Industry News
Chargebacks in 2026: What High-Risk Merchants Are Facing
Visa replaced VDMP with VAMP and dropped the excessive threshold to 1.5%. What that means for high-risk merchants, and the three pillars of managing it.
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The latest on payment processing, merchant services, high-risk accounts, fraud prevention, and eCommerce trends.
Industry News
Digital Remittance
As customers are becoming more comfortable using mobile devices, the remittance industry is being digitally remastered. Competition from new entrants and margin pressures from a growing global consensus on lowering remittance transaction fees are the main causes for the shift to digital. Digital financial services have soared internationally, leading to important developments in the transformation towards …
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Industry News
Mobile POS Systems & their Benefits
Mobile technology is here to stay in the retail industry, and merchants can take advantage of the ability to sell products anywhere. Mobile Point-of-Sale systems, such as Square and CPMobile, provide the opportunity to run businesses more effectively. Traditional Point-of-Sale systems aren’t going to be phased out just yet, however adding the mobile POS systems …
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Industry News
Payment Security: Online vs Offline Transactions
The popular belief that online transactions aren’t as secure as offline transactions is being proven as more fiction than fact. Payment security is more important than ever with the increasing popularity of online purchases, advancements of digital payment technology, shifts in demographic and the ever-changing landscape of cyber-security. Consumers and retailers are facing this trend …
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Industry News
Mobile Wallets: 2017 Trend Watch
Digital presence has caused the payment industry to evolve rapidly to maintain current with technology and trends. Payments are no longer simple one-on-one transactions, as the global payment processing ecosystem involves gateways, card networks, processors, acquirers and more. One of the most prominent trends to come forward is the use of mobile wallets. According to …
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Industry News
Payment Processing Trends of 2017
The variety of convenient and quick payment options available, from electronic checks and cash to mobile wallets, going cashless is becoming more prevalent. As trends in the payment processing world evolve and are constantly changing, companies need to be aware of what is to come in 2017 and in the years to follow. Mobile Wallets …
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Mobile Commerce
2017 ECommerce Trends Leading the Market
As eCommerce continues to rapidly grow, drawing in both large and small brands into the market, competition is increasing faster than the total growth of the market itself. This is leading to customers being more difficult to win and easier to lose, with a heavy emphasis on their user experience and costs. Staying aware of …
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Style
Offering Services Online through Payment Processors
Online shopping is no longer restricted to purchasing physical goods and products, as the Internet market now includes services as well. Examples of online services available for purchase from online merchants vary from website design and tax filing, to travel and babysitting. Having a reliable payment processing gateway is crucial to guaranteeing both merchant success …
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Industry News
Cross-Border Shopping and International ECommerce
There has never been a better time to enhance your international eCommerce strategy than right now. With varying payment options, advanced shipping, and the expansion of Internet and mobile device usage, cross-border shopping and international eCommerce is rapidly growing. According to eMarketer, global online sales are expected to surpass $2.3 trillion in 2017. International eCommerce …
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EMV
Chip Credit Cards: Advantages and Disadvantages
While chips on credit cards are relatively new to the United States as of 2015, the chips on credit cards have been around in Europe since the 1980s. Eventually, every credit card will become a chip credit card, since chip and PIN cards offer additional security. Previously, credit card information could be easily stolen by …
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Payment Processing
Why Payment Processors are Important
Shopping online has conveniently become the consumer’s preference when it comes to purchasing items. Nowadays, consumers no longer need to hassle with parking, long lines and searching for deals amongst other disgruntled shoppers, when a fast and easy purchasing option is available with a few keystrokes and clicks of the mouse. Items can be delivered …
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Company News
Total-Apps has made the 2016 Inc. 5000!
We’re celebrating! Total-Apps has made the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in America for the 4th time! Only a small fraction of the nation’s companies demonstrate the remarkably consistent high growth to be considered for this achievement, and Total-Apps is proud to be among such company. Inc. is the only major business …
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Industry News
Fraud Reduction for High Risk Merchant Accounts
Protect Your Business from Potential Fraud Risks As a business, the ability to process credit and debit cards online is critical. As a high-risk business, this ability comes with the potential for higher fraud risks, like chargebacks, identity theft, and much more. While most merchant account providers offer fraud protection and monitoring, it is possible …
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Industry News
How To Manage Chargebacks for High Risk Accounts
How Chargebacks Affect your High Risk Merchant Account High-risk merchant accounts are expected to handle a higher rate of chargebacks than low risk merchant accounts. This is one of the main reasons that high-risk accounts are subject to large monthly reserve rates, as well as higher initial fees. Unfortunately, there isn’t a surefire way to …
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Industry News
Reduce Reserve Rates for High Risk Merchant Accounts
What to Know to Get the Best Rates Your business has been labeled high risk. You need to open a merchant account to grow your business, but you don’t know if you can afford the high reserve rates. You understand the necessity of having reserves for your specific type of account, but are curious if …
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International Merchant Accounts
International Merchant Accounts
Finding a Processor for International High Risk Accounts Are you a global business in need of a merchant account? Have you been deemed high-risk based off your industry? Did you just expand to become an international business? There are many reasons you may need to open a high-risk international merchant account, and it’s important that …
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Industry News
High-Risk Merchant Account Approval
What to Know to Get Approved Whether you’re an established business or just starting out, understanding not only the difference between low-risk and high-risk merchant accounts is key. From the approval process, monthly fees, and potential sales requirements, there’s a lot of information out there that a merchant may not be aware of. However, when …
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Industry News
High Risk Credit Card Processing
Knowing What is Considered High Risk When it comes to credit card processing, businesses must set up a merchant account. The two types of accounts include low risk and high risk. There are a number of reasons a business could be considered high risk, ranging from the industry to monthly sales amounts to whether the …
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Industry News
Technology Trends Shaping Mobile Commerce in 2017
Mobile Commerce Leans Heavily on Key Technology Developments In 2016, nearly every major brand dropped a mobile app, many with built-in mobile commerce options 0uowqg8. Mobile wallets became more commonly accepted by retailers, and mobile shopping was at an all-time high. To keep the mobile commerce trend alive, the technology must develop to meet the …
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Industry News
Top Ecommerce Trends for 2017
Update Your Business and Marketing Strategies to Take Full Advantage Last year, the biggest ecommerce trends focused on the online shopper. Consumers changed the game with the want of on-demand products and services, a personal element to customer service, and making more purchases while on a mobile device. The new year will continue these trends, …
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Industry News
Social Media Network on Point with Predictions
Mobile Commerce Changes Social Media Back in 2015, Facebook predicted that m-commerce would become prominent in the fourth quarter, driven by a younger demographic. This prediction came from Facebook IQ, the social media network’s in-house consumer research division. According to the research, nearly 30 percent of purchases generated from ads on Facebook were made from …
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Industry News
M-Commerce Trends Lead with Location Awareness
Mobile Commerce Apps Offer Unique In-Store Experiences With the rise of m-commerce, specifically designed apps for various businesses have created a new brand awareness for consumers with the use of location awareness. While using these dedicated apps, consumers can view hyper-relevant information regarding the store and special promotions. Brands have expanded to include non-shopping experiences …
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Industry News
Banking Relationship Variety Can Grow Your Business Faster
Choose a Merchant Account Provider With Banks Relationships in Multiple Tiers Growing your business can seem like a daunting task. Set up a merchant account, assess if your business is high-risk or low-risk, record monthly processing amounts, and more. The approval process for a merchant account may seem like your biggest hurdle, but it actually …
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Industry News
M-Commerce Technology Advances in 2017
M-Commerce Establishes the Next Phase of Ecommerce Mobile commerce first appeared in the ecommerce sphere a few short years ago, and continues to grow into something that will change the face of ecommerce. It’s important to note that it doesn’t include desktop purchases, only those made from a mobile device like a smartphone or tablet. According …
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Industry News
Consumer Trends Create Need for New Marketing Strategies
Businesses Update Marketing Strategies for 2017 In 2016, marketing trends shifted more toward retargeting, video marketing, and social commerce. For 2017, consumers will drive the necessity for updated marketing strategies. The one constant will be the need for more content. Whether it’s improved video marketing, expanded social media marketing, or creating a customer-centric experience, content …
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Industry News
Boosting Profits with Effective Fraud & Chargeback Management.
