Merchant Processing Solutions Inc. is a local south Florida company that provides merchant processing solutions to its merchants. We pride ourselves on honest rates, innovative solutions and intelligent technology to meet our customers' needs.
We believe that our customer is NUMBER ONE so their needs have become ours. We offer local support during the installation process and we understand what is going on behind every transaction.
Building Relationships not just Transactions.....
Service: Merchant Processing Solutions has been servicing the merchants of South Florida and around the United States since 2006. We keep more than 80% of all our customers! That's because we are about the PEOPLE and not the TRANSACTIONS! What do we mean?
How should I accept payment for credit card sales?
Our Merchants are our lifeline. We make sure they are properly set up the first time and check in with them regularly to discuss any changes or issues with their merchant processing. Once an opportunity to change things for the better immerges, we quickly work with our merchant to give them the best available rates, products and advise.
Timely communications: We deal directly with our merchants. They rarely have to call the 800# on their monthly statements. We take their calls, texts or emails and response in a timely manner. Most merchant processing companies demand that the merchant call the 800# and will not allow their own reps to intervene on the merchant's behalf! Not our company, we want to resolve your issues immediately because that is what we want to stand for.... Prompt effective service!
We can offer a multitude of options to fit our merchant's needs!
Products: Most merchant processing companies promote their own proprietary products and nothing else! Many banks have signed exclusive relationships with one processor who only carries one line of products and services! NOT MERCHANT PROCESSING SOLUTIONS!! We have made the decision to accommodate our merchants and not what pays us the most! Therefore, we can offer our merchants a large variety of products and services across multiple "Platforms" to accommodate your needs.
Restaurant, Bar & Fast Food (including Food Trucks) Point of Sale Devices
Retail Devices with or without Inventory/Clerk/Accounting
Mobile Devices with or without Printing capabilities
eCommerce Payment Acceptance for Emails/Website/Text
Call Center Payment Acceptance with or without Invoicing and Recurring Billing
People:Meet our most important asset; OUR TEAM!
OUR TEAM: Yamilet, Camilo, Claudia & Stephanie
Yamilet Strauss: She is our CEO and a pillar of the business community in South Florida. She has been active in the South Florida area since 2001. Yamilet is a consummate network and astute business woman. She also share's her sister’s passion for helping underprivileged children in the United States and Latin America. Her success has been making the merchant's needs come first! Partnering with our merchants to see them success makes us succeed!
Claudia Mosley: Is co-founder and CFO of Merchant Processing Solutions Inc. She has more than 18 years of experience in accounting, where she gained valuable experience in creating and implementing systems, policies and procedures to improve the bottom line of a merchant processing company. She is the heart of our company, always looking to find meaningful ways to impact communities with charitable activities. Her passion is to give to children as they are our future!
Stephanie Cates: Joined Merchant Processing Solutions in 2016. She has 15 years in the industry. She is also the VP of Marketing and Sales. She helps our company communicate our desired mission and vision of consultants and win-win relationships with our merchants and vendor partners. Our Mission Statement: Building Relationships Not Just Transactions!
Camilo Guzman: Joined the company in 2019 as our In-House Point of Sale Technician. Most local companies rely on 800# technicians to help with their installation and technical issues, NOT Merchant Processing Solutions. Make of our issues can be taken care of with just a simple call, text or email! But if an in-person visit is required, our technician is available to make that happen!
If your current merchant processing company does not offer you SERVICE, PRODUCTS & PEOPLE, give us a call today!
Imagine you go to the shoe store and after trying on several pairs, you decide on the perfect ones! You go the register to pay for those shoes that cost $129.00. Hand your credit card to the clerk who says nothing and the price scabs in as $132.87! What happened? The list price was $129! Your were surcharged or penalized for using your credit card! And that BEFORE TAXES!
Credit card processing companies and agents are popping up offering merchant to sign up with them using a “cash discount” program to eliminate your credit card processing fees; but are they legal? Are they permitted by the "Brands", Visa/MasterCard/Discover or American Express? Are they permitted in your state?
The answer: NO!
There’s a lot of confusion between “cash discounts” and “surcharges" programs. Many processing companies are actually labeling "surcharge programs" as "cash discount programs" misleading merchants into thinking that they are on the right side of laws and card brand regulations...and they are NOT!
