• 12May

  I am located in Europe; can I have a US Merchant Account to accept credit cards?

  Merchant Account Comments Off
  While this question is still popping up everywhere each day on the forums, and many of the active forum posters are misleading people to believe that there are not limitations, then we made this article about Merchant Accounts and Payment Gateways location. The title says a European Merchant want to open a Merchant Account in the US, it doesn’t matter which way it goes, it could also be the opposite, we will explain this below.

  A European Merchant has to apply for a Merchant Account in the European Region of Visa and MasterCard, but when will a merchant be considered any nationality and is it the beneficial owner of a company or the company that is in questions here?

  In fact it is the applicant which the *Acquiring Bank will look at, if the merchant is applying as a business then it doesn’t matter where the beneficial owner is located, however, there are certain requirements in the different countries that a company must comply to, such as to have a local registered secretary.

  It is not in any way allowed for a European Company for instant incorporated in Germany, to become a Merchant Account in for instant the USA, this would be against the Visa and MasterCard cross boarder regulations; the Acquiring banks are also aware of this and will decline the application.

  For individuals or sole proprietors the same applies no exception.

  We would have posted some official links to Visa and MasterCard about this, but at the moment we searched we wasn’t able to find the relevant information, if we find it we will add it to this article.

  Where do you get this information from?
  Since as you can read from many of our blogs, we have been in this business for more than 8 years now, then we have a bunch of contracts, agreements and Visa / MasterCard regulations on hand, but are limited to several NDA’s which prevent us to post any parts or the entire document here. However, you can proof check the above and below very simple try to apply for a merchant account where you not belong to, you will be declined if the Payment Service Provider / ISO / MSP or Acquiring bank you look at are legit.

  I found a company which state they can accept merchants worldwide with 1 bank, how comes?
  There are 2 options here:

  • 1) The Payment Service Provider will ask you to incorporate in the country where the bank is located, this requires additional costs but is of course a legit solution on this and very common.
  • 2) They try to fool you into a solution which isn’t legit, this is sadly often the case, so many fly by night companies are popping up with cheap web sites (often just a 6 page site) and which just there to make the quick buck by scamming people, often they are not themselves aware of what they are doing it is simply a lack of knowledge, they don’t know better.

  If you find a company which is like described in point 2, it might be true they will get you started, but be sure this solution will not last and the risk you will lose all your moneys is 90%, our advice, stay away from this, the last 10 years have shown it incident after incident, it won’t work.

  Visa and MasterCard have divided the world in 6 regions and a merchant which has its business incorporated in a country which belongs to a certain region need to apply for a merchant account in the region it belongs too, it is now allowed to have a merchant account in another region than where the company is registered.

  

  Source: http://www.mastercard.com/sitemap.html

  We hope to have clarified this issue and that this post can be distrubuted to as many as possible for all of us to conduct an honest business.
  On behalf of CCLOGIC.COM we whish you all the best.

  Tags: Acquiring Bank, mastercard crossboarder regulations, Merchant Account, Payment Gateway, Payment Service Provider, visa cross boarder regulations

• 01May

  Accepting Credit Card Payments with and Offshore Company to open the Merchant Account

  Merchant Account, Payment Gateway Comments Off

  These days it is essential for an Online Business which sells their services or products throughout the Internet to accept credit card payments.  

  Many just fail to know what it exactly is they need to be aware of when they do their business planning and apply for a merchant account to accept credit cards on their web site.

  Looking at the Payment Service Industry the possibilities is many, the number of payment service providers is almost impossible to see through so the services they offer. In the latest 2 years you also will find many Offshore Company Service agency which will try to setup a merchant account and payment gateway facility for you as a “complete package” but which simply fail due to a leg of knowledge and even them self understanding the Payment Service Provider business.

  Below we will outline a few of the major and important conditions you need to consider and be prepared for when you apply for a Merchant Account and it doesn’t matter who you are going to use, the regulations are set forth by the Card Association and in front Visa / MasterCard.

  You will need to apply for a Merchant Account in the jurisdiction of where your company is registered; this isn’t necessarily the same country but more often the Region in which the country of company registration belongs to.

  Many fail to comply with the regulations already before they get started, for instant when they incorporate their company in some “grey zone” offshore jurisdictions like Panama, Belize, BVI or Seychelles, those countries are only hardly accepted by the major Banks in this Offshore jurisdictions and often you will pay high fees too, since they know your business now is bound to them.