Merchant Account Providers Offer Protection Against Fraud and Chargebacks Every business that accepts credit cards, both online and in-store will be subject to chargebacks at some point. Fraud is another critical issue that may arise, and knowing how to manage these business-critical issues is paramount to keeping your business profitable. With a merchant account directly …
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Industry News
Consumers Shift Retail Trends in 2017
Retailers To Institute New Strategies to Meet Demand With the rise of online shopping and ecommerce, consumers are no longer content when they don’t know everything about a product. Transparency, sustainability, and quality will be at the forefront of customers’ minds when shopping in any industry. More retailers will need to create a strong brand …
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Industry News
Retail Trends Shift to the Virtual Experience
Virtual Reality Makes the Shift to the Shopping Experience For 2017, there will be a much bigger shift in the retail industry than in 2016. Consumers are more focused on customer service, instant gratification, and shopping on the go. To keep up with the new consumer demands, businesses have implemented mobile commerce options, social shopping …
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Industry News
How the Right Banking Relationships Help Merchant Account Approval
Relationships with Tier I and Tier II Banks Improves Your Chances When you’re trying to grow your business and it’s time to open a merchant account, strong banking relationships are key. There are many reasons to choose a merchant account service provider over going directly to your bank. Not only do they have relationships with …
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Industry News
Top Consumer Retail Trends for 2017
The New Year Brings New Retail Trends For the retail industry, 2016 was a big year, with new innovations, platforms, and a change in consumer habits. 2017 will continue with these retail trends and they will further develop as the year progresses. However, there are some trends that will stand out more than others, like an …
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Industry News
Top Mobile Payment Trends for 2017
Mobile Payment Technology Continues to Evolve With the way technology continues to develop, smartphones have become essential to daily life. These mini-computers allow consumers to shop on the go, do mobile banking, and connect via social channels. Mobile payment technology is on the rise, and in 2017, will take center stage in the e-commerce world. …
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Industry News
Mobile Payments Change Ecommerce Shopping Habits
New In-App Developments Allow Mobile Payments Online shopping is nothing new, but now, consumers have the ability to make in-app purchases. Apps like Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest have built or are in the process of building commerce platforms to help keep consumers engaged. The growth of mobile payments is changing the face of ecommerce, and …
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Industry News
Apple Pay and Google Wallet: What to Know
How Do Apple Pay and Google Wallet Actually Work? Mobile payments are here to stay, and keeping up to date with all the different services and trends can be daunting. What security do they offer? How easy is it to do? These are just some of the common questions asked. The biggest question, however, is …
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Industry News
Payment Startup Venmo Reduces Need to Carry Cash
Pay Others Through Mobile App Payment services have been popping up over the last few years, including services like Apple Pay, Google Wallet, and Facebook’s Money Transfer via Messenger. Now, mobile payment startup company Venmo has taken the ecommerce world by storm. Part payment service, part social network, Venmo gives consumers the ability to transfer …
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Industry News
2016 Holiday Shopping Ecommerce Trends
Online Shopping Set to Hit Major Milestones Black Friday. Cyber Monday. These shopping days are critical for retailers during the holiday season. This year, however, retailers are looking beyond these two days to hold special sales. Online retailer Amazon kicked off Black Friday by announcing that it will be offering deals through December 22. Some …
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Industry News
Facebook Payments Change Ecommerce
Send Payments Through Facebook Messenger Before the rise of social commerce and mobile payments, paying people back consisted of handing over cash or a check, and sometimes a wire transfer. Within the last few years, banks started to offer quick pay services that enable you to send money via email. Now, the latest trend in …
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Company News
TOTAL-APPS Announces Podcast with Rey Pasinli
Challenge Assumptions Hosts TOTAL-APPS On Wednesday, December 14, Challenge Assumptions with Greg Davis will host Rey Pasinli on their podcast. As one of the country’s leading experts in evolving social commerce trends and technologies, Pasinli has collaborated with over 10,000 internet merchants over his fifteen years of experience. The focus of the podcast will be …
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Industry News
How Merchant Accounts Can Help Grow Businesses
Merchant Accounts Increase Sales, Protect Assets Merchant accounts are not created equal. When it comes time to sign up with a dedicated account to further grow your business, it’s important to do the research. But aside from selecting the right company to work with, understanding the benefits of specific accounts is also crucial. The top …
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Industry News
M-Commerce: Mobile Shopping Transforms Ecommerce
Mobile Shopping Trends to Watch Ecommerce has evolved to include mobile shopping, or m-commerce. With a host of technological advancements, this trend will only continue to gain popularity. This is both good and bad for consumers. It’s convenient, but the experience is subpar to regular online shopping. Speed is also a hindrance, with reliance on …
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Industry News
Unraveling the Differences Between Payment Processors and Payment Gateways
Ecommerce Help for the New Merchant You’ve just started a new business, and are establishing an online commerce platform. You have to decide whether to get a merchant account or use a service like PayPal. Do you have a brick-and-mortar store? Do you know your projected sales figures? On top of these questions, you may …
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Industry News
Split Payments: What Merchants Should Know
Why Most Retailers Don’t Offer Split Payments When it comes time for consumers to check out, either online or in-store, many merchants don’t offer split payments. The reasons are numerous, from verification issues, restrictions on the merchants, technical obstacles, and more. However, the main reason is that it requires multiple authorizations from the card user. …
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Industry News
Benefits of Merchant Accounts for Small Businesses
Why Small Businesses Should Utilize Merchant Account Services Whether you run a small business or online operation, having a merchant account service provider can offer great benefits. Many may think that they’re too new, too small, or can’t meet potential sales requirements, but that isn’t the case. With so many companies out there, it may …
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Industry News
Turn Big Data into a Marketing Strategy
Collect Data to Map Out the Right Marketing Strategy for Your Business Gathering and analyzing data can give businesses the opportunity to capitalize on increased marketing ventures. While the initial cost to collect the data may be substantial, it can pay off in the end. Businesses that understand their customers have an advantage when it …
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Industry News
The Evolution of Merchant Services
Understanding Payment Processing Merchant services have evolved over the years, from specific merchants extending credit to certain customers to electronic payments, where the merchant and customer don’t need to be in the same geographical location. With the continued growth and change of the industry, merchant services feature a new set of rules and equipment to …
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Industry News
Most Common Chargeback Types and How to Respond
Submit Chargeback Responses with Evidence Whatever type of business you may be in, chances are, you’ve experienced chargebacks. Across the four major card networks, including Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express, there are roughly 151 chargeback codes. It’s important for businesses to understand the code to be able to submit a compelling response with evidence. …
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Industry News
Top Mistakes Merchants Make with Credit Card Processors
Avoid Credit Card Processing Mistakes For many consumers, carrying cash is a thing of the past. Credit and debit cards have become the top payment method for both in-store and online purchases. Accepting these forms of payment is paramount to a successful business. However, many merchants and businesses can fall victim to mistakes that will …
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Industry News
Research Shows Consumers Prefer the Human Element
Digital Support May Hinder Businesses Digital marketing and ecommerce are crucial to any business, but retaining a human element can be difficult. Verint released study results that showed that consumers prefer human customer service, in-store and on the phone support is important, and that more complex requests rely more on human interaction than digital interaction. …
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Industry News
Ecommerce Moves to Natural Language Generation
Natural Language Generation Next Step in Online Business In a recent survey conducted by Automated Insights, a group of ecommerce professionals stated that they believe natural language generation (NLG) for product descriptions is the next step for ecommerce. This new technology will have the potential to turn data into natural-sounding language for a variety of …
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Top Components to a Successful Social Commerce Strategy
Social Commerce Influences Most Online Purchases When creating a social commerce strategy to grow your business, it’s important to set realistic expectations. Immediate conversions may not happen overnight, but the more attractive and engaging your ads are, the more consumer involvement you’ll have. An overlooked feature of social commerce is credibility and reputation building. With …
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Top Myths About Merchant Accounts
Separating Truth and Myth You’ve reached that point where your business has grown large enough to where you need to open up a merchant account. While researching the best accounts, you may have come across contradictory information regarding merchant accounts. When it comes time to choose the merchant account that’s right for your business, it’s …
