risk of theft and fraud.

Customer Benefits:

  • Save your customers valuable time. With this easy gift solution, customers know the recipient will get something they like.
  • Let customers give the gift of convenience. Gift cards offer flexibility because they can be used at any time, at any participating location, and toward any store purchase.
  • Give customers the control. Customers can easily control spending with a pre-paid, “stored value” card.

General Gift Card Information:

  • Gift cards hold, or “store” a pre-paid value that can be used for purchases.
  • Gift cards can be customized to fit the branding and image of the merchant.
  • Magnetic stripe gift cards are processed as secure, electronic payments through most existing Point of Sale systems and credit card terminals.
  • Merchants can select from various program options to better suit their objectives.
  • Gift cards can hold value until the balances are redeemed or have expired, or they can be “re-loadable.”
  • As further incentive to customer loyalty, predetermined rewards can be given back to customers.

…Gift cards have practically replaced gift certificates.”

With approximately 65% of Americans having purchased or received a gift card in the past year, trends show that gift cards have practically replaced gift certificates. Not only do they supply easy earnings for merchants, but they offer invaluable convenience for customers. So start expanding your business, and upgrade or add a gift card program.

Merchant Solutions IQ is dedicated to saving merchants money on what they already have to pay. We believe that educating our merchants about the industry is the best way to earn and keep your business.

We perform custom rate analysis free of charge no obligation to any merchant who asks. Just contact me, Kevin at ksarisky@merchantsolutionsiq.com for more information.

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Even if you’ve never been on the dreaded Terminated Merchant File (also known as MATCH) list, you need to take measures to ensure that you don’t end up on it.

How? For starters, rethink whom you do business with. Signing up with the wrong processor greatly increases your chance of landing on the MATCH file, especially for incidental reasons like fee discrepancies.iStock_000007395743Large

Sign up with reputable processors and have a thorough understanding of the provisions in the merchant account application, particularly the contract period and any associated termination fees. Also, it’s a good idea to understand the rules of Visa and MasterCard. Knowing about the MATCH file and the general regulations of Visa and MasterCard can help when trying to get off of it – or stay off.

Preventative measures can help you to stay off the TMF – measures such as fraud detection and an effective transaction management system that prevents mistakes like authorizing transactions multiple times, charging canceled cards and other oversights.

Tips for staying off the TMF list:

  • Don’t go over your officially authorized maximum sales without permission from your merchant processor.
  • Provide your customers with up-to-date information about how and when you will debit funds from their accounts. Give them easy access to contact methods for them to reach you with any of their questions, concerns or complaints. Respond to all inquires in a timely fashion.
  • List your customer support phone number on your customers’ monthly statements. If they don’t recognize your debit they should call you first before hastily-and mistakenly-disputing the charge.
  • Provide excellent customer service and stay in touch with your customers. Send emails, call them to confirm higher-than-normal charges or to solicit customer feedback, and send newsletters. The more they know you the better the more they will feel comfortable with and trust you.
  • Monitor transactions closely with a transaction management system, so that you can protect your business from an expensive interruption of service.

Merchant Solutions IQ is dedicated to saving merchants money on what they already have to pay. We believe that educating our merchants about the industry is the best way to earn and keep your business.

We perform custom rate analysis free of charge no obligation to any merchant who asks. Just contact me, Kevin at ksarisky@merchantsolutionsiq.com for more information.

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Where are Some Types of Online Fraud Coming From?

April 27, 2010

According to the U.S Internet Crime Complaint Center in 2004, there were more than 207,000 internet fraud reports in the United States alone. One type of online fraud that most people are familiar with is a scam run on Craigslist where the seller receives an email from a prospective buyer offering to send a cashier’s [...]

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TMF MATCH List or Terminated Merchant File (TMF) List

April 27, 2010

Some lists you want to be on-like the VIP list. But the TMF is one list you don’t want to be on. We’ll talk about what this means for your business, how to avoid getting on the TMF list and what to do if you end up on it.
What is the TMF Match List?
When you [...]

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