  To have your company registered in the European Union will take much of the hassle from your shoulders and you will find yourself with the right merchant account and payment gateway solution quickly if you prepared yourself with the next few things.

  The first thing you will need to know is that your Web site need to be compliant with Visa and MasterCard (I name those brands because they are the most important once) make sure you have your Terms and Conditions and Return policy online and that it is easy for customers / card holders to find and read them. Make sure your Company name, address and a phone number is available, a postbox isn’t sufficient and will not be accepted. If you don’t provide 24/7/365 phone support, put it on your website and let people know when and how they can get in contact with you.

  To attract more customers, it is always a good idea to have a Live Chat on your Web Site, this will let your customers feel comfortable and that they always can be in touch with you.

  We hope above can help you the way up the road and will again outline the importance to choice the right Company to help you to find the right Merchant Account and Payment Gateway providers.

  With more than 9 Years of experience in the Payment Service Provider Business and the maintain mend of a PCI certified Payment Gateway CCLOGIC.COM know the business and companies you need to succeed. Feel free to contact us or visit our web site.

  Tags: Accept Credit Card Payments, ISO, MasterCard, Merchant Account, MSP, Payment Gateway, Payment Service Provider, Visa

• 10Apr

  A Merchant Account what is it, and do I needs one to accept credit cards?

  Merchant Account Comments Off

  Do I need a Merchant Account?

  When you start your business online and you start to get the first requests from your customers that they want to pay by credit card, you will quickly meet the term Merchant Account, if you look around for instant on Google for payment service providers or credit card processing, many companies will tell you that you have to open a Merchant Account with one of their Acquiring Banks.

  So what is a merchant account, please explain, often people connect a merchant account with a regular bank account which isn’t obvious but simply a confusion in the terms. A Merchant account is opened by an Acquiring bank, which is authorized by the card association to process payments by credit card for Online Merchants. In many countries you will need to contact another company (Payment Service Provider, ISO or MSP) which on behalf of the Acquiring bank will open the Merchant Account for you. Often you need to sign a Credit Card acceptance contract both with the Acquiring Bank and the Payment Service Provider, to become a Merchant Account.

  When you open a Merchant Account you will also need to know which credit cards you will and need to accept on your web site. The major credit cards are Visa and MasterCard, then comes Amex, Diners, JCB and the rest. Many countries have also country specific credit and debit cards for which you need a separated merchant account or merchant agreement. A Merchant Account can be opened by any business which sells products and services and which to accept credit cards, this is the case for both online and Offline business. However, not all business industries can become a Merchant Account or Merchant Agreement, some business types are simply not accepted by the card association.

  An important thing to know when you consider opening a Merchant Account is that you will be held responsible for each and every transaction made on your web site. When you open a Merchant Account with an Acquiring Bank you will sign an agreement where you will find the clausal, that you will be pay the bank any losses they might have on your business, that you as the Merchant and the Merchant Account holder will not sell any other products or services then what you listed in the Merchant Agreement. Also that if your merchant account is facing excessive chargeback’s that it simply will be terminated and that you will be subject for fines. Often we suggest clients looking for a Merchant Account, to make a good business description of what they are going to sell and how they will do it. This helps both the bank and the payment service provider in finding the right solution for you. A Merchant Account isn’t the right solution for anyone, but if you are doing well with your business and you learn how to protect you from fraud, then a Merchant Account can be less expensive and more agile compared to any other solution.

  CCLOGIC LLC has more than 10 years of experience in the field of Credit Card Processing; we have been in the marked from almost the beginning and know very well the traps, the good ones and the bad ones. We work as consultancies for businesses looking for a reliable and secure solution for their Merchant Account and credit card processing needs. We both work with regular e-commerce and high risk considered businesses.

  Tags: credit card processing, Merchant Account, Merchant Services, Online Payment, Payment Gateway

• 01Apr

  Accept Credit Card Payments on your website.

  Merchant Account, Payment Gateway Comments Off

  To accept credit card payments or online payments in general on your website you will need to make your website compliant, many merchant forget to ensure that their website has a privacy policy and return policy and even make it clear to the online customers what the refund policies are.