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Industry News
How to Utilize Social Commerce for your Business
Top Social Commerce Strategies Every day, ecommerce continues to evolve and grow, with new technology being announced daily. Social commerce is the next step in ecommerce, as more social media platforms create integrated commerce pages. To take full advantage of this latest evolution, it’s important to create a strategy that not only suits your business, …
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Industry News
Social Commerce Comes to Twitter, Pinterest
Social Commerce is the Next Step in Ecommerce Online retailers are moving to social media to expand their offerings, as many of the platforms now offer some form of ecommerce. Social commerce is the next logical step, letting brands advertise and sell directly on a specific social platform. Facebook recently released its platform, and a …
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Industry News
Understand Fraud and the Risks To Your Merchant Account
Protect Your Merchant Account from Unnecessary Fraud Risks Conducting business online has become increasingly prone to different risks. Without the ability to match the identity of the customer with the card in question, identifying legitimate purchases can be difficult. There are three main forms of fraud that can affect your business. Knowing the risks and …
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Industry News
EMV Chip Cards Cause Payment Fraud Shifts
Payment Fraud Shifts More to Online Purchases It’s been just over a year since EMV chip cards were implemented, and the biggest impact they’ve created is the shift in payment fraud. The new cards have severely hindered card-present fraud for retailers large and small. However, the number of fraudulent purchases made online has increased, as …
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Industry News
Visa, MasterCard Release New Security Rules
New Security Updates Better Protect Personal Data Even though credit and debit cards have become more secure since the implementation of EMV chips, they aren’t foolproof. The security update for Visa and MasterCard will help protect personal data against identity theft, as well as online data from different web threats. Counterfeit fraud is already down …
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Industry News
Understanding Chargebacks and How to Handle Them
What Merchants Should Know to Better Protect Themselves Against Chargebacks Merchants operating online and in-store both deal with chargebacks. What is a chargeback? It’s a reversal of charges after a purchase; the merchant’s account returns payment to the customer. Credit card purchases are the most popular form of chargebacks, along with debit card transactions, payments through …
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Industry News
EMV Chip Cards: One Year Later
Chip Cards Help Address Three Pertinent Issues It’s been one year since the United States launched the EMV chip-enabled cards. Now, there are now over 1 million chip-enabled businesses, 363 chip-enabled Visa cards. The implementation was to address three issues: fraud, mobile payments, and convenience. Already, there has been a 47-percent reduction in counterfeit fraud, secure …
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Industry News
Ecommerce Trends for 2017
Ecommerce Continues to Grow Globally The New Year is fast approaching, and with it, the ecommerce game is changing. Currently, the average consumer will spend just under $2,000 per year shopping online. The U.S. alone is expected to generate roughly $355 billion by the end of 2016. To take advantage of this number, experts suggest …
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Industry News
5 Myths About Merchant Account Service Providers
Not All Information On Merchant Account Providers Is Accurate When you’re looking to grow your business, chances are you’ve researched merchant account service providers. Along with solid information regarding the benefits and services, there are a host of myths. Businesses can grow with the help of a merchant service provider, but some will hold back …
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Visual Commerce is the Next Innovation of Ecommerce
Visual Commerce Trends is No Longer Image-Based Ecommerce continues to evolve, with offerings like social commerce finally coming into play. Now, visual commerce will be the next trend. Many online retailers are leveraging social platforms like Pinterest and Instagram to promote their products, but that alone isn’t enough to draw interest. Just like the ecommerce …
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Top Payment Technology Trends for 2016
What Trends to Look Out for This Year Along with various payment processing trends, payment technology has grown much in 2016. Many merchants are implementing custom user experience (UX) to make the consumer’s life just a bit easier. To combat fraud, fingerprints and biometric authentication may become more commonplace. More challenger banks have also been …
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Industry News
Opening a High Risk Merchant Account
Do You Need a High Risk Merchant Account? You’ve decided to open a merchant account, but during the application process, your business was deemed high-risk. This happens for many reasons, including the type of industry you’re in, your chargeback history, or because you’re a brand new business. Whatever the reason, this won’t prevent you from getting a …
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Industry News
Payment Processing Trends Happening in 2016
Trends to Watch for This Year For 2016, payment processing trends continue with changes in security and mobile payment options. EMV migration is in full swing, and will continue its conversion through October 2017. Merchants now offer omni-channel payments to allow customers to pay in multiple ways, and more customers move to more mobile options. Security …
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Industry News
Understand Payment Gateways with Ecommerce Merchants
What Payment Gateways Are and Why You Need Them Not all consumers understand the difference between payment gateways and an ecommerce shopping cart. Some merchants equate gateways with merchant accounts, but that isn’t correct. Payment gateways collect integrate into a website’s shopping cart and collects payment information at checkout. Just like a Point-of-Sale terminal in …
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Industry News
Traditional Merchant Account vs PayPal
Choosing the Right Solution for Your Business When you’re looking to begin or expand your online business and sales, the first thing you should figure out is how you will accept consumer payments. Will you go with a simple service like PayPal or will you opt for a traditional merchant account? Both options have their …
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Industry News
Make Online Payment Processes Easy for Consumers
Increase Conversions and Sales with Less Distractions Your checkout page can either make or break a sale. With constant clicks to different pages, subscription signups, and advertisements, your customers can become overwhelmed. Don’t ask for more information than you need, as many consumers will abandon the checkout process if it takes too long. Offering multiple …
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EMV
Does Your Business Need an EMV Chip Reader?
Most Consumers Use EMV Chip-Enabled Debit and Credit Cards With the mandated implementation of EMV cards in the U.S., merchants must update their software and payment processing terminals. These cards have created a global standardized protocol for “integrated circuit” cards. These chips make it harder to create counterfeit cards, as well as steal information as the …
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Industry News
What You Should Know Before Opening a Merchant Account
Five Questions to Answer Before Signing a Contract Your business is growing at a quick pace and you’ve outgrown your current payment processing ability. You’re thinking about opening a merchant account, and you’ve done the research on the various providers. But there’s still things you’re uncertain about. What credit card solutions do they offer? Are …
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Industry News
Retailers, Banks Switch to Safer Credit and Debit Cards
Retailers Continue to Suffer From Data Breaches Large-scale data breaches haven’t been in the news for quite some time. Knowing how to protect yourself in the event of one is important. The biggest breaches to date have hit Target, Home Depot, and JPMorgan Chase. Many banks have started to implement chip cards to combat this …
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Drive Marketing ROI with Facebook Ads
Four Ways Facebook Ads Can Increase Your Marketing ROI Whether you run a large business or small specialty shop, marketing and advertising are still important to both businesses. Reaching your audience to create conversions requires poignant and targeted ads. Facebook Ads offers a great way to reach customers with plenty of technology to help you …
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Industry News
Avoid These 8 Facebook Ad Mistakes
Avoid Mistakes and Increase Your ROI with These Helpful Tips Every day, thousands of ads are created with bland images, boring text, and plenty of errors to turn away potential customers. When using Facebook Ads, it’s even more pertinent to avoid these mistakes as the ads are more widely viewed and shared. To create more …
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Total-Apps Wins 2016 WebAward for VideoCheckout
Total-Apps Wins the Interactive Services Standard of Excellence Award We are pleased to announce that Total-Apps has been selected as the winner of the 2016 WebAward in the Web Development segment. Our newest innovation, VideoCheckout won the Interactive Services Standard of Excellence award. The WebAwards feature 96 industry categories where websites compete head-to-head in their …
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4 Ways Facebook Ads Increase Marketing ROI
Create Higher Conversion Rates with Facebook Ads Social media marketing continues to be at the forefront of conversation when creating the right marketing campaign for many businesses go to my site. Facebook has created a way for businesses and individuals to create custom ads for products and services that can be targeted, tracked, and analyzed …
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Industry News
Not All Merchant Account Providers are Created Equal
Rate Doesn’t Equal Cost Selecting the right merchant account service provider for your business shouldn’t only be about shopping for the lowest rates. From fraud protection to live customer service and support, what one company offers at a certain rate won’t always equal that of another. From saving time to handling potential business risks, it’s …
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Industry News
How to Choose the Merchant Account Provider for your Business!
