Small Business Merchant Services

Merchant Services For Small Businesses

At Host Merchant Services we deliver a fantastic service without the headaches. When you work with HMS we consider you part of the family. As part of our family, we want your business to grow. That’s why we offer your small business merchant services with no contracts and no hidden fees. Small businesses stay in the Host Merchant Services family for our high quality of service and super low merchant services rates, not because they're locked in. There's just one question we have – what do you want to improve about your small business?

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Payment Processing

Accept credit cards anywhere, anytime for your small business. We handle all forms of payment so whether you just want a credit card terminal for the countertop, credit card processing for your website, or a smartphone mobile payments EMV reader for your on-the-go small business, we have you covered!

Point-of-sale-systems

Point Of Sale

Every small business has different needs for merchant services. At Host Merchant Services we understand that. That’s why we offer many different point of sale system solutions – including Clover POS, Vital POS, SwipeSimple, and Bonsai. Don’t worry, we have the perfect point of sale for your small business and your budget!

Business Loans

Small Business Loans

We offer several small business funding options based on your needs. Our small business loans and merchant cash advances are highly customized. Click the button below to get a funding and merchant cash advance specialist on the phone. They will be able to walk you through the different small business loan and funding options we have available.

Transparency Through Education

We don’t expect you to understand everything there is to know about small business merchant services, payment processing and point of sale. That’s our job. We take the time to educate our small business merchants so that they understand exactly what services they are getting.

Transparent pricing, like ours, for merchant services isn’t very common. That’s why we think it is important for a small business merchant to know the details about different pricing models so that they understand how our services save money over the competition.

Call us today and we’ll answer ANY questions you have and show you exactly how to save money and get better small business merchant services.

small business merchant services

Small Business Merchant Services

New To Small Business Merchant Services? Here are the basics:

What Are Merchant Services?

Merchant services is a term that is used to refer to a variety of financial services intended for businesses. These services include payment processing (broad term), point of sale (POS) systems, and merchant cash advances. Payment processing is by far the most popular of the three merchant services followed closely by point of sale and lastly business loans and funding.

What are merchant services providers?

Merchant services providers, aka MSPs, are companies that offer payment processing, point of sale, and or merchant cash advance loans to businesses. Some MSPs do not offer loan services though most offer payment processing and POS systems. MSPs work as an intermediary between the customers bank and the merchants bank. The merchant service provider supplies the equipment and systems necessary for the merchant to be able to accept payments by credit or debit card, check, or ACH.

During a transaction the funds from the customers bank are transferred to the merchants bank through the merchant service provider. This transfer can take anywhere from 12 hours to 3 business days to complete depending on the type of transaction taking place (credit, debit, ACH, or check) in addition to other variables.

Credit And Debit Card Processing

Merchant services almost always include credit card processing. As the name implies, this service gives the merchant the ability to receive credit and debit card payments from their customers. Most commonly this is using a traditional credit card machine, also known as a terminal. Other methods of acceptance are through point of sale systems, which act as a credit card machine and order entry system in one, and through virtual terminals which are web applications that give a computer the functionality of a traditional credit card machine (usually with a few other added features).

Payment Gateways And eCommerce

Payment gateways are another payment processing service offered by merchant service providers. When two parts of a payment system need to be connected a “payment gateway” is often used. A common example of a payment gateway is in e-commerce. When connecting a website’s “shopping cart” system with the merchant’s payment processing account, a payment gateway is often needed. Some point of sale systems also require a payment gateway to connect to the processing account as well.

Virtual Terminals

A virtual terminal serves the same purpose as a physical processing terminal, except on a computer or online. Virtual terminals have the ability to accept credit and debit card payments but usually include added features such as the ability to store tokenized card information for recurring payments.

What Are the Benefits of Using Merchant Services for Small Businesses?

There are many benefits that a small business can get after using merchant services.

Different Payment Options: By using a merchant service, small businesses can accept almost all types of payment methods. You never know how a customer prefers to pay, and therefore, having the option to accept all types of payments can be a great customer convenience and boost your sales. 

Increase sales: Small businesses can attract customers by offering different types of payment options. Customers prefer stores that give them the flexibility to pay as they want.  

Trust: When you offer a secure and safe way to pay through a credit or debit card, your customers start building trust in you. This can be beneficial in the long term.

Cash flow: With the use of a merchant service for small businesses, you streamline the payment process in your store. This further enhances your efficiency and cash flow. Using a merchant account reduces the delays in accessing the funds generated through sales transactions.

Bad checks: Your customer might not pay you with a check if you offer them easy and secure electronic payment processing. Thus, you prevent your business from fraudulent checks. Further avoiding any disputes and losses. 

Good customer experience: Offering flexible payment options to your customers leads to a good customer experience. This leads to enhanced customer loyalty and repeat business. 

Reports and analytics:  Merchant Services offer various useful tools to generate reports and analyses. These reports are helpful, especially reports about sales trends, customer behavior, and transaction data. As a business, these details can help you improve your inventory and customer experience further. 

Security and fraud protection: Security and fraud prevention are an integral part of any good small business merchant service. These security measures safeguard customers' payment information and unauthorized usage. Therefore, the safety of the business and customers is ensured. This safeguards any businesses from losses due to fraudulent transactions. 

Online sales: Merchant service providers also offer e-commerce processing. This opens new avenues for the merchants to generate additional income from online sales. 

Streamlined accounting: Integrating merchant services with your point of sales system simplifies the accounting process. With this integration, you can easily record sales transactions, the latest inventory, and low-stock products. This automatic record helps in reducing errors in record keeping and helps you make quick decisions. 

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