  When you start you online business with a website and you start getting orders from your customers which properly found you on the major search engines like Google. You will quickly realize that you need to accept credit card payments on your website and also figure our which other online payment methods are available.

  There are different ways to go for your goal, however if you are a startup merchant which need a quick solution, we suggest you to go with 2checkout.com a 3^rd party processor specialized in small merchants with a volume lower than USD/EUR 5.000.

  Alternatively you can go with Paypal.com or even moneybookers.com to accept credit card payments. The smart thing by using those payment processors are you can get started right away and don’t need to go through a in sometimes, complicated process to get approved for your own Merchant Account.

  To accept credit card payments with a already existing business and with a good amount of monthly turnover we suggest to apply for an merchant account and integrate your website with a payment gateway to accept online payments and credit card payments.

  However, before you go for your own merchant account you will need to make sure that your website is compliant as described in the beginning. You will need to make sure that you have the Visa and Mastercard logo on your payment page, where people enter their credit card information.

  When you search on for instant Google for “accept credit card payments” or online payments or even merchant account, you will find thousands of companies which offer their services, be careful, it has been known for many years now that there are companies out there which are ready to rip you off. When you found a company which you will relay on in order to accept credit card payments or online payments, be sure to make a search on the domain name to see if any results come up with SCAM reports or rip-offs.

  CCLOGIC has specialized in seeking merchant accounts and online payment methods for their clients, we have been in this business for many years (since 2001) and know almost any new comer and reliable company, we have helped many people to accept credit card payments on their website, so do not hesitate to contact us if you consider to make online payments available on your website.

  Tags: accept credit cards, credit card payments, Merchant Account, Online Payment, Payment Gateway, Payment Methods

• 19Mar

  How to accept credit cards on my website selling Internet Services?

  Merchant Account, Payment Gateway Comments Off
  

  Accept Credit Card Payments

  As there is a wide range of different products and services provided by the Acquiring Banks and the Payment Processors you will get some background information here how to accept credit card payments if you are selling Internet Services, like Webhosting, Download of Software or subscriptions for membership websites.

  First of all you need to ensure your website is compliant with the Visa and MasterCard regulations this includes having the Visa and MasterCard Logo setup on the FrontPage.

  Your will need to have a return policy in place in your case selling Internet Services it is more a refund policy which you need to make clear how you will handle customer enquiries and if it is possible to become a refund if you as a customer are not satisfied with the service bought.

  Once the above is in place you will need to make sure to have a Terms and Condition page where you list which terms and conditions that apply for the delivering of your Internet Services, what the customer buying any Internet Service from you need to agree to and how support enquiries are handled.

  A good thing to have is a Privacy Policy which clearly states that you won’t share any customer data with any third party or that you will sell the e-mail address or any other data to anyone.

  Those is the most important things to have in place before you go and apply for a Merchant Account (which is needed to accept credit card payments)

  Next is that you need to make sure that the Acquiring Bank is able to go through the entire process from choosing which Internet Service to buy and to the checkout process.

  If you don’t want to have this online before you have your credit card processing in place, then put it up on a “test” area of your website where only the Acquiring Bank has access to it.

  When all above is completed you are almost done, what you need to find is a Merchant Account provider which you typically find by a search on Google for Merchant Account  most of these providers also offer a PCI certified Payment Gateway which you need to connect to in order to start accepting credit card payments on your Website.

  The process of becoming a Merchant Account can be tuff, so prepare all your documents required which often are Incorporation documents of your company, a utility bill (Phone or electricity bill) copy of passport and a business description of that you are going to accept payments for.

  CCLOGIC LLC is a authorized Independent Sales Organization for several Acquiring Banks and Payment service Providers, we offer our services for Merchant seeking to accept credit card payments on their website. Contact us today and we will be more than glad to help you and make sure you become the rght solution for your needs.

  Tags: accept credit card payment, credit card processing, Merchant Account, offshore merchant account, Payment Gateway

• 05Mar

  Credit Card payments and the way to accept them on your E-Commerce Website

  Everything else about Online Payments Comments Off

  While the financial crises are hitting the entire world economy and people are scared about their business then it is more important than ever to improve your website and your online business venture.

  The latest reports show that fraud hit 7,5% of Americans in 2008 according to Gartner, that’s are alarming figure which you need to be aware of now!