Manage Chargebacks and Reduce Fraud Risk with TOTAL-APPS Advanced Payment Processing Solutions Merchant account providers are not created equal. Access to risk management services, expertise of your account service team, responsiveness of customer service, and provided advanced features like split payments will help you to grow your business faster and are often more important than …
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Industry News
TOP 5 QUESTIONS TO ASK WHEN SELECTING A MERCHANT ACCOUNT PROVIDER
Grow Your Business with the Right Merchant Account Provider You’re looking to grow your business and integrate payment processing. With hundreds of potential merchant account service providers, how do you know you’re selecting the right one for your business? All are not created equal, and low fees may be the only attractive feature that some providers …
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Shopping Cart
Maximize Facebook Campaign Conversion
Campaign conversion and measuring the return on investment of Social Media Campaigns has been intensely scrutinized by advertisers and brands alike. From its infancy six years ago, marketing and advertising on social media platforms in general – and on Facebook in particular – have progressed and are now an integral part of most campaigns. From …
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Industry News
Credit Card Processing for Non-Profits
For our non-profit clients, we waive as many monthly fees as possible and do our best to make sure you are raising money, no spending it on credit card fees. We are committed to helping non-profits with credit card processing solutions and securing a non-profit merchant account has never been easier. Some of the benefits …
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Industry News
Credit Card Processing for Restaurants and Small Business
We appreciate small businesses and know accepting credit cards increases sales significantly. Credit card processing for restaurants and small businesses should be an easy solution to find. We’re here for your search. There are multiple reasons why credit card transactions help small businesses succeed: Spending is increased with credit cards. Research shows that people are …
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Industry News
Credit Card Processing Solutions for eCommerce
As a result of the rapid growth of the internet and eCommerce technologies, traditional business has been surpassed by eEcommerce. According to research, there are several benefits to eCommerce, including: Decreased prices for consumers and suppliers – Competition leads to decreased product prices and electronic businesses are cheaper to manage. Diversification of products – Internet …
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Industry News
Credit Card Processing for High Risk Business
Total-Apps assists high risk merchant accounts to make sure your questions and concerns are always addressed. Our dedicated account managers work closely with high risk businesses to prevent fraud and manage chargebacks. Because we own our own gateway, we have total control over every aspect of your account, enabling unsurpassed security of high risk accounts. …
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Industry News
Processing Solutions for the Direct Selling Industry
It’s time to make credit card processing for the Direct Selling Industry more efficient and less costly! Total-Apps offers a variety of payment options for both online and in-person transactions to suit your business needs. Whether you are a one-person start-up or have an entire team, we have a cost efficient solution for you. Accept …
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Industry News
October Updates on EMV Adoption
By October 1,2015, all US merchants were supposed to convert to EMV. EMV adoption promises a much higher level of security for both merchants and customers. This new system benefits merchants, but there are some considerations to be taken into account.
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EMV
Updates on EMV Adoption
By October 1,2015, all US merchants were supposed to convert to EMV. EMV adoption promises a much higher level of security for both merchants and customers. This new system benefits merchants, but there are some considerations to be taken into account.
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Industry News
October Purchase Alert Mandate
Effective October 24, 2016, any bank that issues a Visa-branded card must give cardholders the option to register for alerts related to any transaction processed by Visa. PYMNTS.com provides us with a full run down of the recent announcement.
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Payment Processing
Shopping Cart vs Payment Gateway
To accept online payments, you need both a payment gateway and an online shopping cart. Do you know the difference between the two?
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Mobile Commerce
How Do I Change My Banking Info?
Keeping your banking information up to date is crucial to ensure that you receive your funds. If you are wondering what goes into the process, we have provided the steps required to change your info.
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Mobile Commerce
How to Reduce Fraud Related Chargebacks
Fraud is something every merchant needs to try to manage and prevent. Especially in the United States where nearly half of the world’s credit card fraud occurs. There are two forms of merchant fraud: Chargeback Fraud (aka Friendly Fraud) and Identity Theft.
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Company News
Split Payments – Rey Pasinli Featured in CreditCards.com Article
Most online merchants won’t allow split payments between multiple cards. Technology, security, and expenses are among the probable stumbling blocks preventing e-commerce sites from supporting multiple card payments.
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Mobile Commerce
Hot eCommerce Trends For 2016
In 2014, the US annual retail eCommerce sales were over $300 billion for the first time, totaling $303.94 billion. Since then, eCommerce has only increased and within the next five years, eCommerce sales are expected to reach $3.5 trillion.
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Payment Processing
Do I Need to Have an American Express Account Before Applying?
American Express is not always accepted by retailers and merchants due to the higher fees applied when a customer swipes his or her AMEX card. If you are already accepting American Express, you have a wider customer base than a merchant who does not accept it.
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Company News
Tips For Making Online Shopping More Secure
A large majority of retailers today offer both in-person and online shopping options for their customers. Having an online store gives the customer added convenience because they can shop in the comfort of their own home.
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Social Commerce
The State of Interactive Content Explained by Vidyard
Vidyard’s recent article about today’s interactive content provides readers with helpful information on how content recently evolved from traditional to interactive.
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Payment Processing
What is ACH? Should I Utilize it My Business?
ACH (automated clearing house) is a processing system regulated by the National Automated Clearing House Association that manages all money and data being moved throughout the US. NACHA represents more than 10,000 financial institutions, facilitating safe and secure payments for individuals, corporations, governments and more.
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Payment Processing
What Goes Into the Underwriting Process?
After you submit your merchant account application, there is a review period where an underwriter will examine specific documents to determine if your merchant account can be approved. Your monthly processing volume will also be determined at this time.
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Payment Processing
eCommerce Merchant Accounts
Running an eCommerce business is very different from a retail storefront. You need to consider pricing and other factors to determine if eCommerce or retail is best for your business. With eCommerce, products, services, funds, and data are being sold over the internet. Some businesses only operate online while others, like restaurants and grocery stores, …
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Payment Processing
What Are Interchange Fees?
An Interchange fee is a charge paid by a merchant’s bank (acquiring bank) to a cardholder’s bank (issuing bank). It is charged for every transaction a customer makes with his or her credit card. The fee compensates the issuing bank for the benefits of accepting electronic payments and other transaction related costs.
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Social Commerce
Warc’s World’s Best Marketing Campaigns
Online service Warc recently announced the results of their 2016 ranking of World’s Best Marketing Campaigns. The top 10 companies used social media video campaigns to find success.
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International Merchant Accounts
Comparing International & Domestic Merchant Accounts
If you’re a merchant looking to work with customers outside the United States, you’ll need two accounts: a domestic merchant account and an international merchant account.
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EMV
What is EMV? What Should My Business Know?
EMV stands for ‘Europay, Mastercard, and Visa’ and it represents the new worldwide standard for credit card payments employed to make credit card transactions more secure. EMV cards contain a microchip, or ‘smart chip,’ which securely stores data, making credit card payments safer.
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Fundraising
How to Write a Social Media Fundraising Strategy For Your Nonprofit
Writing a social media fundraising strategy is essential for being successful on social media. A nonprofit should define its goals and create a simple and flexible social media plan to help its communications and fundraising staff.
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Payment Processing
What is Recurring Billing & How Can It Benefit Your Business?
Recurring billing occurs when a merchant automatically charges a cardholder for specified goods or services on a pre-arranged schedule. 2/3 of households report using some type of automatic bill payment and recurring bill payment linked to a credit card is the most common type of auto-pay.
