ABC Processing Receives 2010 Best of Santa Clarita Award

NEW YORK, NY, March 5, 2010 -- For the second consecutive year, ABC Processing has been selected for the 2010 Best of Santa Clarita Award in the Credit Card Merchant Services category by the U.S. Commerce Association (USCA).

The USCA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USCA identifies companies that they believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Nationwide, only 1 in 70 (1.4%) 2009 Award recipients qualified as two-time Award Winners. Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USCA Award Program focuses on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

Various sources of information were gathered and analyzed to choose the winners in each category. The 2010 USCA Award Program focused on quality, not quantity. Winners are determined based on the information gathered both internally by the USCA and data provided by third parties.

About U.S. Commerce Association (USCA)

U.S. Commerce Association (USCA) is a New York City based organization funded by local businesses operating in towns, large and small, across America. The purpose of USCA is to promote local business through public relations, marketing and advertising.

The USCA was established to recognize the best of local businesses in their community. Our organization works exclusively with local business owners, trade groups, professional associations, chambers of commerce and other business advertising and marketing groups. Our mission is to be an advocate for small and medium size businesses and business entrepreneurs across America.

Monthly Value Add

Monthly Value Add:

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abc.cards@abcprocessing.net

"The few that do are envied by the many that do not" ---Rick Berry

Fraud prevention Links and Funny pages

Fraud Prevention:

Card-Present Protocol

http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/card_present.html

Card-Not-Present Protocol

http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/card_not_present.html

Code 10- What to do when you suspect fraud

http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/code.html

Funny Pages

Chargebacks

What is a Merchant’s Liability for Chargebacks?

(Paraphrasing Mr. Paul Rianda, Esq., Transaction World Oct. 2009)

What is a Chargeback?

A typical chargeback situation involves a cardholder who has made a purchase and then contacts the institution that issued the card and requests the transaction be charged back to the merchant and the sale amount credited back to the cardholder’s account. The cardholder may claim the transaction was not authorized, or that the product or service was not what was bargained for, not as represented, or not provided at all.

Let’s suppose for a moment someone has purchased a new flat screen T.V. from an internet based business online. After a couple of months they’ve lost his or hers job and as a result they call the cardholder’s issuing bank and say he or she never got the T.V. To free up additional room on their credit card to pay for essentials, the purchaser could call up the issuing bank to request a chargeback on that purchase even though the T.V. was sitting in the purchaser’s living room.

The purchaser is hoping that the chargeback either won’t be contested or that the merchant will not comply with the rules governing how chargebacks must be contested.

There are very strict time frames that are imposed on a merchant to contest a chargeback. If the merchant doesn’t reply in the required time period, the chargeback cannot be contested and the merchant has to pay the chargeback regardless of whether a merchant has proof-positive that the T.V. in question was delivered.

There are many instances involving merchants that were duped into accepting fraudulent credit card transactions. If all aspects of the sale seem legitimate and valid authorizations are obtained etc. a transaction can still be fraudulent and if the transaction is indeed charged back then the merchant is responsible, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. The merchant is in fact, the guarantor that the transaction is valid, and if for any reason the transaction is not valid, the merchant is liable, assuming there is no valid defense, as there is no requirement of fault on the part of the merchant for a chargeback to occur. The fact is that if there is a chargeback the merchant is liable unless he or she has some defense to the particular situation that falls within the association rules and is able to prove the rules allow the chargeback to be reversed.

What if the merchant simply can’t pay the chargeback? They are then placed on the ‘TMF’ list, Terminated Merchant File, causing the merchant to be unable to accept credit cards, which can indeed put them right out of business.

Where there is a substantial unpaid chargeback, the result to the merchant can be disastrous.

In any event, the customer that made the purchase is protected by this system, while the merchant bears a huge amount of risk for chargebacks.

So the lesson is, even if the merchant does nothing wrong and obtains authorization for the transaction, they still can be held liable for a chargeback months later. Merchants should to the extent possible, ensure that they do everything they can do to try and minimize their potential liability for chargebacks.

