Merchant Account

Discount Merchant Account Availability
By Shane Penrod

Find out if discount merchant account services are available
for your company by browsing Websites of potential lenders. By
checking application guidelines, you will soon see whether you
quality, and if so, how to apply and enhance your chances of
being approved for this account. Getting a merchant account
makes you eligible to accept credit card payments. Think of how
greatly your sales volume could increase when you allow
customers to pay with credit instead of insisting on cash or
checks. They will love you for providing this option, and your
sales volume could quickly skyrocket when happy customers come
to visit with plastic in hand.

A discount merchant account lets you provide credit payment
options at one low price. For example, after paying a possible
application and setup fee of perhaps $100, you may be charged
just $19.95 per month for the options of accepting credit card
and debit payments as well as e-check processing and related
services. You have to be careful when shopping for a merchant
account, as there may be all kinds of hidden fees that are not
listed on the home page. Instead, these may be buried in fine
print or posted on a distant link from the home page. You need
to find out in advance what the costs will be and how you will
be expected to pay them. For example, ask about an online
application fee, a membership fee, and a setup fee, among
others, if you don’t see these posted. Some services will tell
you that what you see is what you get. In other words, if you
don’t see a certain fee in the price list, it doesn’t exist and
cannot be added later. Even if you accept a merchant account
under certain conditions the first year, during the second year
your fees could change, so ask about the long view as well.

Applying for a discount merchant account must be undertaken
with caution. Something that sounds too good to be true probably
is just that. Look for a lender’s name you can trust along with
a reputation built on values like integrity and respect. Avoid
companies that you are unfamiliar with, as there are many
fly-by-night entities looking to make a fast buck. Get the
contract in writing, and make sure you read it all before
signing up. Ask for clarification of any terms or conditions you
do not understand. All too often, an unwary entrepreneur may end
up in dire straits when a seemingly lucrative merchant account
becomes a sinkhole.

Don’t rush out and buy all types of credit processing equipment
when your merchant account is approved. First, make a business
budget that includes a category for growth and marketing. Then
look for the right kind of equipment that will best serve your
customers’ needs. For example, you don’t have to buy every type
of credit processing system available when a simple plug-in
terminal will do. Keep your expenditures low while you get used
to this new way of collecting payments. If all works out well,
you can add more options later with your discount merchant
account.

About the Author: Shane Penrod is the founder of
http://www.Merchant-Account-Quotes.com Specializing in allowing
merchants the ability to shop and compare multiple quotes from
national merchant account providers. For free quotes on merchant
account rates and fees, please go to
http://www.merchant-account-quotes.com

Source: http://www.isnare.com