Cash Discount vs. Surcharge
A cash discount is when you list credit card prices and offer a discount on that price for customers who pay with cash. A cash paying customer pays less than the listed price. A credit card paying customer pays the list price.
A surcharge is when you list cash prices and charge an additional fee on top of that price for customers who pay with a credit card. A cash paying customer pays the listed price. A credit card paying customer pays more than the list price.
The second example penalizes customer that uses a credit card in their purchases. All "Brand" agreements (that merchants have signed to get their merchant account) have regulations that prohibit the surcharging or penalizing of customers who choose to pay using their credit cards. So, if you charge more at the register than the listed price, it is a surcharge, regardless of what ANY processors want to call it. Even if the processor tells you that you’re simply adding a “service fee” or a “non-cash adjustment” it is still a surcharge.
I know, it's just a small technicality! It may sound like a minor difference, it’s actually very important in terms of legality and compliance with the "brand" rules merchants agreed to. Getting it wrong means risking fines or having your merchant account shut down permanently! For violations of the card brand rules, businesses can be fined $1,000 per occurrence, increasing to $5,000, $10,000, and $25,000 per occurrence for repeated violations. The merchant may be also be added to the Terminated Merchant File (“TMF,” or MATCH list) which makes it difficult to secure a merchant account from any processor in the future.
Today's customers are very savvy and know that they should not be paying surcharges on listed prices without being advised that they are looking at CASH PRICING and a surcharge of X% with be added at the register. Visa and Mastercard have forms on their websites that allow cardholders/customer to easily report being surcharged a fee for using their credit card! Those merchants will be immediately investigated and fines levied.
This is how a true Cash Discount is shown & explained in stores!
Why does it matter? Two important reasons...
#1 - Real Cash Discount Programs, in their true form (see above), are allowed in all 50 states, however several states have laws against ANY surcharge programs. If you surcharge in a state with a law against it, you’re breaking the laws of that state besides breaking your merchant agreement with the "Brands".
As of 2018, surcharging is prohibited by law in Colorado,Connecticut, Florida, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, and Oklahoma.
#2 Surcharges on Debit Cards are strictly prohibited! Even if debit cards are “run as credit” and even in states where credit surcharges are legal. The BRANDS clearly spells out that surcharges cannot be applied to debit...PERIOD!
To summarize, you cannot apply a fee above the publically listed price to a credit or debit card, no matter what your processor calls the fee (a “surcharge”, “non-cash adjustment”, “service fee”, or anything else) even if your business falls within the states that allow surcharging as it goes against the regulations the merchant agreed to upon opening the merchant account.
For the sake of your merchant account and your business be sure you’re on the right side of laws and card brand regulations before surcharging or signing up for ANY cash discount program. If you would like to know more about legal Cash Discount Programs, call us!
Merchant Processing Solutions!
954-938-2420
Friday, May 14, 2021
Invoice. Track. Collect. Easy.
MX Merchant's Invoicing
Invoicing your customers is now integrated and effortless with MX Merchant BackOffice. Simply customize your invoice framework with a logo, header message and return policy then select a customer, enter the line item detail and click send.
SEND & RECEIVE
Sending invoices and receiving payments have never been easier. The option to accept credit card payments on a sent invoice makes collecting funds fast and hassle-free. Simply create your invoice and hit send. Your customers will receive an email and a text (optional) with a link to view their invoice where they can immediately pay with their credit card. The payment is then automatically collected, and your customer receives an email receipt at the time of payment.
HISTORY
Track the history on each invoice and any outstanding balances, and as payments are received the status of the invoice adjusts automatically.
RECURRING
You now have access to recurring functionality and can set up new recurring profiles to make collecting payments from your customers super easy.
REPORTS
View estimated and actual collected receivables from your recurring plans to help with forecasting cash flow.
Merchant Processing Solutions Inc is a sponsor and promoter for Healing Hand of Hope. Sandra Eicher is a Colombian-German Actress and Influencer joins Healing Hands of Hope to help tell the incredible stories of people seeking to improve the quality of life for others in need in Venezuela, Haiti, Costa Rica, Colombia and Jamaica without regard to the nationality, race, gender, ability to pay, political or religious affiliation.