11 Tips for protecting confidential business information

11 Tips for Protecting confidential Business Information:

1. Empty the mailbox: Never leave outgoing or incoming mail in pick-up boxes overnight. This is your best defense against possible off-hour mail snoops.

2. Watch the fax: A document sitting on the fax waiting for pick-up is an open invitation for prying eyes. Try to stand by the fax machine to receive sensitive information as soon as it comes in.

3. Make copies carefully: Private matters can go public fast when juicy stuff gets left behind. When making copies of sensitive documents, remember to grab your originals off the copy machine.

4. Use the shredder: Always shred sensitive information before dumping it in the trash bin. If you can’t shred, use receptacles designed for sensitive paper disposal.

5. Leave discreet voice mail messages: You never know who’s standing within earshot of someone’s work area, so avoid leaving a detailed voice mail message if it involves sensitive information.

6. Protect your on site ID: Play it safe with your ID badges, office keys, and building-entry codes. Protect them as you would your own credit cards or cash.

7. Keep things private in public: When you’re in a public place, think twice before discussing proprietary information or any details about sensitive projects. You never know who’s listening.

8. Don’t make it easy for an outsider to pull an inside job: If you see an unfamiliar face roaming around your office, step up and ask if you can assist. Make your presence known.

9. Be careful with your documents: Remove all sensitive materials from your work area when you’re not using them or at the end of the day. Be sure to lock them in the appropriate file cabinets, desk drawers, etc.

10. Note what’s on your screen: Those account numbers and financial details on your computer screen are intended for your eyes only! To keep it that way, use a glare screen to minimize easy information access.

11. Limit cell phone conversations: Anyone can listen in on your cellular conversations. All it takes is a good ear and a decent scanner. Avoid sharing any sensitive information over a cell phone.

Data Security

Data Security- Merchant Responsibilities

As a merchant that accepts Visa, MasterCard, Discover and American Express, you must take extra care to protect cardholder data from internal or external compromises. Data security should be a key component of all merchant policies and practices related to payment acceptance and transaction processing. Customers seek out merchants that are reputable and reliable, they expect assurance that their account information is being guarded and their personal data is safe.

• Secure Storage: Merchants are responsible for insuring that account information is stored in secure, limited access areas. In addition merchants are prohibited from storing magnetic stripe information following a transaction and disclosing cardholder data to anyone—except if it is needed by a merchant bank, card issuer, or third-party processor to complete a sale.

• Prevent employee fraud scams: A merchant’s data security policies should also be designed to prevent fraud scams involving collusive employees. Whenever possible, account numbers should be encrypted or scrambled during transaction processing. Unauthorized electronic equipment—such as laptop computers—that can be used to steal or replicate account information should not be allowed in the workplace.
  

• Encryption Software: Data security should be of special concern to e-commerce merchants. Encryption software is required to protect account information during online transactions, and merchants must also ensure that account data cannot be accessed online. To make cardholder data “hacker-proof”, merchants can either use firewalls—which may include encryption, passwords, or other protections—or store the account data on a computer with no internet access.

ABC Website!

ABC Website!
We’re finally able to announce that our new web-site is live! Click on or go to www.abcprocessing.com and check it out. It will be improving as we go, so you can expect some exciting and very useful features that will be providing a host of benefits.

Security Practices

"Don't leave your life up to chance, grab the reigns of your life and charge gallantly in the direction of your grandest vision" --- Darren Hardy

Security Practices; a Hard Lesson Learned Firsthand

We are excited to bring you another issue of our monthly newsletter. To begin, I would like to share this story with you. The following should magnify the importance of having payment processing security practices in place at your business.

Sometime last year we received a panicked call from our friend and merchant-partner, Ben Amouna, of American Gas here in Newhall, Ca.

