Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account News from Merchant Warehouse

Merchant Warehouse Announces MerchanWARE Mobile for BlackBerry

Hal Gudmundsen — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:21:39 +0000

Merchant Account Provider Announces Innovative Mobile Processing Application for BlackBerry®

Merchant Warehouse Releases Free Point of Sale application for small and mid-sized businesses

BOSTON, MA – Merchant Warehouse a premier provider of merchant accounts and credit card processing, today announced its next generation mobile application for BlackBerry® smart phones. MerchantWARE Mobile runs on BlackBerry’s Pearl, Storm, Curve or Bold and offers the enhanced capability to use a highly secure Bluetooth card swipe device that brings ease of use, lower processing costs and security to “on the go” businesses. This free application is now available for download on Merchant Warehouse’s MerchantWARE Mobile BlackBerry Page and will soon be available on Blackberry App World.

With a growing need for convenient payment options, contractors, delivery people, tradeshow vendors, and anyone else looking to accept credit cards wherever their business takes them, can now securely process credit card transactions. This application promises to save valuable time and money with immediate approvals as well as the convenience of automatic email receipts.

Whether credit card information is swiped or keyed-in to the BlackBerry device, all data is stored on Merchant Warehouse’s secure servers, not the mobile device, providing peace of mind to customers, merchants and salespeople.

“We are thrilled with the success of our recent iPhone credit card processing application,” said Henry Helgeson, president and co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “In the last month alone, we have had many thousands of downloads and terrific feedback from users. I am confident that the increased functionality of the BlackBerry application is going to take mobile payments to the next level. We are excited to offer this innovative processing solution to our current and prospective customers.”

Features of MerchantWARE Mobile for the BlackBerry include:

Secure transactions in real time, including sales, refunds and voids;
Lower Interchange costs by swiping with Bluetooth card reader;
Free application;
Robust detailed transaction reporting;
No additional gateway or cellular access fees;
Email receipts for merchant and customer;
Encrypted and secure SSL connections for safely transmitting customer information;
Complies with PCI DSS/PABP;
Automatic end of day batch processing;
Access to the MerchantWARE Virtual Terminal enabling users to process transactions through the same merchant account from any web connected computer.

“In Q1 of this year, BlackBerry devices were in three of the top five positions for smart phone popularity. This was a driving factor in our decision to grow our mobile offering with BlackBerry”, said Helgeson.”We look forward to continuing to expand our mobile application offerings with a Window’s Mobile device in the near future and continuous improvements to our already successful applications.”

More information on MerchantWARE Mobile is available at; http://merchantwarehouse.com/merchantware_mobile

BlackBerry® is a registered trademark of RIM.

About Merchant Warehouse
Merchant Warehouse was founded in 1998 on the principle that businesses should be able to purchase credit card processing software, POS equipment and merchant accounts at reasonable prices. With over 80,000 merchants served in the last 11 years, Merchant Warehouse now sets the standard for price, innovation, customer service and integrity. The company continues to lead the industry with groundbreaking technology initiatives: MerchantWARE®, a suite of sophisticated payment processing solutions for all types of businesses, which brings a new level of data security beyond PCI compliance; BINsmartTM, which evaluates credit card transactions to find the greatest potential savings and MerchantWARE Mobile, a free credit card processing application available for the iPhone, BlackBerry and soon Windows Mobile devices. Merchant Warehouse has been named the ETA 2009 ISO of the Year, Business Solutions’ Best Channel Vendor for 2009 and is a two time recipient of the Boston Business Journal Pacesetter Award. The company is committed to community and charitable involvement and ongoing high ethical standards.For more information, please visit http://merchantwarehouse.com/ or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MWarehouse.

Merchant Warehouse Named ISO of the Year 2009

Brian Waldman — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 18:29:54 +0000

Electronic Transaction Association honors Merchant Warehouse for innovative products

and high ethical standards

Boston, MA. – April 22, 2009 - Merchant Warehouse, a premier provider of merchant accounts and credit card processing solutions has been named ISO (Independent Sales Organization) of the Year by the Electronic Transaction Association (ETA) during the organization’s annual conference and expo held at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. In the award’s inaugural year, Merchant Warehouse was chosen for a multitude of groundbreaking business and technology initiatives, community and charitable involvement and ongoing high ethical standards.

“We determined from the start,” stated Carla Balakgie, CEO of the Electronic Transactions Association, “that the ISO of the Year award should go to a company that has the core characteristics of a pure ISO, and has demonstrated its excellence by a number of measures, including care for its reputation, investment in its people, savvy application of technology, great customer service and, of course, consistent sales growth and retention. In other words, we wanted to honor the kind of company any one of us would be happy and proud to be a part of.”