The Hands Of Hope was founded in 1999 by Derwin Westerburger and Zabdy Westerburger M.D.
and is a non-profit charity, headquartered in Sunrise, Florida and has been undertaking missionary trips since 2000 to bring hope to a hurting world. We are a faith-based charity consisting of a pool of dedicated volunteers.
As Jesus taught his disciples the lessons of service, sacrifice, and love, we strive to meet the needs of others and provide opportunities to individuals wanting to meet those needs. People all over the world are suffering and “The Healing Hands of Hope” exists to release them from their spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enable them to become responsible and fulfilled Christian adults. We treat the sick, feed the hungry, house the homeless, comfort the discouraged and educate the poor.
Our work is a result of our faith, prompted by love and inspired by hope. We follow high ethical standards in order to provide the furthermost benefit to those in need of assistance. We are committed to honor Jesus Christ in all that we do. One of our objectives is to increase the awareness among the United States public regarding the needs of people in distress around the world and to expand the scope of volunteers and donations for this purpose. We commit to use money only for the purpose for which it was raised.
To find out how you and your company can support this great non-profit.
Grow Your Business with Top-Notch Hardware from Merchant Processing Solutions!
Merchant Processing Solutions offers a diverse range of countertop terminal and Point-of-Sale solutions that will help keep your business running smoothly. We offer multiple hardware choices to work for your business needs. Whether you’re a restaurant, retail, medical or professional service business, we’ve got a diverse set of hardware solutions that are easy-to-use and will help streamline day-to-day sales.
Merchant Processing Solutions NEVER pushes any one product on their merchants. We listen, consult and propose based on the merchants industry, needs and budget. How many times do you hear that a merchant service provider offers ONLY CLOVER, ONLY FIRST DATA or ONLY their own devices and POS Systems? We have relationships with many of the top software and hardware companies that will allow us to consult and guide merchants to the perfect fit for their business!
Merchant Processing Solutions prides itself on excellent customer service! We are a small local merchant processing company that competes well on pricing against our competitors. But more than that, we are on top of our customer's issues and needs! The do not need to call an 800# for customer service, installation and other support, we are here to help!
Yami and the team at Merchant Processing Solutions have been so easy to work with. My processing has been so seamless, I don't ever need to think about it. I get notices when a client pays and when the payment clears. When I do have a question or need to hook up another website or app to receive payment, Yami is happy to help. Coming from using Stripe and Paypal in the past, I can't even express how happy I am with having actual customer service. Thank you Yami and Claudia. You are the best!
Real Estate Offices around the country are now relying on merchant services to collect payment for a variety of services! Whether you’re working with clients, tenants, or prospective buyers, you’re dealing with a substantial amount of information and payments. Merchant Processing Solutions can help you streamline invoices, process payments, and securely handle all aspects of your sale.
Real Estate Broker/Owners can now set up their office agents to pay desk fees and other incurring charges via a monthly payment on their personal credit cards. Don't wait until their sale closes to collect payment get paid monthly allowing you to manage your office bills more effective and efficiently.
Yamilet Strauss and Claudia Mosley started Merchant Processing Solutions in 2006 after having worked many years as employees with other companies. They realized that they did not like the company culture, attitude toward their customers and lack of community involvement. They began developing a strategy that would cultivate customer relationships through good will, positive involvement within the South Florida business community and giving back to the local and international non-profits. Both Yamilet and Claudia belong to multiple business groups in South Florida and sit on the board of several non-profits. For both ladies, its not about the money, its about the relationships they build and how those relationships come full circle and help the community.
See the full video recognizing many other extraordinary Women of Broward County!
Latino Caucus of Broward Celebrates our Latina Women during the Women History Month - Celebrando a estas super Latinas!
There are several ways to AVOID getting CHARGEBACKS:
In-Person:
Make sure that the person using the card is the owner of the card! Never worry that they will be upset for ID Verification as you can explain that your credit card processor makes it important to protect our clients/customers from FRAUDULENT TRANSACTIONS!
Make sure you fill-in ALL the Fields requested on the terminal or POS System. By skipping any field and forcing the transaction, you will be unable to Dispute the Chargeback!
