How can PPC offer a credit card acceptance program without the added fees that other credit card processing companies charge?
The "volume" approach to selling credit card services. PPC sets up 75-100 new businesses each month to accept credit cards. All credit card processing companies have the same costs from Visa/MasterCard. The added fees like application fees, monthly minimums, and cost of supplies are added to offset the cost of losing customers and paying huge commissions to sales people. PPC's strives to keep our customers happy by providing a low cost service that will keep our customers our customers.

I am shopping around for a merchant account, what are some of the "unnecessary" fees I should look for when interviewing companies such as PPC?
The most common "unnecessary fees" and their typical costs are:

How do I sign up with PPC?
Contact PPC at 888-282-5384 and they will either send you an application if you are already accepting credit cards, or if you are a new acceptor of credit cards they will come to your location (NY State). An application is part of the sign up procedure. The information needed to complete the application is: company name and address, owner name and address, Federal Tax ID, owner's social security number, a voided check, and two trade references. The approval of your application takes approximately 2 days.

I have poor personal credit, can I still be approved for a merchant account?
98% of all applications are approved regardless of credit history.

How fast does it take for the money to get into my checking account after I accept a credit card?
Two business days for Visa/MasterCard sales, 2-3 business days for Discover Card and American Express.

Who deposits the money into my checking account?
PPC is an independent sales organization acting on behalf of First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO). FNBO wires the Visa/MasterCard funds into your checking account. Founded in 1863, FNBO is one of the oldest nationally chartered financial institutions in the country. Establishing credit card operations in 1953, FNBO was the first bank west of Missouri to issue credit cards. First Omaha Merchant Processing now ranks among the top seven credit card processors in the U.S., processing over $9 billion dollars in credit card volume last year for more than 33,000 merchants throughout the United States. They were recently honored as a recipient of a Visa USA Member Quality Performance Award. FNBO's senior executives are proud to serve on the board of Visa International.

Does the percentage rate PPC charges come out of my money before it is deposited into my checking account?
No. All fees, the percentage and the $9.95 statement fee, are deducted from your checking account at the end of each month. You will receive a statement that chronicles all the sales you had for a particular month and the rate that applies to those sales. Note: Discover and American Express provide a separate statement.

Can I also accept Discover Card and American Express?
Yes. PPC will sign you up for Discover Card and American Express along with Visa/MasterCard. Signing up for Discover Card and American Express with PPC avoids any "application fees" those cards may impose.

Do I need a machine with a printer?
It depends on the type of business you have and the volume of charges you may accept. If you conduct business on the Internet, with large corporations, the US government, or have a lot of credit sales each day it may be a necessity. A printer provides a fast receipt for your customer and concise reports for your record keeping. However, if you don't mind filling out credit slips by hand or have infrequent credit sales, you can avoid the added cost of a printer.

Is a portable or wireless machine available?
Yes. PPC sells a machine called a Tranz 420 that has a built in battery. This allows the user to take the machine with them on the road or to a trade show. We also sell the nurit 3010 wich is small,fast and completely wireless.

Is a machine that can handle more than one business available?
Yes. PPC leases or sells a machine called a Talento that can handle 8 different companies and deposits into 8 different checking accounts. This machine is ideal for doctors' offices or multiple businesses at the same location.

Do I need a separate telephone line for my credit card machine?
No. The credit card machine can be plugged into any existing telephone line. The credit card machine will only be in use for 5 - 7 seconds when it is authorizing a card. If you have call waiting, the telephone will ring once the credit card machine hangs up.

Will a PPC representative train me on the function of my credit card machine?
Yes. A PPC representative will train you on the complete functionality of your credit card machine. In addition, they will provide you with tips on avoiding credit card fraud.

WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO THE DAYS OF TELEPHONE CALLS AND HAND WRITTEN RECEIPTS?
As technology improved and the cost of handling phone calls increased, the birth of the electronic credit card terminal happened. The biggest advantages of an electronic terminal are simply time and money: time -- a credit card approval and print out can happen in less than 10 seconds; money — your funds are deposited within 2-3 business days by your processing company. Before the advent of electronic terminals, calling on the phone to get an approval could take up to 2 minutes and the transfer of your funds could take a week. That’s a lot of waiting by your customers and a lot of waiting for your money.

WHAT SHOULD I CONSIDER WHEN BUYING A TERMINAL?
You should always purchase a terminal or printer with the idea that as your business grows your credit card terminal should be prepared for the growth. As much as we at AcceptVisaMAstercard.net would like to sell you a new terminal every couple of years it is completely unnecessary. Most credit card terminals will never need to be upgraded. First, consider the number of transactions per day, month, and year you project accepting (don’t forget the holidays!). Second, will a printer help you or cost you. A printer will speed up the transaction and give you a concise end of day report for bookkeeping purposes. Third, where will you use the terminal? If you will take the terminal with you consider a terminal with a battery. Lastly, how will you use the terminal? Some terminals have features that will help you when accepting mail order/Internet transactions.

DO I NEED A PRINTER?
Nothing beats a printer for fast transactions, virtual elimination of errors, and a concise end of day summary of all your transactions. If you perform only a few transactions a day and don’t mind manually filling out the sales receipts, a printer may not be necessary.

CAN I USE A TERMINAL FOR MORE THAN ONE BUSINESS?
Yes. The Verifone Tranz380x2 and the Talento terminal handle multiple businesses. The Tranz 380x2 handles 2 businesses and the Talento up to 8. They will deposit into separate checking accounts as well as print receipts with the separate business names. Doctors’ offices with multiple physicians, hair salons with multiple stylists, businesses that have both retail and mail order/Internet transactions, and multiple businesses within the same location are ideal for these terminals.

WILL THESE TERMINALS PERFORM ADDRESS VERIFICATION OF NON-SWIPED CREDIT CARD TRANSACTIONS?
It depends on the credit card processor or bank you use, but most terminals should perform this function.