“It is a tremendous honor to be named ISO of the Year,” said Henry Helgeson, president and co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “At Merchant Warehouse, we believe our core business advantage is our integrity, honesty and customer service combined with innovative products that anticipate and address our customers’ needs. This award truly recognizes all of the hard work that we do every day while honoring the high standards we keep. We are proud to be a member of the ETA and look forward to continuing to work with the organization and its members to improve and grow the credit card processing industry.”

The ETA is an international trade association with over 500 members representing companies who offer electronic transaction processing products and services from financial institutions to transaction processors to ISOs. The organization works to monitor and help shape the merchant acquiring industry by providing leadership through education, advocacy and the exchange of information.

Contacts:

Dianne Sloan Alexis Gordon/Michael Sullivan

Merchant Warehouse PAN Communications

800.941.6557 x2050 978.474.1900

dsloan@merchantwarehouse.com merchant@pancomm.com

Merchant Warehouse launches unique affiliate program

Hal Gudmundsen — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 22:19:53 +0000

Merchant Warehouse launches unique affiliate program

Tracks phone calls

BOSTON, MA – Feb. 2, 2009 – Merchant Warehouse, a premier provider of merchant accounts and credit card processing solutions, this month announced the release of their new and ground breaking Merchant Account Affiliate Program. This is the first affiliate program in the Merchant Services industry that is fully capable of tracking offline phone call conversions, significantly increasing the earning potential of the program.

“There is no doubt this will help our affiliates make more money than they could with a traditional program,” said Brian Waldman, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy at Merchant Warehouse. “Not only do we get more phone calls than online leads to begin with; phone calls are also better leads that close at a higher rate. The fact is; as an affiliate, if you are not getting credited for the phone calls you generate, you are just not making the money you deserve.”

The disconnect between online activities and offline conversion events such as phone calls has always represented a large challenge for the affiliate industry. With their proprietary solutions, Merchant Warehouse has found a way to connect all the dots. Using unique tracking parameters in the referring URLs and dynamic phone numbers on their website, Merchant Warehouse ties every phone call back to the unique visitors and their referring sources. This way, they are able to credit affiliates with offline, as well as online conversions.

Merchant Warehouse’s affiliate program also has one of the most generous and flexible payment scales in the industry. Affiliates may choose to be paid by the lead or by approved merchant account, and make as much as $25 per lead or $200 per account. This, combined with a thirty day cookie session and the program’s superior tracking capabilities, makes it a program with tremendous earning potential.

Learn more by going to Merchant Warehouse’s Merchant Affiliate Program website.

Merchant Warehouse Named to 2008 Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Private Companies

Hal Gudmundsen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 20:25:48 +0000

Merchant Warehouse has been named among the top 100 businesses in the Boston/Cambridge/Quincy (Massachusetts/New Hampshire region) category on the Inc. annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. The company also posted a strong overall rank on the coveted Inc. 5000 list with three-year sales growth of 145.3 percent. The Inc. list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.

“We are honored to be included in the Inc. 5000 list among some of the top companies in the United States,” said Henry Helgeson, President and Co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “Celebrating our tenth year in business, we have seen tremendous growth, and that success is in direct correlation with our dedicated employees and the loyalty of our customer base.”

“Our second annual Inc. 5000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism,” said Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. “The Inc. 5000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth.”

With more than 40,000 merchant customers and ten years experience, Merchant Warehouse has set the standard in the credit card processing industry by providing credit card processing software, POS equipment, and merchant services ethically and at a reasonable price.

About Inc.com
Inc.com, the daily resource for entrepreneurs, delivers how-to guides, advice, tools, breaking news, and rich multi-media to help business owners and CEOs start, run, and grow their businesses. Inc.com offers dynamic marketing solutions to help advertisers effectively reach Inc.com’s audience of business leaders. Visit http://www.inc.com.

About Inc. 500|Inc. 5000 Conference
Each year, Inc. magazine and Inc.com celebrate the remarkable achievements of today’s entrepreneurial superstars – the privately held small businesses that drive our economy. The Inc. 500|Inc. 5000 Conference brings together members of the Inc. 5000 community-both a new class of Inc. 5000 honorees and the list’s alumni-for three days of powerful networking, inspired learning, and momentous celebration. For the first time ever, this powerful networking event is open to all. Please join us September 18-20, 2008 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C. For more information or to register, visit www.Inc500Conference.com or call us at 877-211-0489.

