Merchant Accounts for Internet Marketers and Online Businesses

Making money online. Three words that roll of the tongue so nice. There is however a catch. You can’t make money online without some way to process credit cards or e-check transactions. That’s where merchant accounts for Internet marketers and online businesses come into the picture. It seems like there are a bazillion merchant account companies that offer services, but there are few resources that compare which one is best. Companies like Powerpay make it really easy to accept credit cards for Internet marketers and other online-only businesses.

Selecting an Internet Marketing Merchant Account Provider 

Trust is always important when conducting business online. We’ve all seen those really poorly designed HTML 1.0 websites with grey backgrounds and blue hyperlinks that just screams “just steal my wallet and get it over with” when shopping online. The look of your website has a lot to do with the trust factor that you create. Part of this trust comes from the merchant that you select for your processing. Your provider should offer things like:

1. A toll free phone number for billing issues

2. Immediate Customer Support (24×7 support is best)

3. One-Off and Subscription Billing

4. Point of Sale Equipment and Terminals for Offline Transations

5. Low Processing Rates

Studies have been conducted by market research companies that have reported fluctuations in consumer confidence when things like toll free assistance and immediate support were not available. Getting someone to buy your products or services online is hard enough without evoking fears of fraud or legitimacy with potential consumers. Be choosy with the merchant account provider that you select and make sure that the type of transactions that you will be processing will be accepted.

Subscription Processing and Delayed Billing 

Creating membership based websites as an Internet marketer or online business owner is one of the ways you can create a guaranteed monthly income. It does not matter what you are selling or providing. The merchant account provider that you select should be able to offer subscription based payments. This means that you don’t have to send invoices and wait to receive payment for each month that someone subscribes to your website. Configuring your merchant account can give you the option of selecting subscription or delayed billing for monthly bi-monthly or quarterly payments.

Processing Refund Requests and Chargebacks 

Every online seller will face a refund request. It’s just a part of the business. This request could even turn into a chargeback when a customer or client is really unhappy. The merchant account provider that you select should give you the option of handling refunds or chargebacks automatically. Additional fees can be imposed when credit card payments are reversed. Reviewing the merchant account contract and account details should fill you in on what fees are charged, if any, that are tallied apart from your standard processing or monthly maintenance fees for your merchant account.

Merchant Account Wrap Up 

In the end, a portion of your success with making money online will be determined by your merchant account and the relationship that you have with a provider. Merchant accounts are very similar to bank accounts. They are offered everywhere, but no two are identical and finding a long-term partner can be financially rewarding and stress-free.