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Fundraising
Facebook Announces Facebook For Nonprofits
In recent nonprofit news, Facebook launched its new website, Facebook for Nonprofits. It’s essentially a platform specifically for nonprofit organizations looking to utilize Facebook to reach their goals.
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Payment Processing
How to Protect Your Business Against Credit Card Fraud
Credit card fraud is a form of identity theft that involves an unauthorized taking of another’s credit card data for the purpose of charging purchases to the account or removing funds from it.
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Fundraising
Advice From Hubspot on NonProfit Keyword Strategy
Hubspot recently published an article about how nonprofits can optimize their keyword research and strategy.
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Payment Processing
Documents You Need to Prepare Before Applying
We know that applying for a merchant account can seem daunting. But with the right preparation, it can be much less complicated than you think. Along with basic business and owner information, there are important documents you must have ready before you begin applying for a new merchant account.
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Payment Processing
What is a Payment Gateway?
Are you asking yourself, “What in the world is a payment gateway?” Many merchants aren’t able to answer this question. It’s important to know what a payment gateway is and why it is essential for your online business.
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Payment Processing
Choosing The Right Merchant Account Monthly Volume
When applying for a merchant account, your account provider will ask for an estimated monthly processing volume. The is the dollar value of Visa and MasterCard sales that are processed by a merchant per month.
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Social Commerce
Venture Magazine Understands Social Commerce
Venture Magazine recently published an article about social commerce and the growing trend of using social media platforms to buy and sell products and services.
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Company News
Participating In The 2016 Digital Entertainment World Startup & Pitch Competition
We are excited to announce that Video Checkout is a finalist at the 2016 Digital Entertainment World Startup & Pitch Competition!
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Total-Apps’ Video Checkout To Compete in 2016 Digital Entertainment World Startup & Pitch Competition
LOS ANGELES, CA – January 29, 2016 – Total-Apps, Inc announced today that Video Checkout will compete in the 2016 Digital Entertainment World Startup & Pitch Competition on February 10, 2016 at the Hyatt Century Plaza in Los Angeles. The Digital Entertainment World (DEW) Startup & Pitch Competition will take place at the 3rd annual …
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Mobile Commerce
5 Questions You Need to Ask Your Merchant Account Provider Before You Sign Up
If you’re opening a new merchant account for credit card processing, you will want to explore your opportunities to guarantee the best option for your new account. We’ve come up with five questions to ask your merchant account provider before jumping onboard.
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Payment Processing
Will My Merchant Account Have a Processing Limit?
When opening your first merchant account, chances are you’ll come across some aspects of the account that surprise you. For example, when you ask yourself, “Will my merchant account have a processing limit?” – the fact may shock you.
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Mobile Commerce
Increasing Conversions for Your eCommerce Site
Believe it or not, making simple tweaks to your checkout process can increase conversions, leading to more sales and more revenue. But what tweaks and changes should you tackle first? The simple answer – it really depends.
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Fundraising
Last Minute Social Media Tips For Fundraising
With the end of the year approaching and employees from your team taking time off to spend with family, there’s the risk that your social media efforts may take a hit. It might not seem like a big deal, but the reality is, you may end up missing an opportunity to reach last-minute donors as …
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Payment Processing
Am I Locked In a Contract?
Merchants have seen it all. Sadly, the merchant account and payment processing industry is known to pull some shady acts – like locking a merchant into a yearly (or longer) contract. The only way to get out? To a pay a hefty early termination fee, or ETF. With competition rising in the merchant account industry, …
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Company News
Wrapping Up Your Fundraising Campaign
We’re in the middle of year-end fundraising campaigns. These campaigns include major holidays such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, as well as giving days like Giving Tuesday.
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Fundraising
#GivingTuesday is Over – Now What?
We’re 2 weeks past 2015’s Giving Tuesday and we can safely safe the day was a huge success. The community-driven day saw a 52% increase in giving compared to data from 2014. We saw extremely creative campaigns used by organizations like Global Giving.
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Payment Processing
Accepting Credit Cards Will Increase Revenue
When it comes to accepting credit cards, small businesses are leaving an estimated $100 billion on the table in forfeited profits. The reason? They aren’t accepting the fact that they need to accept credit cards.
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Press
Rey Pasinli at 2015 Mobile Payments Conference
Rey Pasinli joined a panel of mobile payments experts at the Mobile Payments Conference in Chicago, September 2015, on social commerce and in-stream payments.
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Company News
Georgia Gives Day Raises $3.6 Million
According to a recent article in The Non Profit Times, Georgia Gives Day, the annual 24-hour period hosted on behalf of non-profits in the state, raised more than $3.6 million on Thursday, November 12th.
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Fundraising
Social Fundraising – How To Better Engage Social Donors
Social fundraising has been a hot topic for 2015 – whether it’s in the nonprofit and charity world or the political landscape. Organizations are figuring out that receiving donations through social media channels is a MUST, and luckily, it’s becoming easier every day. Here are 3 simple ways to better engage donors during your next …
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Company News
Client Story – A Terminal 20+ Years Old
We love hearing stories of clients and their positive experience using Total-Apps as their merchant account provider! We wanted to share a very unique and awesome story about a current client of ours – Power Technology.
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Press
Total-Apps Named #108 in Deloitte’s 2015 Technology Fast 500 Ranking
Congratulations are in order as Total-Apps is named #108 in Deloitte’s 2015 North American Technology Fast 500 today. This award recognizes the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, and energy technology companies in North America. The Technology Fast 500 is based on percentage of revenue growth from fiscal year 2011 to 2014. For more …
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Fundraising
3 Smart Ways to Raise Money For The End of the Year
The end of the year is one of the most important times for a nonprofit and its fundraising department. It is at this time that nonprofits make the biggest asks and also when donors are most willing to give. Nonprofit Hub surveyed 400 nonprofits and found that 28 percent of nonprofits raised 26 to 50 …
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Payment Processing
All The Merchant Account Myths You Need to Know
Being in business for so long and helping thousands upon thousands of merchants, we’ve heard it all. Sadly, we’ve frequently heard of some very unfortunate cases with merchants on their past experiences. Locked contracts. Early termination fees. Hidden fees. The ugly stuff. We’ve seen providers quote one price and charge the merchant a totally different …
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Press
5 Reasons Video Should Be Part of Your Year-End Fundraising Campaign
“With more than 4 billion videos being streamed each year on Facebook, ample opportunity exists for nonprofits and political groups to utilize their library of videos for fundraising efforts on the social network. Nonprofits are no stranger to using video to tell a story and further their mission. As we approach planning for end-of-year solicitations (when …
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Company News
Video Fundraise #GivingTuesday Promotion
#GivingTuesday is approaching with the date set for Tuesday, December 1st. The giving-fueled day is in its fourth year and is observed on the Tuesday following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. #GivingTuesday is known as the “kickoff” to the charitable season, when many donors are eager to donate last minute tax deductible contributions. Charities utilizing …
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Payment Processing
Apply for a Merchant Account even if Your Website isn’t Ready
When you launch a new eCommerce business, you’re probably going to have a timeline planned out. Come up with your product. Design your website. Make sure you can take credit card payments. So you’ll probably come to a point where you want to make sure you sell your product to your customer before launching the …
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Payment Processing
Do I Need a Business Checking Account to Open a Merchant Account?
When you begin to consider your options for a merchant account provider, you’re already well aware that you will need to provide banking information for funds to be deposited to. But one of the major questions we get from new merchants is if they absolutely need a business checking account to open a merchant account.
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Fundraising
Giving Day Social Fundraising – North Texas Giving Day
Philanthropy.com covered a great story as they discussed one of the most record-breaking days in fundraising history. North Texas Giving Day took place Thursday, September 24th 2015 and the results are staggering. The special one-day event raised over $33 million for over 2000 local nonprofits, an increase of nearly $7 million from last year’s attempt. …
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Payment Processing
Preparing For a Sales Volume Increase
The holidays are approaching and that can typically mean that many businesses will experience a spike in sales volume and people plan their shopping for gifts. But what does mean for you as a merchant? Is your current payments provider willing to offer an increase in volume? Is this something you have considered yet? We …
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Payment Processing
What If My Credit Score Isn’t the Best?
