Help reduce fraud when accepting credit cards online:
Late night orders tend to have more fraudulent transactions then during the day
Orders from certain countries can be suspect check with your processor for this list Orders in higher volume then you usually receive could be fraud. Cybercrooks don’t care how high the bill is, since they don’t intend to pay it Email addresses that seem to have no apparent connection to the customer’s name or include random characters could be an attempt to mask identity If a customer does not supply full information which includes the complete address and phone number consider not accepting this order If they are available, utilize CVC2 (MasterCard) and CVV2 (Visa). These two numbers are the three unique digits on the back of a MasterCard and Visa credit card. These are used in situations where the card is not present, e.g. mail order, telephone order and Internet credit card transaction.
Stopping fraud and chargebacks at the point of sale for retail merchants (card present)
Verify cardholder’s signature to make sure it is the same as the name embossed on the card. Compare the signature on the card to that on the sales slip. Do not continue to seek authorizations on a declined transaction; do not reduce the amount requested and do not repeat the request Process refunds to your customers account quickly, always using the same credit card number from the original sale. Never give a customer a refund by cash or check. Make sure the information that prints on the credit card receipts matches what is printed on the credit card.
We at The Hope Process are following Mark on his biking Journey across country. He is on the "Bike the US for MS" which we posted about in our earlier blog posts. Here is his latest entry:
June 17 – By Mark
After a good night’s sleep at the Rough River Dam State Park, I joined a few riders up at the lodge for the park’s famous breakfast buffet. I told myself I wouldn’t over eat like last night but two plates later I was quickly regretting eating that last biscuit. One way or another though a 75 mile day was ahead and nothing was going to come close to slowing me down from beating the afternoon heat. I left the lodge with Ben Dymond and Bret Taylor soon caught up with us a few miles down the road. We got into a sweet peloton going about 20 mph and then later talked about what the Midwest towns will be looking like in a few weeks. The fact that we’re going to be almost doubling some towns’ population still leaves me in awe. When we got to the first stop I got a quick bite to eat and headed out just a few minutes later with the early morning crew who had been at the stop for a while already. After just a few miles we hit some rolling hills and the group began to split up and ride on their own. Leigh and I ended up missing the second stop so we got some food at the next town’s diner. It wasn’t the nicest place I’ve seen but after interacting with the locals they won us over and sent us out the door feeling happy and full. It happens time and time again; you tell people what you’re up to and after they get over the initial shock of seeing you in tight spandex they really warm up to you and start talking. Our waitress couldn’t have been more than 15 but she was telling us about how she plays tennis for her school and recently placed in the county tourney. My mind flashed back to my last two college years where I’ve picked up tennis and play it almost every week. Still can’t get my serve down though!
We rode an easy 8 miles to Sebree, Kentucky where we were staying at a church. While waiting for a shower I dominated a couple games of ping pong and helped prepare dinner too. At the church we stayed at lives Violet nearby, a wonderful lady who takes it upon herself to cook meals for cyclists who stay at the church. She’s been hosting cyclists for thirty years and she said we were her biggest group yet. Watching her cook dinner and converse with us really humbled me, I couldn’t get over her kindness and genuine concern for us and every person who she crosses paths with. After getting a hot shower I prepared the garlic bread while Stephen peeled the sweet potatoes, Jeff cut the cantaloupe, and Rose and Violet’s grandkids made the brownies. Dinner with everyone was incredible, it was like we were all a big family, all eating together. I began to realize that that’s just what we have become here on this trip.
Late night activities including playing a few games of ping pong and watching the NBA finals. Some kids went down to the dairy bar for a late night milkshake fix but I was set for the night. I took advantage of the church’s free wi-fi and watched an episode of Lost before bed. It took a little while to find a quiet place to sleep, away from the snorers, but the church’s Sunday school room turned out to be a good find.
We at "The Hope Process" wanted to talk about choosing the best Processor for you.
1. Be Aware of all Processing Options. Credit, Debit and EBT are the processing options most utilized by merchants. Ask for a definition of each one, if you are not familiar with them.
2. Don’t settle for less than 24/7 Customer and Technical Support. You should receive 24/7 Customer Service/Technical Support coverage with a convenient 800 number regardless of your store hours. Your processor should be available whenever you are.
3. Your Billing Statement must be Simple to Understand. It should be designed to state the facts and save you time, not confuse or camouflage costs. Always ask to see an actual statement and be sure it makes sense to you.
4. Be Sure All Fees and Charges are Included and get the Best Price Ask about start-up and monthly premiums. Understand how all fees are determined and get it in writing. It’s your money and you deserve to pay for only what you have agreed to. Don’t hesitate to question if you’re getting the best possible rate.
5. Demand Education In this high tech age, things change rapidly. Make sure your processor informs you of upgrades and industry changes, like PCI. Have them explain how these changes may affect your ability to process transactions.
6. Take Nothing for Granted Your representative is there to help you. Ask questions, get answers. Understand your processing relationship.
7. Find Out if Your Processor Supports a Charitable Cause Ask them do they donate any portion of the profits they earn from your business to a charity in your name. If they don’t, ask them why and find one that does. In these economic times, you need to get all the tax benefits you deserve.
Now that you know little more about credit card processing we encourage you to go over to "The Hope Process" website and take a look around with a little more understanding of how we work 1-800-366-1388