  On the other hand you need to drive traffic and customers to your business and you will need to accept credit cards together with other payment methods to survive in the competition of getting orders.

  Do you know that you only have 15 seconds to tell your website visitors what you want to sell them? And did you know that most people will click away from your website if you don’t offer them a easy way to pay for the product you want to sell them?

  That’s true, even the best website with the best products or services will not get orders if you not make the payment process easy. Credit Card Payments is no.1 to offer your customers next to alternatives like PayPal and Google Payment.

  Many Online Merchants are stuck with the approval process to become a merchant account for their business, and I can understand them, it can be overwhelming what the banks require and the applications to fill. But it is necessary to go through the process, don’t be a lacy business man, sit down take the time it takes to complete the application and to prepare your website to be compliant and get the love from the Acquires you need. Some of the most common mistakes a merchant is doing while applying for a Merchant Account is;

  • - No Privacy Policy
  • - Missing Return Policy
  • - Missing Refund policy
  • - Missing Terms and Conditions
  • - No Visa or MasterCard logo on the website
  • - The application is not filled correctly; false or mistaken information’s are filled in.

  Have this in place and you are good. If you think that you are into a business which do not is accepted by the various processors, then don’t lay or show a website which isn’t the one you are want to process credit cards for. We open to your Merchant Service Agent and tell them the truth often many Merchant Agents have several banks and processors available and if they know the real case they find a solution.

  Make sure you pay attention to fraud, MaxMind is one of the ways to go to protect your business from credit card fraud once you got it in place, it will keep down your chargeback ratios and also ensure that you don’t accept payments from people which are out for a scam, you don’t get a 100% insurance but it is close to.

  For merchants which can’t comply in the Visa or MasterCard regions their business belongs to, they have the possibility to incorporate an Offshore company with some Offshore Agency, this often comes as a complete solution where you get a legit Offshore Company, Offshore Bank Account with IBAN number and this can then be connected to a Merchant Account to accept credit card payments. Often it is worth to go this way, and it isn’t complicated.

  CCLOGIC LLC the Offshore Merchant Service Specialists can help with the opening of Merchant Accounts to accept credit cards and Bank Accounts as well as Incorporating Offshore Companies for instant in Cyprus.

  Tags: Accept Credit Card Payments, credit card processing, google checkou, Merchant Account, Payment Gateway, paypal

• 20Feb

  This is what we call convenience at its best…

  Merchant Account, Payment Gateway Comments Off

  Now, you can not only shop from the comfort of your house, you can even get refunds on these products. No necessity to bother about the weather, no necessity to fret about the traffic snarl-ups or any other thing.

  Just go to an e-shop, choose a product, employ their net Visa card payment-acceptance facility to make the payment and be prepared to receive the products at your stoop.

  This online fraud on credit cards can occur in 2 ways. The 1st one is related to the company, on whose web site you made online Credit card payment for buying of products ; this company itself might be fake i.e. It might take the net card payment from you but not deliver the products to you.

  Likewise , they could use the details of your ATM card ( received thru the filling up of net Visa card payment form by you ) for fake purposes.

  The second sort of crime is committed by fraudsters who use assorted softwares / devices to capture the details of web Credit card payments ( as you enter them on the net Visa card payment form of an internet site ). The spyware works by capturing keystrokes or taking screenshots of whatever you do on your personal computer and then passes it on to the spy. So, the appearance of online Visa card use facility is a boon to us. Don’t access your bank accounts or make online Visa card payments from internet cafeterias ( unless you are positively sure about the credentials of the net caf ).

  For fast and reliable credit card processing on your Website, please visit CCLOGIC.COM

  Also visit our Offshore Merchant Services Discussion Forums for business professionals.

  Tags: Accept Credit Card Payments, Internet merchant account, offshore payment gateway, Payment Gateway

• 17Feb

  We accept credit cards!

  Merchant Account, Payment Gateway Comments Off

  “We accept credit cards” is a statement that you’ve got to have come across multiple times at numerous shops, grocery stores and other merchant outlets. Some years back there were just a few shops that would accept visa cards but today you will find that the majority of the shops accept cards. Basically, some shops ( like those belonging to an enormous retail chain ) not only accept cards but also supply cards. These visa cards entitle you for repayments when you use them at any of the stores of that retail chain. With cards around, a ton of folk have stopped carrying any money with them or simply carry a minute amount of cash with them. 

