Credit Card Processing for a Home-Based Business

It’s tough to put an exact figure on it, but statistics indicate there are as many as 38 million home-based businesses in the U.S. Regardless of the products or services they provide, all of them can benefit significantly from accepting credit cards. By working with Merchant Express®, an experienced and reputable merchant services provider, home-based businesses can be set up to start credit card processing in just days.

Technology has made it easier than ever for small businesses to compete in today’s marketplace. When customers can find unique items and superior customer service at affordable prices, they’re likely to choose an independently-owned local small business over a Big Box store. By accepting payment cards, even limited-volume merchants can meet the payment preferences of their cardholding customers and benefit from their tendency to make more impulse and larger, upscale purchases.

Credit card processing by a professional merchant services provider pays off in additional ways for small businesses as well. You’ll know within seconds of swiping a customer’s plastic whether it has been authorized by the bank — not so when they pay by check, which can take days to clear! Plus, accepting credit cards can totally eliminate the need to bill customers, wait for payment or launch a collection effort. And in these days of virtually universal credit card acceptance, those logos in your store window or on your website immediately give your small business credibility with customers accustomed to charging their purchases.

Depending on your specific situation, credit card processing can take a variety of forms. If you do all your business locally and in person, you need to be mobile to make every sale count. PayFox™ from Merchant Express is a mobile credit card processing option that turns your iPhone into a credit card terminal on the go that allows you to travel directly to your customers and clients. Set up your merchant account, download the required app to your smartphone and start accepting major credit cards and signature debit cards immediately. Your processing costs are lowered when you use the recommended USB card reader that makes all transactions card present. PayFox is speedy, convenient and secure, thanks to an SSL connection for data transmission and advanced fraud detection address verification support (AVS).

For small businesses that operate from websites, an electronic payment gateway like Transaction Express™ from Merchant Express provides online credit card processing. Integrate it with your existing virtual shopping cart and accept major credit cards and signature debit cards on any device that’s connected to the Internet. Transaction Express also supports batch processing and mobile payments, and you can even schedule recurring payments for regular customers.

If your operation is very low volume, credit card processing is as close as the nearest touchtone phone. Just dial a toll-free number, follow the audio prompts and manually enter all the necessary information. As with a POS retail transaction, each dial-up sale is processed and authorized in seconds, with proceeds deposited into your bank account within a couple of days.

The only way to know all the credit card processing options available for your small business is to talk to a reputable provider like Merchant Express. We can set you up with the right merchant account and processing solution for your specific requirements.