Retailers Processing Network Blog

“Never say never” usually holds true in life, but in the case of handling a MOTO (mail order/telephone order) transaction as a retailer, you should never wire money to someone. Let me repeat, because it’s that important. Never wire money to someone as part of a retail transaction. With the Great Recession of 2009-10 has […]

While waiting in line at a local fast food restaurant recently, I noticed a sign that you would normally only see in the breakroom or on an employee bulletin board out of sight from the customers. It was titled (in the giant-sized headline usually reserved for major news events) “Credit Card Fraud is a Federal […]

Most of us hear about the big data breaches that hit large retailers, universities, governments and health care facilities. They make national or local news when they occur. But what we don’t hear about are all the “little guys” who increasingly are becoming the targets of cyber thugs. For a number of years, the small […]

If you have the ability to access your computer system from an offsite location, the use of the technology that provides you “remote access” is usually a godsend. It can eliminate the need to drive back to your office or store to solve a problem there. It also saves time in case your computer or […]

Just like at home, “spring cleaning” has a place in the world of electronic payments. If you accept payment cards (credit, debit, gift) in your business, you should periodically conduct a top-to-bottom review of everything you’re doing. You will benefit by taking a few minutes to review your systems, equipment, and procedures to find areas […]

If you are a merchant accepting credit card payments over the web, you should be sensitive to how criminals can use your website to “test” stolen cards. One of the biggest challenges for bad guys who have a lot of stolen card data is finding out whether the cards are still “good” and have not […]

As a merchant you are also a consumer, and one service you buy is a merchant account for processing credit card transactions. It is likely that salespeople approach you on a regular basis, attempting to sell you this service or get you to switch processors. My advice: caveat emptor—buyer, beware. As a national leader in […]

Remember the public service announcements of the 1970s and ’80s asking parents, “Do you know where your children are?” As a business owner in today’s dangerous business environment, you should be asking yourself, “Do I know where my customers’ data are?” I had dinner recently with a colleague who was complaining that while traveling in […]

What happens if the credit or debit card from one of your customers is declined or flagged for pick up during a purchase? I was asked recently about those messages. Here’s what they mean and how you should respond when processing a card transaction. Being aware of what to do – and then doing it […]

As almost everyone has heard, a number of large retailers suffered massive data breaches over the Christmas season. While all of the details around these attacks have not been made public, we can all learn from what is happening. Over the years, we in the retail industry have gotten very good at building walls around […]