Ben’s bank account had suddenly been debited for over $20,000.00. Well as it turns out we hadn’t touched the account, the debit was initiated by the payment processor that they had been with before settling on ABC Processing for good.

Ben had been with us for a year or so when another processor came along and promised him better prices. Being in the midst of a recession Ben certainly could benefit if this were the case, so he signed with them.

After discovering that we have an ironclad 3 year rate guarantee policy, which enables us to match or beat any contracted offer, he immediately came back with us due to our superior level of customer service.

Apparently during the time Ben processed with the other folks there were several transactions that ended up being compromised, meaning the cardholder’s information was accessed and fraudulent transactions were generated as a result.

Although the fraudulent transactions occurred elsewhere, the compromise was traced back to the P.O.S. at Ben’s business.

What happened is that a criminal captured the cardholder’s data at Ben’s place of business, unbeknownst to anyone, and used the information to fraudulently execute a couple of purchases at several other businesses totaling over $20,000.00.

Almost a year later and without notice Ben’s account was debited overnight. This understandably left Ben angry and confused, as to his knowledge he hadn’t done anything that could result in a potentially catastrophic loss such as this.

The fact of the matter is that if a cardholder’s information is compromised and fraud is perpetrated, ultimately the merchant is financially responsible if the cardholder information was acquired in any way through the course of doing business with the merchant.

What if the scam was for a million dollars or more? A frightening thought indeed because that would be catastrophic! A very honest, prosperous and thriving business could be virtually wiped out, overnight!

Fortunately Ben was able to withstand the loss and is gallantly and successfully pursuing his dream and his business is doing well, in fact thriving.

Career Fair

ABC Processing Inc.

Dont forget to come out and join us at the Woodland Hills National Career Fair. Its coming up on Wednesday feb. 17. I will be there along with our CEO, Rick Berry, interviewing for outside sales reps and appointment setters.

Woodland Hills Career Fair - February 17 - FREE ADMISSION!

Meet face to face with dozens of employers in the Woodland Hills area...

By:National Career Fairs

BUILDING BUSINESS

Building Business

American Bank Card Processing Inc.

'The difference between a stumbling block and a stepping stone is how you use them' - Unknown

The ABC's of Payment Processing Vol. 5

Results = Increased Sales

We want to do all we can to help you and your business increase sales!

By providing our current services as well as those under development, we are very focused on driving up sales for our merchant-partners. This will drive up our sales as well.

By utilizing recently developed and developing technologies we are doing for ourselves and other small business owners what the ‘Heavy Weights’ have been doing and capitalizing on with fabulous results!

taking advantage of social media is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to driving up your business’ sales. Below are basic steps to follow to increase sales with relatively inexpensive implementations.

Resources

Resources:

• - Web-Site – an absolute ‘must have’ for any business these days. A basic site can be set up for a few hundred dollars. Contact any web developer or just contact us, we can help you put up a simple but effective web-site.

• - Payments- accept all forms of payment. From every credit card brand, including American Express, to every debit and pre-paid credit card you run into. The more payment types you can accept the more you’ll receive. Accept cash, checks and money orders, all without risk, just ask us to set it up.

• - Rewards Program a simple little gift and loyalty card program with either plastic cards and/or with e-gift coupons and e-discount coupons will increase sales and increase customer loyalty, in some cases dramatically! Just ask us how to get started.

• - Marketing- it takes effort to make something happen. Develop some kind of marketing, start with your local yellow pages and place an ad (place w/credit card logos!). Make certain your customers and potential customers can find you and your offers.