  With the development of net, card industry too took a new turn and up came ecommerce and e-shops. So, those stickers of “We accept credit cards”, moved on to the doorways of net shops. So came the age where nearly every online-shop would accept cards ( immediately or indirectly ). A few of them disguise themselves as online merchants who accept visa cards as mode of payment ( the particular motive being extraction of critical card details ).

  These fraudsters either clone the cards or merely note urgent info from them ( and use that for online-shopping ). The spyware capture their card info and get it broadcast to the spy using net. So a large amount of merchants and service suppliers do accept visa cards but bear in mind the fraudsters too welcome / accept cards.

  For more information on how to accept credit card payments safe and secure, please visit cclogic.com

  Tags: Accept Credit Card Payments, Internet merchant account, Merchant Account, Payment Gateway, Payment Processing - No Monthly Fee Nochex Merchant Account

• 06Feb

  What a Payment Gateway to Accept Credit Card Payments should support

  Everything else about Online Payments Comments Off

   

  Our payment gateway supports more than 150 suppliers of different currencies, so that the client can order products or services in the currency you know. Buyers know that the cards are accepted by the card logos on the payment page. When the account is set up payment logos are displayed automatically buyers can view the maps available. If the online store requires more cards after the launch is complete an online application must be submitted, indicating that additional cards are added.

  Our payment gateway providers to accept applications for most types of industries, including games, pharmacy, adult, retail, software, ticket sales of snuff, Voyage d ‘ business, airlines, lodging, financial services, online games, luxury goods, digital content. By opening a merchant account providers with our payment gateway is growing their business online and the site is available internationally.

  As an online merchant to check the available options with our suppliers to payment gateway and see that it is an affordable option.

  Get answers to your questions at Merchant Services Discussion Forum, visit us today.

  Tags: Merchant Account, Merchant Services, Multi Currency Merchant Account, Online Payment, Payment Gateway

• 23Jan

  Bank and corporate secrecy laws, offshore vehicles and merchant accounts in offshore jurisdictions.

  Everything else about Online Payments Comments Off

  Banks corporate secrecy laws typically impose civil and criminal penalties for unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, including information on the beneficial ownership and control of corporate vehicles. These laws diminish the capacity of authorities to obtain and share beneficial ownership and control information when they not provide mechanisms for domestic and international authorities fulfilling their regulatory/supervisory or law enforcement functions to access records.

  Above is part of an article we found on a website of OECD. The purpose of the entire article is to inform people about the illicit use of bank accounts for laundering money or to hide money from tax authorities.
  The main purpose for an offshore bank account is to have it opened in the name of the offshore company to be able to get all the benefits from your offshore company operation. Beside the tax benefits and asset protections possibility, often such offshore vehicles are used to be established by people which live in countries where they are unable to open an bank account.

  Another widely used reason for opening an offshore bank account and an offshore company is if the business conducted is Internet based. The card associations has divided the world in about 6 regions and prohibit people from one region to clear credit card transactions in another region then where the company and the business is conducted. To work around this problem it is common to open an offshore company which fells into the region of where the Acquiring bank is located with whish the transactions should be cleared.

  Other aspects are the legal issues of certain product or services, for example the distribution and selling of replicated products of brands is prohibited in most parts of the world if they are not licensed. In some countries it is however, possible to sell those products; typically China is such a country. To be able to sell such products on the Internet you will need to become a credit card acceptance agreement with a bank in the region where it is legal to sell the product. But those banks (as already explained above) require you to be incorporated in the same country as the Acquiring Bank. To work around this you will need to establish an offshore company for instant in China; since it can be overwhelming to open a company there it could be of benefit for you to have the Chinese entity to be owned by a “more close to you” company which in worth case can be liquidated and in that way not harm you or your economy.

  [...] Read the entire article at web-chamber.com

  Thank you for your reading and we hope to be able to serve you once in a while when you decide to register a Cyprus Offshore Company or need a Cyprus Bank Account or just want to Accept Credit Cards on your Website. Then please contact cclogic.com | Please also feel free to visit our Merchant Servise Discussion

  Tags: accept credit cards, credit card payment, Internet merchant account, Merchant Account, Merchant Services, Payment Gateway, payment processing, pci compliant

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