New Processing Cost Reduction Tool

Hal Gudmundsen — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:52:17 +0000

New Processing Cost Reduction Tool Helps Small Merchants Maximize Sale Profits

Merchant Warehouse^® adds to the functionality of its MerchantWARE solution to provide big-box retail benefits to the small merchant community

BOSTON, MA – July 14, 2008 - Merchant Warehouse unveils a new tool to help small and mid-sized merchants maximize the value of every sale by reducing their overall payment processing costs. The solution, BINsmart Interchange Manager^TM, is the latest addition to Merchant Warehouse’s industry-leading MerchantWARE^® Integrated Payment Processing Solution.

The product helps merchants process transactions at the lowest possible cost by automatically identifying the card type being used in the transaction, and prompting debit card users to enter their PIN. This sophisticated, yet simple solution evades Interchange rates and fees (a set percentage charged to merchants and paid to issuing banks for each credit card transaction processed, plus a flat per-transaction fee) by opting for PIN-debit transactions over credit whenever possible. Interchange fees make up the majority of a merchant’s processing expenses, but since PIN-debit transactions are not processed on the Interchange networks, PIN-debit transactions are less expensive (typically only a flat transaction fee is charged). The BINsmart Interchange Manager also detects corporate card transactions, making it simpler for merchants who need to submit tax amounts and customer codes to receive the best rates.

Below is an example of a merchant’s potential savings with the BINsmart Interchange Manager:

The cost to process a $200 sale using a bank-issued card as “credit” under standard Interchange rates and fees would be approximately $4.00. However, if that customer used the same bank-issued card, but was prompted to enter their PIN, the cost for that sale to the merchant would amount to approximately $0.50; a savings of $3.50 on just one transaction!

Historically, only the largest retail establishments have had the technology to implement this solution, but with Merchant Warehouse’s BINsmart Interchange Manager, any merchant can take advantage of these cost savings. Because the process is automated, employees no longer have to ask “debit or credit?” and more transactions will qualify at the lower costs.

“Merchants of all sizes are looking for ways to save money and maximize profits in the face of a slow economy. With BINsmart Interchange Manager, we are now able to help smaller retail merchants to better compete with the regional or national stores by helping them save money almost every time a customer uses their debit card for a purchase,” said Henry Helgeson, President and Co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “This tool puts the ability to maximize the dollar value of every transaction in a way that is convenient and affordable back in the hands of the small merchant.”

The Merchant Warehouse BINsmart Interchange Manager is compatible with all current PIN-pads and uses all current debit peripherals, so no changes are needed to existing devices. The solution is available now by calling Merchant Warehouse at 1-800-968-0953 or emailing MerchantWARE@MerchantWarehouse.com.

More information on MerchantWARE® and BINsmart Interchange Manager^TM is available at www.merchantwarehouse.com/merchantware or by visiting Merchant Warehouse at booth #101 at the RetailNOW Expo, held on July 15-16th at the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

Merchant Warehouse Provides Solution for Major Flaws in PCI Compliance

admin — Tue, 13 May 2008 20:37:03 +0000

Merchant Warehouse, a premier provider of merchant accounts and credit card processing solutions for small- and mid-sized businesses, today unveils a solution that greatly reduces the possibility of cardholder data loss in the event of a network security breach. The new product, MerchantWARE, also makes complying with the payment card industry data security standards (PCI DSS) much simpler and more affordable.

As part of the regulations, PCI DSS mandates that sensitive personal data, including credit card numbers, be encrypted when stored or before being transmitted over public networks. Despite this, savvy thieves can, and have, found ways to steal unencrypted card information while transmitted within the store’s internal networks or point-of-sale (POS) hardware — a vulnerability not addressed by the PCI DSS guidelines. An especially susceptible point in the process is when card data is sent from a card reader to the POS or POS to in-store database.

Merchant Warehouse’s MerchantWARE solution encrypts the data at the card reader, completely eliminating this threat. With MerchantWARE, merchants never actually store or transmit any unencrypted credit card information. By taking this one simple step, small- and mid-sized merchants will eliminate the sensitive data that five of the 12 most intensive and costly PCI DSS requirements seek to protect.