• - E-mail – Try e-mail marketing because it can work when done properly. Try a company like ‘icontact’ for more information click here ., they can help you put together an effective and professional campaign that you can set on ‘auto-pilot’ to operate automatically. We use them and we’re very satisfied…

• - Mobile Marketing- Text message your customer base with specials and stimulate and capture impulse buying! We have a program in place with a company called ‘StreetSavings’ that gets it done quickly and it’s surprisingly inexpensive and the return is incredible! Contact us for more information at info@abcprocessing.net

• - Inventory control- control your inventory and increase sales across the board. Eliminate out of stock issues with the right POS software and/or hardware. We have a computer POS system (Iventrak) with the cash register, bar code scanner, monitor w/card swiper, printer etc, the whole ball of wax, that does what e-bay and amazon both do by recommending a product others have bought who also bought that same product. It can do some other truly unbelievable things for your business... info@abcprocessing.net

• - Direct Mail- send out post cards advertising your products and/or service. We’re considering hiring someone to go door to door like you see done with flyers. We’ll let you know how it goes after we’ve done it!

The point is it takes some action to get a reaction! Get busy doing something, just give it a try and see what happens! Sometimes it’s not any one particular thing that makes the difference but rather the combination of a lot of little things when put into action that can dramatically and even exponentially increase your sales!

A story to share

Stay In Touch!

The following story serves a two fold purpose. Number one it illustrates the importance of staying in touch with your customers, and number two it highlights a very important service that we provide that can be invaluable, cash advance!

Last Friday, when it was thunder-storming here in Southern California so ferociously, I had an appointment in the San Fernando Valley. Afterwards, I figured since we hadn’t spoken for at least a year or so, I’d stop by and see Tony Dodge at ‘Dodge Bros. Automotive’ (Our deceased partner ‘Doc’ used to love him!). Sometime last year we needed to do a download on Tony’s terminal and Marc Ellen, our vice president, went over to Tony’s place twice, once at 5:30 am one day and once at 6:00 am another day, because that’s the only time Tony isn’t too busy!

Never the less Tony unceremoniously ushered Marc out both times; claiming he was just too busy and we were unable to get the download done.

This was a great opportunity for me to just get it handled! After my appointment, I drove through a torrential downpour to get over to Dodge Bros. and when I got there Tony was busy as usual hunched down at his desk flipping through papers and making notes. After shaking hands and greeting each other, I announced that I was here to get the download completed. He briefly glanced at the download instructions and said “Rick, I haven’t been with you guys for over a year! I needed some funds after American Express cut my credit line in half last year and these other guys got me $50,000 advanced on my credit card transactions!”

I quickly apologized for not having kept in touch. Because number one, I didn’t even know that he wasn’t processing with us as he never cancelled his account. And number two, we offer the very same service for less than what Tony ended up paying!

I asked Tony if I could earn his business back and he responded “come back next week when I’m not so busy and we’ll get signed up”, so I’m scheduled to drop by this week to re-sign Tony and to re-establish our relationship.

I can not stress enough the importance of communicating with your customers. Not only did we lose a sale we almost lost a merchant-partner, all because we had not maintained proper communication! Fortunately the relationship is being restored and we’re learning from our mistake.

When Tony wants more cash advanced, around summertime this year, ABC Processing will be the folks providing the value this time around.

By the way, here’s a ‘shout out’ to Tony Dodge for allowing us the opportunity to earn your business back, ‘Thanks Tony!’

Building Business

February Value Add:

Our ‘Value Add’ is near the top of our Newsletter this month to ensure that all of us that are so busy that we hardly have time to read an entire newsletter, are able to take advantage of this simple yet exciting and valuable service, absolutely FREE!

We are currently offering all of our merchant-partners, rather than just our newly boarded merchant-partners, a quick and easy social media presence for your business.

Contact us, to provide the necessary information to create your business’ profile, we will set it up for you at no charge. And we will show you how to access, operate and promote your business on Facebook and other social media sites, again at absolutely no charge.

DIRECT FROM VISA:

Fraud and Security

Heads Up to the Warning Signs of Fraud

Certain customer behavior could point to bankcard fraud. But remember, it doesn’t necessarily indicate criminal activity – you know your customers, so let your instincts steer you in the right direction.

