Articles by Gerri Bryce on ArticleSnatch.com

Best Tips to Avoid Frozen Accounts with Your High Risk Merchant Account Provider

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

In the world of online sales, there are a lot of things written on the page but are left unread between the lines. In other words, you go about selling your products and services but there are lots of things high risk merchant account providers don't tell you. Not because they could not or would not, but because they would not discuss the issues with you until you have experienced them. A good example is going through possible freezing of your merchant account. If, as a high risk merchant, you have not exerted an effort to make a research concerning frozen accounts, then you're in BIG trouble. I'll keep it short. Once your merchant account is frozen, your present and future business is put under horrible risk. First, because you will lose the ability to process credit cards online. Second, you will be denied merchant account if you applied for another one. You certainly cannot allow this to happen and it will never if you are smart enough to take preventive measures. VOLUME LIMIT EXCESS Okay, so what gives? **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

Streetsmart Tips In Choosing Your Online Shopping Cart

Wed, 03 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

What is a shopping cart? All online entrepreneurs, including high risk merchants, need a highly efficient shopping cart. This fact can't be stressed too much -- many a business has failed because merchants are trying to use an incompatible shopping cart or is not using the full potential of commercial shopping carts available today. Finding the perfect shopping cart for your online business is time consuming, if not too daunting. Merchants must acquaint themselves with the types of shopping carts in the market as well as test and experiment with their capabilities. It's important to choose the cart that will be flexible so that if a merchant changes his business' marketing plan a year later it will still be functional. In fact, the number one criteria in selecting a shopping cart is to make sure it meshes well with your marketing plan. Types of shopping cart Shopping carts may be classified into free or commercial, and hosted or non-hosted. Free shopping carts are obviously very attractive options for low-budget businesses. It doesn't mean, however, that they are completely free. In fact, merchants will have to make use of a developer's skills to tweak a free shopping cart program like osCommerce. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

How To Tackle Your E-commerce Shipping Issues

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Many a high risk merchant has suffered due to negligence of shipping issues. It's a little ridiculous, knowing how impossible it is for customers to get their products purchased unless an efficient shipping method is implemented. According to e-commerce reports, shipping issues are one of the top reasons why people do not buy from e-commerce merchants. People would either complain that the rates are too high, that the carrier cannot reach their location especially internationally, or that the company has a reputation for late delivery. Are you guilty of any of these headaches? If not, you're lucky. Either you've progressed ahead of the crowd or have learned from sour experience. In reality, high risk merchants tend to neglect that only with efficient shipping will they be able to gain the trust of customers and encourage new visitors to buy. Shopping carts would not be abandoned for the sole reason that they (customers) didn't like the pricing or heard from a friend that your delivery date always come a day too late. If you affiliate with popular shipping companies like UPS or FedEx, your customers' products are likely to be in good hands. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

Get Listed or Get Shot: The High Risk Merchant's Guide to Advertising Online

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Six decades ago, thousands of people who were found on a rich German businessman's record book were brought out from Auschwitz and into a quasi- World War 2 bullet manufacturing company not to work, but to have their lives saved. Fast forward six decades again, and we are into the the same dog-eat-dog world where online content is king. The question is, have you had yourself listed lately? Sure, it's not a life and death situation like Schindler's time, but if you're a high risk merchant, the least you can do is sit down and wait till customers (errr...Gestapos?) find you. Don't be caught off guard. One of the smartest thing you can do as an online entrepreneur is to get your business listed. The natural law states that wherever there's an open space, people will always fill it up with something. Think: table tops and your garage. Merchant directories do the same thing, so don't feel a twinge of guilt. There are tremendous benefits at your disposal once you get your business advertised in these networks. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

Pawn Shop Merchant Account: Why Should You Get One?

Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Perhaps one of oldest institutions in the financial world is the pawn shop. During medieval times, people would have no place to borrow money fast and easy except from pawn shops. Pawn shops allow them to make an emergency loan without going through hefty paper work. Ironically, the only thing that has changed is that people no longer need to go to a land-based pawn shop to pawn or buy goodies that have been pawned. They can easily do it online. Although comparably slow, many pawn shops today have made a leap from being merely brick and mortar to having a website of their own. The advantages far outnumber the pitfalls. Why would anyone want to put up an online pawn shop anyways? Don't so many people already distrust pawn shops with the notion that most of the merchandise on display are stolen? It's unfortunate that people still believe in this myth. In reality, pawn shops are licensed and are being regulated by government agencies. Pawn shops selling various pawned goods online also have land-based stores to complement their websites. The only difference is that with the online shop, people pay using their credit cards. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

7 Best Tools for Providing First-Rate Customer Service

Thu, 30 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

"People used what they called a telephone because they hated being close together and they were scared of being alone." Chuck Palahniuk could be right and wrong! In the world of e-commerce, the telephone could be the single most important tool next to your car keys. An online merchant will not exist and survive in the cutthroat world of online business without key customer service tools. First and foremost, the phone! It's true that people do not want to literally knock on the company's door to ask for technical support when they're having trouble. But they also do not want to be left hanging in the air not knowing who to contact when they need help. If you can provide this means of contact and more, your online business has crossed the line from zero profit to a treasure trove. DIAL TOLL- FREE Needless to say, if you can provide toll-free phone numbers for your customers to contact, it would be easier for them to gain confidence on you. The same goes for fax numbers which customers can use to send documents when they need to, such as checks and billing proofs. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

High Volume Merchant Account : Is It Worth Acquiring One?