Total-Apps is often approached by potential merchants that do not have the best credit score. They’ve been sent from provider to provider given their credit and just as they’re about to give up, they find us. So let’s break down your options when your credit score is low.
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Press
#44 Fastest-Growing Private Companies
Total-Apps is celebrating today as we learned we placed #44 in Orange County Business Journal‘s Fastest Growing Private Companies: Small Companies. It’s an honor to be listed with some of the fastest growing private companies in Orange County.
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Fundraising
Social Media & Political Fundraising
According to Tom Murse from About.com, the political landscape is drastically changing. The role of social media in campaign fundraising is one component firing this change. How politicians raise donations not only is conducted differently, it encourages more supporter engagement. In his article “How Social Media Has Changed Poltics” Tom examines 10 ways Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube have changed …
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Press
Total-Apps Enables Donations Through Facebook Video
Total-Apps, a California-based online payment provider, has launched a service aimed at nonprofits enabling them to accept donations directly through videos posted on Facebook. Read More Hear CardNotPresent’s CNP Report
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Press
Total-Apps Introduces Platform Allowing Non-Profits to Receive Donations Directly Via Facebook Videos
Payment processor Total-Apps has launched Video Checkout – a new technology enabling non-profits and political organizations to receive donations directly through the videos they share on Facebook. Read More
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Press
Pledge to Watch: A Digital Offering Pairs Video with Donations
A new platform is making a play to allow campaigns and issue groups to raise money from online videos as they’re viewed by potential donors and supporters. Total-Apps this week unveiled Video Checkout, a service it’s hoping will allow the merchant payment processor entrée into the campaign market. The service lets a user embed a video …
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Press
Rey Pasinli – Video Highlights From Affiliate Summit East 2015
Rey Pasinli presented "The Future is Social Commerce" at Affiliate Summit East 2015 in New York, tracing social commerce from Web 1.0 forward.
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Fundraising
Facebook Announces Donate Now Button
A recent announcement from Facebook has created quite a bit of buzz. The company has announced a Facebook Donate Now Button, which allows for users to be sent to a nonprofit’s website to be able to donate. But this new feature has many nonprofits and consultants frustrated at the weak attempt from Facebook’s end. Nonprofit …
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Fundraising
How to Use Facebook to Raise Money – By Dick Morris
By Political Consultant Dick Morris With over 4 billion video views per DAY, Facebook is emerging as the most popular app for posting and sharing videos. But while Facebook is the best place to share your campaign videos, it’s not the best place to conduct online fundraising. Current restrictions leave you with absurdly low click …
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Press
Total-Apps Announces Interactive Video and Secure Payment System for Facebook
Leading Payment Processor Launches New Technology That Enables Nonprofit and Political Organizations to Receive Donations Directly Through Videos Shared on Facebook ALISO VIEJO, CA–(Marketwired – Sep 9, 2015) – With more than 4 billion videos being streamed each year on Facebook, ample opportunity exists for nonprofits and political groups to utilize their library of videos …
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Press
Top 10 Sessions at Affiliate Summit East 2015
Affiliate Summit East 2015 took place August 2-4, 2015 at the New York Marriott Marquis in New York, NY. Of the many sessions that took place, Rey Pasinli’s session: The Future is Web 3.0: Social Commerce took 8th place based on attendee surveys. Learn more about the survey results!
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Press
Innovator of the Year Award Nominee – Rey Pasinli
Congratulations to Rey Pasinli & Total-Apps for being nominated the the Innovator of the Year Award for 2015. See his entry below written by Orange County Business Journal. Read the full article.
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Company News
Choosing the Best Non-Profit Choose a Merchant Account Provider?
When the time comes for your charity to choose its non-profit merchant account provider, you’ll want to set some criteria. The last thing you want is to end up with a provider that takes a huge cut of your donations. After all, those donations help your cause move forward and assist in getting the word …
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Company News
Facebook – The Early Winner After GOP Debate
Is the 2016 election the year of the Social Media election? It may be stating the obvious, but as the debates continue to grow, we’ll see greater and greater involvement with Social Media. We saw how this played out when the State of the Union Address made its way to a YouTube live-stream. The political …
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Press
Press Release – Total-Apps, Inc. Announces New Office Location
Aliso Viejo, CA – September 1, 2015 – Total-Apps, Inc announced today that it will be relocating its home office to 26800 Aliso Viejo Parkway Suite 250, Aliso Viejo, CA, 92656. The new location will house employees in Operations, Sales, Marketing, and Development departments. The company will operate as normal during the move. The new …
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Press
Rey Pasinli Summarizes Presentation at Affiliate Summit East 2015
Rey Pasinli presented The Future is Social Commerce at this year’s Affiliate Summit East, held in New York. The presentation walked attendees through Social Commerce from Web 1.0 to today – Web 3.0. The industry has evolved from a simple desktop commerce environment to Social Media as a sales channel like we’re seeing today. The …
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Fundraising
How Can I Use Social Media to Fundraise?
Using Social Media to fundraise can be a tricky task. Up until recently, no one had a solid way to ask for donations besides a link to a donation form. And unfortunately, studies show that users are far less likely to leave a social platform when given an offer to purchase a product or make …
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Fundraising
Social Fundraising with the Ice Bucket Challenge
The social fundraising landscape is constantly evolving. What was once not possible is being implemented by many charities and non-profits today. We wanted to take a look at one of the most successful campaigns – the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge movement – a year later and examine a couple of ways the campaign could have …
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Payment Processing
What Are All These Merchant Account Fees?
Opening a merchant account can be extremely stressful, especially given the fees that are associated. But it doesn’t have to be that way. We’ve heard plenty of horror stories of hidden fees and contracts that lock the merchant in for years. That’s not right. To give you some peace of mind, we wanted to break …
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Mobile Commerce
How Can I Monetize Social Media?
In recent years, we’ve seen social media turn into a unique and powerful sales channel. What was once a way to get fun updates from your favorite brands transformed into a way to communicate with them directly with customer service needs.
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Fundraising
An Update on Social Fundraising for Charities
As we mentioned in our recent post, social media has played a huge role in fundraising for colleges and non-profits. The sheer magnitude of increased funds raised was first seen in recent years at Columbia University where their efforts with social media aided in raising millions of dollars! $8 million to be exact.
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Payment Processing
Social Media Impacting Fundraising at Colleges
Up until recently, fundraising for colleges and universities has been a difficult task. According to an article by Diverse Education, it took the efforts of Columbia University to illustrate the magnitude a social and online presence can have in fundraising. The university raised nearly $8 million in 24 hours in 2013 during a social media …
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Payment Processing
What Do You Do When Your Account Has Been Terminated?
So you’ve just been terminated from your current merchant account provider. The reasoning behind this could be endless – weeks of chargebacks or even the fact that your current merchant account provider no longer takes your business model. Whatever the case, NOT taking credit cards is NOT an option. So what can you do? Don’t …
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Social Commerce
Snapchat Becomes Shoppable
Snapchat is teaming up with shopping search engine ShopStyle where featured bloggers can create styles for their followers to shop. The new feature can be reviewed at snap.shopstyle.com.
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Mobile Commerce
Twitter Product Pages – The Latest Update
The past week has seen major announcements from Twitter regarding changes with products. The first announcement discusses Lighting, a plan that will help push live events. The second announcement regards “Collections,” which are a group of product pages that makes it easier for users to shop a wide variety of products by categories. Ultimately, these …
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Press
Best Places to Work in Orange County 2015
Best Places to Work in Orange County 2015 Total-Apps was recently named as one of the 2015 Best Places to Work in Orange County. The awards program was created in 2009 and is a project of the Orange County Business Journal and Best Companies Group. This county-wide survey and awards program was designed to identify, …
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Social Commerce
Social Commerce and Customer Service
Do you ever reach out to companies to resolve an issue via social media? If you’re somewhat active on social media, chances are you have done so at least once in the past. How was that experience? Did you wish the brand handled the situation in a more efficient manner? Were you even able to …
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Social Commerce
How Can You Turn Video into a Shoppable Video?