Watch Out for Customers Who:

• Purchase a lot of merchandise without regard to size, style, color, or price.
• Ask no questions on major purchases.
• Try to distract or rush you during the sale.
• Make purchases, leave the store, and return to make more purchases.
• Make large purchases right at opening or at the last minute when the store is closing.Refuse free delivery for large items.

If You See Signs that Make You Suspicious:

• Hold on to the customer’s card if you think you can do so safely.
• Follow your company’s procedures and notify your supervisor.
• Call your voice authorization center and request a “Code 10” authorization, using a normal tone of voice. An operator will tell you what to do.

Take note of the following tips when accepting cards at the point of sale.

• Keep payment cards in your possession during transaction processing. While waiting for authorization, check the card’s basic features and security elements.If any of the Visa card security features is missing or looks altered, hold on to the card and make a Code 10 call to your authorization center. You may be instructed to try to recover the card or simply to return it to the cardholder and decline the transaction.

• Always request authorization on an expired card. If the card issuer approves the transaction, proceed with the sale.

• Never accept a transaction that has been declined.

Last of all when you are presented with unsigned cards and the signature panel is left blank or says “See ID”

1. Request a signature. Ask the cardholder to sign the card and provide current government identification, such as a driver’s license or passport (if local law permits).
2. Check the signature. Be sure that the cardholder signature on the card matches the one on the transaction receipt and the additional identification.
3. Complete the transaction. If the signature appears reasonably the same and the authorization request is approved, continue the transaction. If the cardholder refuses to sign the card, do not accept the card.

‘The purpose of a man is in action, not thought’ – Thomas Carlyle

In life you have a choice. You can boldly go where others fear or you can quietly slip back into the herd unnoticed. The choice is yours.

Rick Berry

Building Value

Here at ABC it is our hope and belief that we will be your last processor, no more shopping every year for lower rates, no more rate jumps every six months, no more having to purchase new software or new equipment every time you switch your merchant processing. Each and every new merchant-partner receives a certificate ensuring them the rights that existing merchant-partners currently have,

1) Every single merchant receives a 3 year rate guarantee

2) Every single merchant receives our guarantee that if another processor offers

you lower rates than you’re currently getting, not only will we match it

or beat it, you’ll receive a brand new 3 year rate guarantee!

3) Any new credit card terminal leased or purchased through ABC Processing receives a lifetime warranty

In addition to the benefits outlined in the certificate above, we’ve been busy building value so that we really and truly make a difference!

We put into action what others only talk about.

By doing so we separate ourselves from the rest of the pack!

Some of these are…

• Monthly Newsletter

• Bi-Monthly Courtesy/Service Call

• Bank Contacts- Loans Etc.

• PCI Security Guidance and Expertise

• Gift and Loyalty Card Programs

• Refer a Merchant Bonus

• Check Imaging- Enabling merchants to accept a check without risk!

• Prompt and Courteous Top-Shelf Customer Service

• True Personal Service- Each and every merchant is assigned a personal service rep

• Mobile Marketing- Coming Soon!

• Mobile Banking- Coming Soon!

• Website, Shopping cart Development and Management Coming Soon!

Unfortunately fraud is a problem that is going to be a permanent part of the landscape and will continue to grow and become more sophisticated.

Our challenge is to uncover threats quickly, mitigate them, and make certain we deploy successful mitigation strategies. It’s also important when data breaches occur that we, and you, the merchant, have a clear set of uniform rules to follow in dealing with the aftermath of an attack on your system.

From skimming card numbers and pins at ATMs, to the recent spate of phishing attacks that almost all of us have experienced on either our computers or our phones, it’s imperative that we stay exceptionally vigilant, or regret the consequences.

Just Getting Started!

Hey everyone,
This blog is fresh and new but we've been providing newsletters to our merchants for a while now. To catch you up, the following posts will be a few of the last few newsletters we released. In the future we will keep you up to date with relevant security issues, the latest equipment and ways to increase your business by effectively providing your clients with what they want most, convenience.

Stay Tuned,
Charley






abc.cards@abcprocessing.net