If the card is DECLINED - do not keep trying to reaccept - its DECLINED! Each time you rerun that card you could be charged a transaction or Authorization Fee!
ALWAYS use the EMV CHIP SLOT IN YOUR TERMINAL! The EMV CHIP are not embedded in every credit card issued. These chips generated a new credit card transaction number for every single transaction. They make counterfeiting a credit card almost impossible which protects our merchants against Fraud and Chargebacks! NEVER swipe a card as by swiping you will not be able to FIGHT A CHARGEBACK DISPUTE!
Make sure your merchant processor puts your Return Policy at the bottom of the Merchant's Printed Receipt!
EDUCATE YOUR EMPLOYEES to spot potential Fraud and make sure they ask for ID from anyone that purchases something you want to get paid for!!!! Remember, by not following these guidelines, you may not get paid for the merchandise "purchased" fraudulently by a customer!
2. Online:
Follow online gateway protocols for securing your website or POS System. Call the software or gateway company and have them walk you through the most secure settings to avoid Fraudulent Transactions and Chargeback Disputes!
Make sure you fully disclose and make visible your RETURN POLICY! Many customers do not check out the Return Policy and therefore don't know how to make a return. By clearly making visible the Return Policy not only on your Website but also printed on the receipts with an phone number will help mitigate potential Chargebacks!
WOW YOUR CUSTOMERS WITH SUPERIOR SERVICE! It's the best way to keep customers coming back and it helps cut down on Chargeback Disputes!
Regardless of whether you process In-Person or Online, knowing there is a Chargeback Dispute is the most important way to win that dispute. Find out whether your merchant processor sends a letter or an email. Make sure you get those letters or open those emails! There is a time limit for you to respond to those Chargeback Dispute, usually 14 days. Many merchants lose these disputes because they just don't respond, mostly because they open the letter after the allotted time!
How does Merchant Processing Solutions help their merchants with Chargeback Disputes?
We help our merchants choose the best system to meet their needs for credit card acceptance. Then we make sure they are set up with the proper security verification modes to mitigate fraud and disputes.
We work with merchants to understand their Warrantee, Guarantee and Return Policies offering advise to make sure customers clearly understand their options, prior to purchasing.
If one of our customers gets a Chargeback Dispute, we get a digital notification at the same time as the merchant. We immediately call or email the merchant on what documents are required to fight this dispute. We then review the documents to make sure that is all that is required and submit the paperwork to the Chargebacks Dept.
We are getting these resolved in less than 3 days in most cases and win about 87% of all true disputes, not including those involving Fraud.
If you want someone who works for you like Merchant Processing Solutions does, call us today to see how you can not only save money on your processing but also KEEP YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY FROM CHARGEBACKS!
Your Cloud-Based Payments Platform. Now With More to Love.
One of the most powerful payment platforms available, now has more to love. MX™ Merchant is not just a gateway—it comes standard with your merchant account and includes these great features:
DASHBOARD - Get a better sense of your business with the MX™ Merchant Dashboard. View daily payments in real-time or breakdown payments to see what’s most popular at your business over time. Keep track of your customers’ spending habits, profitable clients and find out how much your average customer spends.
QUICK PAY - Process Credit Card, Cash and/or Checks in one fast transaction with QuickPay.
REPORTING - Comprehensive transactional and financial reports provide a clearer understanding of your business:
Deposits
Chargebacks
Monthly Merchant Statements
Settlement
Access Log
SETTINGS - Create defaults and set preferences for: Payments, Customers, Loss prevention, receipts, notifications, team members and compliance.
If you would like to know more about the solutions that work for your business, call us Today!
Merchant Processing Solutions helps small business get better rates for Business, Corporate and Purchasing Cards. These cards are eligible for significant savings when processed with optional enhanced Level II and Level III data.
Watch the following DEMO and contact us today to find out how you can get B2B Savings!
FOREVER, Quickbooks was a locked system not allowing merchants to upload data into their system unless they used their "high-cost" merchant processing. Today with our Plug N' Play your transactions automatically upload daily into Quickbooks, saving thousands of dollars in merchant fees!