“PCI DSS standards are a great starting point, but there is a major flaw in that they fail to address the issue of unencrypted card information on private networks. In fact, recent high-profile data breaches likely could have been avoided had the data been protected at the point of the card swipe,” said Henry Helgeson, President and Co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “Instead of building a bigger wall around the data ‘vault’ with expensive hardware and data security systems, the MerchantWARE solution simply removes everything of value to a thief. With no data to be hacked, the PCI compliance process becomes much more streamlined and affordable for the smaller merchant.

The MerchantWARE solution contains two core components:

Hardware — For under $100, the solution utilizes the latest MagneSafe™ secure card readers from MagTek® to encrypt card data at the “read head,” to ensure sensitive data is never exposed. The readers meet all current PCI DSS requirements to secure cardholder data via 3DES DUKPT encryption.
Software — To ensure a seamless user experience, the solution includes an integrated version of Merchant Warehouse’s MerchantWARE Payment Gateway. The MerchantWARE Payment Gateway enables merchants to process credit cards, debit/EBT cards and manage their account over a secure Internet connection. It also contains extensive reporting features with the capability to re-charge, refund or adjust previously processed cards, all without decrypting sensitive cardholder data.

Integration with the POS system requires only minimal updates; interested POS vendors should contact Merchant Warehouse at 1-800-968-0953 or e-mail us for additional information on how their customers can benefit.

Merchant Warehouse will demonstrate the solution — along with an overview of possible attacks to a PCI Compliant system and how fraudulent credit cards are made — at booth #5270 during the National Restaurant Association Show May 17-20 at McCormick Place in Chicago, IL.

About Merchant Warehouse

Merchant Warehouse was founded in 1998 on the principle that businesses should be able to purchase credit card processing software, POS equipment, and merchant services at a reasonable price. With over 40,000 merchants, Merchant Warehouse now sets the standard for price, innovation, customer service, and integrity. For more information, please visit our website.

Contacts:

Brian Waldman, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy

Merchant Warehouse
800.941.6557 x2050
bwaldman (at) merchantwarehouse (dot) com

Jeff Dillow / Holly Johnson
PAN Communications
978.474.1900
merchant (at) pancomm (dot) com

First Night to Accept Credit Cards

admin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 20:50:36 +0000

Merchant Warehouse, a Boston-based provider of merchant accounts and credit card equipment, today announced the donation of five wireless credit card terminals to First Night® Boston. The country’s premier New Year’s Eve celebration, First Night Boston runs from 1 p.m. through midnight on December 31 at over 40 indoor and outdoor venues throughout downtown Boston. The terminals will be available at the Hynes Convention Center, as well as button booths at Park Street and the corner of Arlington and Boylston from noon to 10 p.m. that day to facilitate fast, convenient and secure button purchases.

“We feel most honored to contribute to Boston’s time-honored New Year’s Eve celebration,” said Henry Helgeson, President of Merchant Warehouse. “After 10 years in the business, this is one of the most exciting partnerships we’ve had the opportunity to embark upon. We hope everyone joining us downtown will find the donation positively impacts the flow of the crowds and helps the celebration run smoothly.”

The purchase of a First Night Button grants admission to venues featuring the best in theatre, dance, music, visual arts and film. Museums, theaters, churches and performance centers open their doors to First Night Button holders throughout the entire day.

"We’re thrilled to be able to take credit cards at First Night button sale locations for the first time this year, and are very grateful for Merchant Warehouse’s generous donation to First Night,” said Geri Guardino, Executive Director of First Night Boston. “We’ll be using their machines at our busiest locations – the Hynes Convention Center plus our button booths at Park Street and the corner of Arlington and Boylston. Thanks to Merchant Warehouse’s donation, we’re able to offer our button buyers this convenience."

About Merchant Warehouse

Contacts:

Brian Waldman, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy
Merchant Warehouse
800.941.6557 x2050
bwaldman (at) merchantwarehouse (dot) com

Jeff Dillow or Sandra Proulx
PAN Communications
978.474.1900
merchant (at) pancomm (dot) com

Busiest Month Ever

admin — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 20:54:58 +0000

Retailers turn to Merchant Warehouse in October; Company Reports Busiest Month Ever for Merchant Account Business

Merchant Warehouse, a Boston-based provider of merchant accounts and credit card equipment, today reported merchant account sales totaled 1,916 for the month of October 2007, surpassing the company’s previous one-month sales record of 1,650 in August of this year. The October average of 17.42 accounts per employee establishes a new company benchmark and is especially impressive in the highly commoditized, price-driven merchant account industry.

