Win a chance to have your monthly fee waived.
January 18, 2012
by David Goodale
It's time for the first contest of the new year. In fact, we are planning on running this as an ongoing contest with a chance to win each month. By simply following us on Facebook, recommending us to a friend, or interacting with a question on our wall you will have the chance to have your monthly fee waived.
Click here to find out more about the contest...
Merchant Accounts.ca Choses McAfee for PCI Scanning
December 7, 2011
by David Goodale
We have recently chosen McAfee to provide PCI scanning services for our clients. McAfee is one of the most recognized names in internet security, and has a fantastic offering for small businesses that want to ensure a secure online transaction environment.
Click here to find out why we chose McAfee as our recommended PCI scanning vendor...
Website Re-launch contest
December 6, 2011
by David Goodale
After several months of concepts, iterations and testing we have finally launched the new version of our website. This is the fourth version of the Merchant Accounts.ca website since the original launch in January 2001. To celebrate the re-launch we've come up with a fun contest that will help us to ensure a smooth re-launch.
Click here to find out about the contest...
October 11, 2011
Question of the Day:
If I setup a CAD merchant account now, can I add USD processing later on if I need it?
When setting up a new account some of our customers become concerned about configuring their store in the best way possible. This can be challenging if you are in the startup phase because you often don't know exactly where your products or services may gain traction and become popular.
Fortunately, we work with our clients so that you can modify your account in any way needed.
Click here to read how to add or change billing currencies...
Shopify Review
September 30, 2011
by David Goodale
Shopify is an increasingly popular hosted shopping cart choice for many merchants. Of particular note, it is a home grown Canadian shopping cart that emphasizes ease of use and customer support. I've taken the opportunity to do a detailed review of the cart system.
Click here to read my Shopify review...
How to Analyze Your Credit Card Processing Statement
September 15, 2011
by Cameron Wilson
Merchants often do not realize how to read their processing statement and determine the effective rate they are being charged per transaction.
Working through your processing statement to get to the bottom line is actually quite easy...
July 27, 2011
Question of the Day:
Can I use my existing POS terminal with Merchant Accounts.ca processing services?
We are sometimes approached by merchants that already own POS hardware but would like to switch and begin using our payment services. In some cases that is possible but it depends on several factors.
Can my POS machine be reprogrammed? Find out more...
What is a monthly minimum MDR fee?
July 18, 2011
by David Goodale
Merchants are often confused by the monthly minimum. It's a fee that most merchants should never pay because it's only meant to be charged on dormant accounts. Generally speaking, the monthly minimum will have far more impact on a small business, or a seasonal business that is slow during certain times of the year.
Learn more about what a monthly minimum MDR fee is and how it works...
July 11, 2011
Question of the Day:
Which shopping carts can support real time transaction reporting import directly into Quickbooks?
A client recently contacted us because they were researching to select the right shopping cart for their business, and were wondering how much work it is to keep their Quickbooks in sync with the orders on their website.
Importing Quickbooks data can be relatively easy...
Big Commerce Shopping Cart Review
June 30, 2011
by David Goodale
Big Commerce is one of the most popular hosted shopping cart solutions on the planet. I roll up my sleeves and dig into the cart to see what all the hype is about.
Read the Big Commerce shopping cart review...
What is interchange and why is it important?
June 14, 2011
by David Goodale
When your credit card processor performs the action of processing a transaction on behalf of your company they incur a cost from Visa or MasterCard. Knowing the costs that your processor will incur will help ensure you are not caught off guard by unexpected pricing, and will help ensure you get the lowest processing rates possible for your business.
Learn what interchange is, and how much it costs...
Getting Approved for a Merchant Account with Poor Credit or a Bankruptcy
May 13, 2011
by David Goodale
It is true that having poor credit or a bankruptcy will make it harder to get a merchant account, but it shouldn't make it impossible. Here we discuss the issues to be aware of when applying for a merchant account if you have poor credit or a bankruptcy in your credit history.
Can you still get a merchant account if you have poor credit? Find out more...
The challenge of taking mobile credit card payments in Canada
March 25, 2011
by David Goodale
Canadians have been slow to adopt mobile payments technology that will allow you to process credit card transactions using an iPhone, BlackBerry or Android phone. However, this is not the fault of merchants or business owners, but is largely because of a technology constraint that arises from the chip and PIN technology that makes Canadian credit card transactions more secure.
Find out more about the current options available to Canadian merchants for mobile credit card payments...
Security Reserves: Why they exist and how to eliminate them
March 11, 2011
by David Goodale
You should not be required to pay a security reserve without good reason. Many merchants do not realize that security reserves are a negotiable point, and that if one is required you can work to reduce or eliminate your reserve requirement over time.
Learn why most merchants should not require a security reserve, and how to minimize or eliminate them...
Canadian Based Businesses Can Finally Take American Express Payments in USD
February 7, 2011
by David Goodale
American Express has finally provided a solution that will enable Canadian merchants to take AMEX payments online in US dollars. The solution is late to the table, and there are some problems with it, but overall this is a very positive development for Canadian businesses competing online, particularly when targeting customers in the USA or internationally.
Read more about AMEX's new offering for Canadian merchants to take payments in USD...
10 Years of Success as One of Canada's Founding E-commerce Payment Processors
January 10, 2011
by David Goodale
In 10 years we've worked with some of the largest brands in the world. We've worked with home based businesses. We've worked with everything in between.
Merchant Accounts.ca has grown into one of Canada's most recognizable names in the e-commerce payments industry. January 10, 2011 is our 10 year anniversary as a Canadian merchant account provider.
Read more about the 10 year anniversary of Merchant Accounts.ca...
Starting Off Fresh in the New Year
January 1, 2011
by David Goodale
Here I am with the first blog entry of the new year. 2010 had some major changes in store for Merchant Accounts.ca including a large migration project involving many of our Canadian clients onto a new and improved payments system.
Moving forward into 2011 we are looking at another exciting year. It most certainly will be an exciting year, because we are only several days away from our 10 year anniversary as a Canadian e-commerce payments provider! I can't believe it's been 10 years, but the calendar doesn't lie. During that time I've worked with many interesting clients and businesses, and I consider myself a very lucky person to have worked with such great people.
Going forward into the new year we are looking at the launch of a major new service offering to our clients. I can't release the official details yet, but it's tentatively scheduled for early in the second quarter of the year, so stay tuned to find out more information.
Seeing as it's January first (happy new year!), and that I should actually be taking a day off today, I am going to pry myself off the computer and finish up by wishing every one of our clients and business partners the best of success in the new year!
Facebook Time
December 10, 2010
by David Goodale
I have to admit that I am late to the Facebook game. That is quite unusual considering how involved I am in SEO (search engine optimization) and how it has become a mission critical part of... is it every internet connected business on earth? Perhaps that perhaps may be an overstatement, but I should have neglected setting up a Merchant Accounts.ca Facebook group for so long.
Please take a swing by and add Merchant Accounts.ca to your facebook account. Also, don't forget about our Twitter.