Call today whether you are a NEW MERCHANT or EXISTING MERCHANT to see how easy and inexpensive it will be for your data to seamlessly flow from your Merchant System (at lower rates and fees) to your Quickbooks System!
The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements intended to ensure that all companies that process, store, or transmit credit card information maintain a secure environment. It was launched on September 7, 2006, to manage PCI security standards and improve account security throughout the transaction process. An independent body created by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover, and JCB, the PCI Security Standards Council (PCI SSC) administers and manages the PCI DSS.
THE 12 REQUIREMENTS FOR PCI DSS COMPLIANCE
1. USE AND MAINTAIN FIREWALLS - Firewalls essentially block access of foreign or unknown entities attempting to access private data. These prevention systems are often the first line of defense against hackers (malicious or otherwise). Firewalls are required for PCI DSS compliance because of their effectiveness in preventing unauthorized access.
2. PROPER PASSWORD PROTECTIONS - Routers, modems, point of sale (POS) systems, and other third-party products often come with generic passwords and security measures easily accessed by the public. Too often, businesses fail to secure these vulnerabilities. Ensuring compliance in this area includes keeping a list of all devices and software which require a password (or other security to access). In addition to a device/password inventory, basic precautions and configurations should also be enacted (e.g., changing the password).
3. PROTECT CARDHOLDER DATA - The third requirement of PCI DSS compliance is a two-fold protection of cardholder data. Card data must be encrypted with certain algorithms. These encryptions are put into place with encryption keys — which are also required to be encrypted for compliance. Regular maintenance and scanning of primary account numbers (PAN) are needed to ensure no unencrypted data exists.
4. ENCRYPT TRANSMITTED DATA - Cardholder data is sent across multiple ordinary channels (i.e., payment processors, home office from local stores, etc.). This data must be encrypted whenever it is sent to these known locations. Account numbers should also never be sent to locations that are unknown.
5. USE AND MAINTAIN ANTI-VIRUS - Installing anti-virus software is a good practice outside of PCI DSS compliance. However, anti-virus software is required for all devices that interact with and/or store customer data. This software should be regularly patched and updated. Your POS provider should also employ anti-virus measures where it cannot be directly installed.
6. PROPERLY UPDATED SOFTWARE - Firewalls and anti-virus software will require updates often. It is also a good idea to update every piece of software in a business. Most software products will include security measures, such as patches to address recently discovered vulnerabilities, in their updates, which add another level of protection. These updates are especially required for all software on devices that interact with or store cardholder data.
7. RESTRICT DATA ACCESS - Cardholder data is required to be strictly “need to know.” All staff, executives, and third parties who do not need access to this data should not have it. The roles that do need sensitive data should be well-documented and regularly updated — as required by PCI DSS.
8. UNIQUE IDS FOR ACCESS - Individuals who do have access to cardholder data should have individual credentials and identification for access. For instance, there should not be a single login to the encrypted data with multiple employees knowing the username and password.Unique IDs creates less vulnerability and a quicker response time in the event data is compromised.
9. RESTRICT PHYSICAL ACCESS - Any cardholder data must be physically kept in a secure location. Both data that is physically written or typed and data that is digitally-kept (e.g., on a hard drive) should be locked in a secure room, drawer, or cabinet. Not only should access be limited, but anytime the sensitive data is accessed, it should be kept in a log to remain compliant.
10. CREATE AND MAINTAIN ACCESS LOGS - All activity dealing with cardholder data and primary account numbers (PAN) require a log entry. Compliance requires documenting how data flows into your organization and the number of times access is needed. Software products that log access are also needed to ensure accuracy.
11. SCAN AND TEST FOR VULNERABILITIES - All ten of the previous compliance standards involve several software products, physical locations, and likely a few employees. There are many things that can malfunction, go out of date, or suffer from human error.These threats can be limited by fulfilling the PCI DSS requirement for regular scans and vulnerability testing.
12. DOCUMENT POLICIES - Inventory of equipment, software, and employees that have access will need to be documented for compliance.**
If you are not sure if you are compliant or want to speak to our
local industry specialist, call us today!
Merchant Processing Solutions Inc. 954-938-2420
** Information from Digital Guardian - https://digitalguardian.com/blog/what-pci-compliance