The Southeast region accounted for 27 percent of October merchant account sales, followed by the Northeast and West, at 24 and 21 percent, respectively. The Southwest, however, showed the biggest jump in merchant account sales with a 31 percent increase over September. Retail continued to lead in industry-specific sales, growing by 29 percent over the previous month. Specifically, merchant account sales by region and industry in order of rank for October were:

Industry:	Region:
1) Retail (includes restaurant)	1) Southeast
2) Internet	2) Northeast
3) Mail order/telephone order (MOTO)	3) West
4) Lodging	4) Midwest
	5) Southwest

“With fewer consumers carrying cash and checks gradually becoming obsolete, accepting credit and debit cards has never been more an essential part of doing business for the small retail or service provider,” said Henry Helgeson, Co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “The upcoming holiday and travel season surely contributed to our strong October growth, as merchants prepare their systems to ensure they can service their clients without interruption.”

About Merchant Warehouse

Contacts:
Brian Waldman, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy
Merchant Warehouse
800.941.6557 x2050
bwaldman (at) merchantwarehouse (dot) com

Jeff Dillow or Sandra Proulx
PAN Communications
978.474.1900
merchant (at) pancomm (dot)com

Holiday Shopping Fraud Prevention

admin — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 21:07:53 +0000

This holiday season, Merchant Warehouse, a Boston-based provider of merchant accounts and credit card equipment, reminds consumers that while online shopping has become every bit as safe as making purchases at a store, taking simple steps to prevent credit card fraud can go a long way toward avoiding making the switch from shopper to victim.

With experts anticipating the busiest year-end online shopping season ever — JupiterResearch’s “US Online Retail Holiday Forecast, 2007” estimates 126 million U.S. shoppers will spend more than $39 billion online — Merchant Warehouse urges online shoppers to keep their credit card information safe by remembering these five simple tips:

Use a secure browser, a software that encrypts the purchase information you provide; look for “https:” in the URL address and the “lock” icon on your screen to ensure a secure transaction.

Read the site’s privacy policy; this will explain how any personal information you provide may be used or shared with others.

Try to limit online buying to companies you know and trust; when making purchases from online companies with which you are less familiar, verify the seller’s physical address and telephone number in case you have any questions or problems.

Use your credit or charge card for online payments; your transaction will be protected by the Fair Credit Billing Act, which provides the right to dispute charges under certain circumstances and temporarily withhold payment while the creditor is investigating them.

Print and save records of all online payment transactions, and check online statements regularly; review and compare against your credit card statement for any errors or inaccuracies.

“The virtually unlimited number of options and mainstream consumer acceptance of online shopping, combined with the holiday shopping rush, can make it easy to forget to take simple common-sense steps to protect personal information,” said Henry Helgeson, Co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “While online shopping has become incredibly safe, taking an extra moment to review the above tips will help ensure your credit card information stays secure and potentially avoid the frustration of having your information stolen and used fraudulently.”

Contacts:

Brian Waldman, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy
Merchant Warehouse
800.941.6557 x2050
bwaldman (at) merchantwarehouse (dot) com

Jeff Dillow or Sandra Proulx
PAN Communications
978.474.1900
merchant (at) pancomm (dot) com

Merchant Warehouse Goes Green

admin — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 21:16:01 +0000

Merchant Warehouse, a Boston-based provider of merchant accounts and credit card equipment, today announced it has implemented a company-wide initiative to “go green.” The program is designed to help the company offset any potential negative environmental impact being made and to also promote a culture of environmental responsibility among its 110 employees.

The company’s first step was the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), or “Green Tags” from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. The Green tags will be used to offset energy consumption by replacing traditional polluting sources of electricity with clean, sustainable and renewable sources of energy. Currently, Merchant Warehouse plans to purchase 433 Green Tags per year to add 433,000 kilowatt-hours of renewable energy into the country’s power grids — the equivalent of avoiding 606,200 pounds of air pollution.

In addition, Merchant Warehouse has formed an employee-managed committee to study the impact of the Green Tag program and develop recommendations for taking the company’s green initiative even further in the coming months and years.

“Our initiative proves a company does not have to own or run its own facility to make a difference,” said Henry Helgeson, Co-CEO of Merchant Warehouse. “By leveraging available green programs and technologies, we aim to turn our office space, and company, into something that returns a positive impact on the environment, and to do so in a way that makes sense for our employees and our bottom line.”

Contacts:

Brian Waldman, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy
Merchant Warehouse
800.941.6557 x2050
bwaldman (at) merchantwarehouse (dot) com

Jeff Dillow or Sandra Proulx
PAN Communications
978.474.1900
merchant (at) pancomm (dot) com