Tue, 14 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

I feel a need to go back to the basics. After years of hearing the phrase high volume merchants, I still encounter some perfectly running businesses who have not acquired their own high volume merchant account. When I tell execs about the possibilities it offers, they say they will consider applying for one. It seems to me that these businesses have reached their equilibrium, and at this point wish nothing but to maintain it. I say otherwise. Equilibrium in business is death. Seek constant disequilibrium -- that's a way to survive. We all live in a cycle and once this cycle becomes static and reaches plateau, there's nowhere else to go but down. Right, Tom Peters? WHAT'S YOUR BEEF? My friend is downright frank with me. He says it has nothing to do with equilibrium. It's just that these businessmen haven't caught up with the trend of accepting credit cards online. Sure they accept credit cards, apart from the usual checks and the occasional debit cards, but they only use a POS and other manual processing equipment. And even though they've heard of virtual processing, they are iffy about applying because of the high incidence of fraud associated with it. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

Homemade Remedy for Download Theft

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0400

It's not for the geeks. Many online sellers aren't bothered so much by copyright infringement as they are of losing money by theft of their online products. Most popular among these is the e-book. Guess we already know why those who are selling e-books are considered high risk merchants: the sole fact that the e-book they are selling can be easily downloaded for free (without being dubbed "freeware" or "shareware") makes them vulnerable to frauds and chargebacks in the long run. Now, some first time e-book sellers are not savvy when it comes to protecting their products online. Of course it would be extremely helpful (and imperative) to learn how to do it before launching the e-book for paid download. It would be worth taking a look at my past article "What Every High Risk Merchant Should Know About Intellectual Property Rights" to find out more about what you can and cannot do on a legal basis when it comes to online product theft. IT'S IN THE PACKAGING, SILLY! Normally, a high risk merchant would find a way to counter hackers from getting access to the download page. But this takes a certain degree of skill. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

High Risk Merchant Account Tips on IP Detection

Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Any high risk merchant should be aware, if not become thoroughly an expert, of all the technical aspects of credit card transactions. Let's face it, doing business online is taking risk a hundred times more dangerous than doing business the brick and mortar fashion. Smart merchants would never plunge headlong into online ventures without a good, working knowledge of the loopholes of the billing process via credit cards. High risk merchant account providers employ various tactics to mitigate the frequency of chargebacks such as restriction on the use of anonymous e-mail addresses, credit card validation, IP address detection, and proxy server identification. Anonymous E-mail Addresses They would make sure email address, phone number, zip code, credit card, mailing /shipping address and other forms of identification are valid. It's rather commonplace to hear that if you were dealing with credit cards, it would be unwise to accept credit card owners that provide anonymous or free e-mail addresses such as @yahoo.com, @hotmail.com, or @gmail.com. Credit Card Validation and Other Issues All low risk and high risk merchants are required to integrate a credit card validation system with the customer's issuing bank. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

OsCommerce for High Risk Merchants: The Good, The Bad, and The Possibilities

Mon, 16 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Just because osCommerce is the most popular merchant account software doesn't mean it's the best solution for your online business. Agree or disagree? Do you find osCommerce to be overrated? A lot of high risk merchants adopt osCommerce as their primary merchant account solution because of so many advantages. But, knowing osCommerce is open source (hence the name), there will always be loopholes before merchants can actually find it functional for their specific business needs. OsCOMMERCE BUGABOOS So what are the likely monkey wrenches that might pop out once you start using osCommerce? For those having second doubts, you may be justified. Consider: 1. There are way too few templates in the osCommerce solution. If you attempt to tinker with the stylesheets, it would take a lot of time and a developer's help to be able to accomplish the best template for your needs. 2. Merchants may be vaguely aware of "attributes". In order to take full advantage of the limited attributes system, merchants will need to get a good developer to modify it. Otherwise, osCommerce's shopping cart may not be the best solution to use. 3. Even osCommerce's administration area isn't keen on password protection. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

High Risk Merchants' Black Book Guide on Building E-Commerce Websites

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Building an e-commerce website -- what does it entail? Again, don't let me go into that harangue of telling you guys that this task is something only 21-year old eggheads in stiff white collars can do. You would either need a little of their help or search online for a reliable company that offers a package of services for high risk merchant account owners. And if you got lucky on the latter, you still would need to create a checklist on which elements you need to prioritize for your website. I'm talking about the bare bones. After you have decided on those, it's time to figure out whether to add some fancy stuff on your website or keep things simple. So what elements should you consider added on your e-commerce website? If you've published a book before (not e-book, but if you want to go into that detail, see my article ("Homemade Remedy for Download Theft"), most likely you'd already be familiar with the steps you need to take from the time you've conceived the story to the moment it's out in the bookstore shelves. Yes, you would need an endorsement from celebrities, too! **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> Gerri Bryce is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.

Insider Tricks to Successful High Risk Merchant Account Application

Tue, 12 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0400

Many merchants complain about the lack of information when it comes to high risk merchant account application. It's not that there's no information at hand; it's more likely because merchant account providers do not provide standard customer service or are simply too lazy to share the nuts and bolts that the applicants need. CASE IN POINT For example, a merchant may have already submitted his application before the merchant account provider (MAP) reveals the improbable terms: that he may not receive payment until x number of months or that he may not be approved for a merchant account unless he changes his marketing plan. When this happens, the worst case scenario is that the merchant's application may never be approved. If the company doesn't offer a money back guarantee, he may lose money even before he earns it. The dark side of high risk merchant application involves a possibility that the MAPs may take long to approve your account. The reason is that they need to assess your business in relation to the rate of frauds and chargebacks that might be incurred. Also, you may spend more on fees than a regular merchant account. **End Summary** Topics: High risk merchant account providers]]>]]> About the Author: ]]> 'Gerri Bryce' is a versatile technical writer specializing in general web content copywriting and consultancy for finance and high risk merchant account providers . She has contributed a massive number of articles for today's most popular technology, gadget, gaming, business, finance, and science news websites. She participates in a number of top webmaster, finance and merchant account forums.