It’s should come as no surprise that marketers are beginning to look at video as a new way to convert viewers into paying customers. But what exactly are the stats? How well does video perform and should you invest in a platform other than YouTube to tap into the newer, seamless services where customers can …
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Mobile Commerce
Pinterest Adds Buy Button
Yesterday, it was Instagram. Today, it’s Pinterest. In a recent blog on Pinterest’s website, the company has announced that it will be launching buyable pins.
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Company News
Video Checkout – Winner of Internet Advertising Competition – Best Marketing Online Video
Total-Apps is proud to announce that we are the recipients of the 2015 Best Marketing Online Video from the Internet Advertising Competition. As a result, we were announced as winners on the Main Keynote Stage at Ad:Tech San Francisco, one of the largest industry shows of the year.
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Mobile Commerce
Instagram Adds Buy Button – Social Commerce News
If you’re an active Instagram user, you’ve probably noticed that the platform has recently rolled out sponsored ads. These carousel ads allow paid players to promote their brand with a set of photos and a “learn more” button under the set of photos. This was the very first time Instagram ads became clickable. But now, …
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Payment Processing
How Can You Protect Your Business with AVS?
When taking credit card payments from customers in an online environment, it’s impossible to verify a credit card with the customer as you would in a retail environment. This makes for a much more risky situation given the lack of verification with your customers. So how can you protect yourself against fraudulent charges that ultimately …
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Mobile Commerce
Makers of Oreo Look Into Buy Button
Mondelez International, makers of Oreo, have announced plans to launch their very own Buy Button through social channels such as their Facebook page. The buy button and shoppable ads would be linked to one of the brand’s retailers.
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Mobile Commerce
Keys to Selling on Social
It’s exciting to think about how easy and fast it can be to begin selling on Twitter or Facebook. Selecting one of the “plug and play” ways to sell, such as Twitter Buy Button, it’s easy to feel set up for success. But because no two businesses are the same, it’s important to know the …
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Payment Processing
Fun Fact Friday – The Height of Credit Cards
Here’s another fun credit card fact.
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Mobile Commerce
Taco Bell Adding Loyalty Program to Payment Application
Taco Bell will be launching its first loyalty program called “Taco Baller” sometime this year. While the company isn’t giving away too many details at this time, we can expect gamification as a key component versus a traditional “punch card” rewards program.
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Press
How Mobile Tech and Social Media are Merging to Change the Shopping Experience
Evolving commercial platforms are constantly challenging retailers. It wasn’t all that long ago that Mom and Pop stores and cottage industries gave way to department stores. Then independent department stores amalgamated with malls. Enter the Internet, which took the buying experience from the physical to the virtual level. Read More
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Mobile Commerce
What Happens When Seasonal Changes Cause an Increase to Business?
When you sign up for a merchant account, you’re approved for a set amount for your monthly volume. Due to risk, underwriting approves this set amount based on your business model and other financial factors.
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Company News
Auto Dealers Accelerate Service Satisfaction with Mobile Checkout
A new collaboration between NcompassTrac and Total-Apps is revolutionizing the auto dealer service checkout process. Instead of waiting in a cashier’s line, customers can now check out securely and electronically using their dealership’s loyalty app.
Read more →Mobile Commerce
Facebook Donate Button Raises $10 Million
If you’ve logged into Facebook in recent weeks, you’ve probably noticed the “Donate Button” on the top of your timeline. This button has made its presence known, but with the recent magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Nepal, Facebook users came together to donate over $10 Million to help those in need.
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Mobile Commerce
Fun Fact Friday – Credit Cards in the US
How many credit cards would you guess are in circulation in the US alone? We’ll give you a hint – there are 300 million people in the US.
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Payment Processing
Facebook Announces Facebook Messenger for Desktop
Facebook recently released a new version of Messenger, but this time it’s for desktop exclusively. This new move is huge, as we’ve been noticing Facebook invest in new features that will keep brands and customers on their platform. This comes very soon after the announcement of peer-to-peer payments as a feature that users will experience …
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Press
Rey Pasinli & Jason Taylor – Zooz Twitter Roundtable Chat
Executive Directors Rey Pasinli and Jason Taylor will be participating in Zooz Payment’s Twitter Roundtable Chat – “Payment Due: The Year-to-Date in Payment Tech” where they’ll discuss the latest developments involving Apple Pay, MCX, Bitcoin, PayPal and other newsmakers. Zooz Payments #Paytech2015 Info Wednesday, May 13 2:00 PM EDT Hash Tag: #paytech2015 The success of our February …
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Press
What You Can Learn From The StartUp Podcast
Public-radio producer Alex Blumberg launched a podcast company in 2014 after years as a producer of This American Life and Planet Money. He chronicled experiences that led up to the birth of his company, Gimlet Media, in a 14-episode podcast, which outlines everything from failed pitches to investors to conversations with his wife on the impact …
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Mobile Commerce
Why Do I Have to Provide Bank Statements?
When applying for a merchant account, your provider may ask for you provide 3-6 months of bank statements. We wanted to take a minute and explain why this is requested.
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Mobile Commerce
NBA Tickets Via Twitter’s Buy Button
Since late 2014, Twitter has been slowly unveiling its Social Commerce Buy Button tool. We’ve seen offers range from clothing, donations, and the latest offer comes in the form of sports tickets thanks NBA’s Atlanta Hawks. On the surface, it’s a strong fit. Sports teams have very active social followings. And it doesn’t take much …
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Press
Executive Director Rey Pasinli – Interview with The Growth Factor Podcast
Rey Pasinli sat down with The Growth Factor podcast to discuss the future of mobile payments and Social Commerce. Take a listen
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Mobile Commerce
Peer to Peer Payments Spurring Social Commerce Market
Those interested in social commerce need to take note of the growing peer-to-peer payments market. Their rise in popularity is getting more consumers closer to and comfortable with purchasing products in-stream on social. We’re wondering, is this the tipping point retailers need to explode their social sales channel? Business Insider estimated in an August 2014 …
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Payment Processing
What if I Change My Business Bank Account?
There are times when you’ll need to change business information. At Total-Apps, we do everything in our power to make sure this doesn’t affect your merchant account in any way. For example, you may find a better business bank account provider and decide to make the switch. This shouldn’t lead to any issues with your …
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Press
Customer Retention Through Loyalty and In-app Mobile Payments
NcompassTrac, a California-based loyalty program provider, believes it can erase the pain from the car dealership checkout process with an in-app payments feature within the loyalty app the company already provides to its partners who sell high-end cars from BMW, Cadillac, Mercedes Benz and Porsche. NcompassTrac worked with Total-Apps, a California-based merchant services provider and …
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Payment Processing
Do I Need a Physical Location?
One of the common questions we receive when dealing with new merchants is, “Do I have to have a physical location in addition to my online store?”
Read more →Company News
How the EMV Changes Will Affect Your Business Part 1
The deadline for your business to migrate to EMV acceptance is approaching. EMV is a series of regulations regarding secure methods of payment. While developed in the 90’s, the US is actually one of the last countries to adopt these regulations. We wanted to address a few key points and prepare you for this change …
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Payment Processing
Why Would the Bank Put a Reserve on My Account?
There are times where underwriting prefers a reserve on a new merchant account. As much as we typically are able to avoid this scenario, here’s how that would occur and the reasons behind it.
Read more →Press
ERAD2C 2014 Interview – Executive Director Rey Pasinli
Rey Pasinli was interviewed at ERAD2C in Las Vegas in 2014 on the payments landscape, the move to mobile, and the future of e-commerce.
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Payment Processing
How Does the Merchant Processing Application Process Work?
