It’s important for business owners to consistently negotiate the price that they pay for credit card transactions. Most owners slack off on negotiations because they don’t believe that fees cut into their bottom line, but when they look at gross sales, they realize that small fees can greatly reduce their overall profits.
How Can An Owner Reduce Transaction Costs?
Check Statements
Swipe fees have become one of the biggest expenses that business owners face, and most businesses can’t stay open without accepting credit card transactions from consumers. The business owner can’t get away from credit cards, so it makes sense for them to learn how to decipher their monthly bill; they always need to look at the fine print to make sure they aren’t losing money because of fees, surcharges or pricing changes.
Some credit card statements don’t make rate increases clear, and it’s the owner’s responsibility to make sure that they aren’t being taken advantage of.
Negotiate With The Processor
Business owners who make a lot of credit card transactions can negotiate with the processor. Savvy business owners often use service providers that act as negotiation advocates; the advocates work to simplify billing, lower costs and find ways to cut fees.
When businesses first open, they are considered high-risk clients. Once a business has been open for a while, the owner can talk to the processor about lowering fees. It’s always worth it for them to call up the processor to see if they can get a discount.
Change Providers
Sometimes, changing providers is the only option that business owners have. If negotiations don’t work, changing plans might be the easiest way for them to get lower fees.
Some merchants put up with high fees because they don’t want to put in the time to find a new processor, but getting too comfortable can end up costing them a lot of money. It’s important for owners to avoid complacency after they get used to their current program and interface; they always need to keep their eyes peeled for a better deal.
There are lots of merchant account options available to business owners. If they take the time to find a processor that will offer a low price, then they’ll end up saving tons of money on their transaction costs. It’s a time-consuming task, but it’s definitely worth it in the long-run.