Lowering fees on just about everything is important to help you save some money in a rough economy. Merchant credit card accounts have various fees that can prevent you from running a profitable business. While you probably won’t be able to adjust the percentage of the charged amount, you may be able to reduce the other fees.
You should always analyze the statement that you get from your credit card processing company. If you are experiencing bill-backs, analyze your statements and transactions to find out why so many people are asking for credits. This may be due to errors at your register systems or it could be because people don’t recognize the charge when it goes to their statement.
There may be fees because of not properly swiping the card. Downgrade fees are often because people are keying the credit card into the system instead of swiping the card. You can avoid these fees easily by instructing your staff to swipe the credit card at the terminal. If your terminals are no longer reading the cards, you need to contact the credit processing company to get new equipment.
When you read the statement, find out what kinds of charges you are experiencing and there may be ways for lowering fees. You can call a customer service representative with the credit card processing company to discuss some of your options.
It’s important to your business to offer credit card payment options. Very few people keep cash on them anymore, so it is more convenient to pay with a credit or debit card. While merchant credit card accounts may be a little more expensive than dealing with just cash, it could end up costing you customers if you decide to eliminate the service.
It’s important to understand all of the fees that you are being charged so that you can ensure that you are in control of all of the fees. You may be able to reduce some of the fees by requiring a minimum spending amount for your customers. This ensures that you are at least making a good amount of money before you just offer to swipe a person’s card. This may be able to reduce some of the fees and increase some of your sales – ensuring a win-win.
If you are unable to lower your fees by analyzing your statements and making minor adjustments, it may be time to consider shopping around for a different credit card processing company. Regardless of whether you do 10% or 100% of your sales with credit cards, it’s important to find ways to pay the least minimal fees so that you can continue to be profitable.