It’s mid-February 2014. The Mid-Atlantic, homebase to Host Merchant Services, has been mired in a series of snowstorms that makes the jaunty tune of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” seem months and months away. Yet today, February 12, is the day pitchers and catchers report for Philadelphia Phillies Spring Training 2014. Six days ago …
Isis Mobile Wallet Debuts Using NFC Technology A joint venture between AT&T, Verizon Wireless and T-Mobile known as Isis Mobile Wallet has released a revolutionary mobile payments app that promises to change the way people pay for goods and services. The trio of mobile service providers are ecstatic to finally debut this mobile payment platform right …
A $7.25 billion settlement relating to credit card interchange fees continues to encounter stiff opposition from a number of major retailers and several significant retail trade associations. Case History The antitrust case against Visa, MasterCard and several issuing banks stemmed from a dispute relating to the percentage of credit card transaction fees that retailers must …
Swipe Fee Suit Ongoing After Fairness Hearing [2023 Update] Read More »
Here at Host Merchant Services we guarantee to save our customers money every month on their credit card processing. We understand that some of you are wondering how we do this! Transparency is a key cornerstone of our customer service values, so we have no problem sharing our secret formula and show everyone out there …
How to Save Money on Credit Card Processing Fees Read More »
Visa’s New Zero Dollar Authorization Helps Merchants Keep Consumers Happy Many merchants that offer free trials and accept credit cards via the Internet, phone and fax, perform what is commonly referred to as a one dollar authorization on Visa credit cards and debit cards with the Visa logo before approving a customer for a free …
Mobile Payment Processing In modern business, those businesses without a mobile device card reader are missing out on substantial income. Anyone who sells merchandise or services on site will benefit from mobile payment processing through a card reader attachment. Customers are currently paying via mobile devices at a rate of $240 billion annually, and this …
For restaurant customers, credit card transactions allow you to pay for your meal easily and without much effort. You present your card to your server or cashier, who charges you accordingly. A gratuity is either added automatically, usually for large parties, or you write in how much you want to leave as a tip along …
How Do Restaurant Credit Card Transactions Work? Read More »
The Official Merchant Services Blog would like to announce that Host Merchant Services has now added next-day funding to their already impressive line of services. Merchant services customers appreciate getting their deposits the next business day, as this is critical for funding payroll and inventory purchases for the week. Merchants can now expect funding for MasterCard, …
Today the Official Merchant Services Blog brings NFC technology back into the spotlight, with a look at a pilot program U.S. Bancorp is running in two test cities. The company, one of the nation’s more tech-oriented big banks, is joining the ranks of companies testing near-field communication (NFC) technology by pairing a rewards credit card with …
This is the latest installment in The Official Merchant Services Blog’s Knowledge Base effort. We want to make the payment processing industry’s terms and buzzwords clear. We want to remove any and all confusion merchants might have about how the industry works. Host Merchant Services promises: we deliver personal service and clarity. So we’re going to take some time to …
Today the Official Merchant Services Blog brings you another update on the ongoing Interchange lawsuit settlement. We began talking about the possibility of ‘The Big Cash Comeback’ back when the settlement was first announced in July, and later we discussed the opposition to the settlement. Last week a federal appellate court denied a retailer’s appeal to review part of the controversial settlement …
Interchange Settlement Update: Challengers Awaiting Final Approval Read More »
This holiday season, the Official Merchant Services Blog brings you the latest on Facebook’s newest venture, Facebook Gifts. On Tuesday, the company announced that any U.S. member can now send Facebook friends tangible gifts, which includes wine, digital gift cards and even charitable donations. Facebook Gifts The Facebook Gifts program, previously available only to some users of the …
‘Tis The Season, For Facebook Gifts [2023 Update] Read More »
Today the Official Merchant Services Blogbrings you some predictions for this holiday season. In particular, there are six key trends to watch. Over the last 12 months the E-commerce sector has rallied against challenging economic conditions and driven innovation in business and shopping models. A flurry of technical innovations, most notably the emergence and rapid adoption of …
Today, the Official Merchant Services Blog shines a light on a little known holiday that falls between Black Friday, and Cyber Monday called Small Business Saturday. Since Host Merchant Services has many small businesses in its customer base, we wanted to take a moment to spotlight this newer day of shopping focus and frenzy. This is the third year …
Today’s edition of the Official Merchant Services Blog will take a look into the newest data breach, involving NY-based Barnes & Noble Inc. Barnes & Noble revealed last week a “sophisticated criminal effort” had taken place at 63 stores, resulting in hacked PIN pad devices putting some of its customers at risk. The company discovered …
This is the latest installment in The Official Merchant Services Blog’s Knowledge Base effort. We want to make the payment processing industry’s terms and buzzwords clear. We want to remove any and all confusion merchants might have about how the industry works. Host Merchant Services promises: we deliver personal service and clarity. So we’re going to take some time to …
Today’s Official Merchant Services Blog post will wrap up our on-going series comparing Host Merchant Services and Square. In part 1 of our series, we reviewed how the two companies differ in how they set up merchant accounts. In part 2, the different pricing schemes offered were analyzed, as well as the time differences between …
Today the Official Merchant Services Blog will begin the second segment in our three-part HMS versus Square matchup. Yesterday we briefly reviewed aspects of both companies, as well as delved into the differences between the merchant accounts they set up. If you missed Part 1 of this series, check it out here. In part 2, …