The merchant processing account application process should be extremely simple no matter which provider you choose. At Total-Apps, we do make it a priority to get you set up within 2-3 business days. Here’s how that breaks down:
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Payment Processing
3 Tips to Manage Your High Risk Business
There can be a few reasons why your bank is labeling you as “high risk.” You may be in an industry with government regulations. You may be selling a service or product that is in a legal gray area. You may be running a business with a track record of chargebacks. Whatever the case, here …
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Press
Orange County Business Journal Excellence in Entrepreneurship
Total-Apps, Inc. Was nominated for the 2015 Orange County Business Journal Excellence in Entrepreneurship Award.
Read more →Social Commerce
Social Commerce Word Soup
Social media is the next big driver of e-commerce and we want to give you a crash course in all the latest social commerce terminology.
Read more →Payment Processing
Why is the Act of “Know Your Customer” Important?
Know Your Customer (KYC) is the act and process taken by businesses to ensure they know their client.
Read more →Payment Processing
Is High Monthly Volume Risky?
This is a question that we get quite often. People are under the impression that higher volume equals more fees which should be good for the merchant account provider. So why do providers look at a higher monthly volume as risky compared to a low monthly volume?
Read more →Payment Processing
3 Ways to Run a High Risk Business
So you just found out your business is being labeled “high-risk” from banks and merchant account providers. Businesses can be labeled high-risk for a number of reasons. Some of these reasons include: financial risk / loss, health and safety concerns, or government regulations. This makes it a bit more difficult to set up a merchant …
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Women Will Raise the Bar in Businesses in 2015
Many cracks were made in the glass ceiling in 2014. This year we saw Malala Yousafzai win the Nobel Peace Prize for evangelizing for women’s equality on the international stage. Beyonce splashed “FEMINISM” all across TV screens during the VMAs. Iowa and West Virginia elected their first female senators. The NBA got it’s first female …
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Press
Women Make Better CEOs of Larger Companies
Although the study found that female run companies had robust marketing teams, more publicity, stronger event planning, and a greater online presence than male run companies, another study suggests that men are more aggressive when asking for what they want, and there for make up the remaining 83% of CEOs.So how can women raise the …
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Twitter Buy Button Turnoffs
When the Twitter Buy Button launched in September 2014 with such well known brands, retailers and artists as Burberry, The Home Depot and Pharrell on board, a lot of people were convinced it would take off instantly. But five months later not a lot of uptake can be seen and even Twitter itself has taken …
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What Are Chargebacks and How Do I Protect My Business from Fraud?
Chargebacks are costly to a business. Not only does it cost the business the amount in the initial order, there are fees charged by the processor for the funds reversal. It can end up costing a business quite a bit of money.
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Company News
What is PCI Compliance and Why is it Required?
PCI Compliance is a relatively new way to ensure that all transactions are being protected by a secure protocol. It is defined as a set of requirements designed to ensure that any merchant that processes, stores, or transmits credit card data maintains a secure environment. It applies to any organization regardless of size or number …
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Common Roadblocks to Social Donations
The ALS ice bucket challenge proved this summer that social is arguably the most explosive means for raising awareness and funds while connecting like-minded supporters together online. But not every social campaign reaches such a fever pitch. To help strengthen the weak spots in your next fund-raising campaign follow these payments processing best practices.
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Why is a Social Security Number Needed to Apply?
When applying for a merchant account, you will be asked to provide your Social Security Number. Just like applying at a local branch of a bank, the SSN is needed to pull up background information and history.
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A Tentative Return to eCommerce
Every brick-and-mortar retailers’ fear is that e-commerce will drive customers away from its precious stores. To ensure that doesn’t happen, TJX Companies will have to create customer loyalty that encourages them to visit both the website and the physical locations. Read More
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Optimize eCommerce on Small Business Saturday
Small Business Saturday is an American shopping holiday created in 2010 by American Express. It encourages consumers to buy from small businesses on the Saturday following Thanksgiving. While it was originally aimed to persuade consumers to buy local at retail locations, you can still take advantage of this holiday with your eCommerce store. Read More
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Why You May Need to Show Proof of Inventory
Fraudsters have really made things more difficult for everyone when it comes to getting a merchant account. In the past, these shady folks have set up shell merchant accounts that are made to look completely above board, but they are actually selling counterfeits or running credit card payments without ever sending the “customer” any goods. …
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Wait… So I’m Applying?
One of the common confusions that we get from clients is that they do not understand they are APPLYING for a merchant account. With the instant approval of services such as PayPal, Intuit, and Square, we can understand the origins of the confusion. So why are you APPLYING when you decide to open a full …
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What if I Don’t Have Bank Statements?
So you’re a brand new business, huh? Let’s say you opened up your very own cake shop. You sell the best cakes in the entire city! You’re off to a good start. But you realize you need to open a merchant account to take credit card payments from your customers. It makes sense. This could …
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Payment Processing
Why You May Need Multiple Merchant Accounts
The idea and reasoning behind having multiple merchant accounts is a touchy subject in the industry. You’ll hear both sides to why you should and why you should never consider having multiple accounts. We wanted to clear the air, so allow us to address the ins and outs of opening multiple merchant accounts.
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Payment Processing
Do I Need to Be a Registered Business to Open a Merchant Account?
One of the most common questions we get when a merchant calls to ask about merchant services is if they must have their business registered to open the account. The short answer to this is “no.” You can simply file as a sole proprietor if you’d like to avoid the set-up of the business.
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Company News
What in the World is a Payment Gateway?
Since there are so many aspects and levels of merchant accounts and what makes them function, we wanted to help answer some questions you may have. One of the most common questions we get here at Total-Apps when explaining the process of how funds travel from customer to merchant is, “What is a gateway?”
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7 Questions to Ask Your Merchant Account Provider
There are tons of factors related to merchant services. All these factors can leave merchants confused and nervous to take the plunge into applying. We wanted to clear up some questions you may have – such as, “What the heck should I even be asking my merchant account provider before committing?” How long is the …
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How Do I Make a Decision on Monthly Limit?
One of the common questions we get is from merchants wanting to know how much they should apply for their monthly volume limit. A lot of the time, merchants don’t understand that they are APPLYING for an approved amount with a bank. In fact, not only are they applying for a limit on their monthly …
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What Should I Prepare Before I Apply For a Merchant Account?
Opening a merchant account can be a time of confusion for many individuals who have questions regarding merchant services. Today, we want to answer the question “What should I prepare before making the call and going through the application process?” To help, we created a checklist of items you will likely need when applying.
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How to Spot the Merchant Account Provider who is a Scam Artist
With the thousands of horror stories regarding merchant account service providers, it is no surprise that the thought of opening a merchant account would send business owners running for the hills. Working in this industry for over 15 years, we’ve heard it all – locked contracts with no hope of escape, hidden sky-high fees, and …
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Twitter for Mobile Payments
Total-Apps Inc., a Calif.-based merchant services provider and payments processor, is the latest company to use Twitter for social commerce and is developing Twt2Pay specifically for the mobile environment. The service will enable Twitter users to buy items using hashtags once the company exits its current stealth mode. Read More
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eCommerce Radio Interview with Total-Apps Executive Director Rey Pasinli
Total-Apps Executive Director, Rey Pasinli, recently had the opportunity to discuss the ins and outs of merchant services and how Total-Apps distinguishes itself from other competitors. We want to thank Eric Dye from eCommerce Radio for the opportunity. We hope to talk with him again soon!
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Revenue From Twitter
With its Twt2Pay service, Total-Apps has turned Twitter into an e-commerce platform. Read More – Total-Apps in OC Metro
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How to Survive and Thrive This Black Friday
It’s easy to feel lost in the palooza of Black Friday, especially if you’re a small business. But by taking a few simple steps you needn’t lose sales to the retail and online giants. Read More
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Preparing Your eCommerce Business for Cyber Monday
This year, Cyber Monday falls on December 2, and shoppers will flood the Internet in search of one-time-only holiday deals. However, many e-commerce websites will find themselves under-equipped for this online traffic surge. Read More
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6 Credit Card Processing Tools You Should Be Using
If your small business doesn’t accept credit cards, you are missing out on sales. Read More
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