We often hear that too much use of credit cards — as opposed to debit card use — is a sign of household budgetary woes, and eventual drowning under unmanageable interest. And when credit cards are used simply to “borrow money,” during times of economic distress, this may well be right. But this week comes two different articles, one on the Nerdwallet website, the other on NASDAQ’s, espousing both the frequent and judicious use of credit cards. Not to pile up debt, but rather, to reap the rewards and actually manage household “money” better.
Category: AVP Solutions Merchant Info
Email Breaches, the Connection to Same-Day ACH and a little “PCI”
Unfortunately, we have more “breaching” to report this week: As Reuters reports, “hundreds of millions of hacked user names and passwords for email accounts and other websites are being traded in Russia’s criminal underworld.”
Ides of March: Ransomware Updates, and Welcome to “Fintech”
There’s no question we live in a time of constant change: rising seas, fraying politics, wired-up networks changing economies and business models almost as fast as they can be reported on. That last category, at least, falls under our purview here, so let us update you on what has changed — and what’s stayed the same — since our last blog post, a mere week ago.
Drowning, Ransoming — and Staying Safe (Pt. II)
Last week, we mentioned the new “Drown” security leak, a flaw in grandfathered internet protocols that is leaving, according to SC Magazine, over 600 frequently used cloud servers — the very nodes and providers businesses use to conduct business on — “vulnerable to attack.”
Setting Up a Merchant Account? A Quick Fix May End Up Hurting Your Business
As you set up a new business, we know that you have a many options when selecting your merchant bank account provider. With the advent of mobile technologies, it seems the market is flooded with start-ups promising effortless business merchant services that certainly appeal to already overwhelmed entrepreneurs. After all, who wants to slog through the fine print and waste time comparing and contrasting transaction fees, fraud protections, and the complex rules that govern secure credit card processing?
Don’t Get “Drown”ed — Or Ransomed! (Pt. I)
Unfortunately, the news of breaches, security breaks, and data leakages is reaching critical mass again, and it’s time for another quick roundup.
Breaking as we go to press this week is news that websites — up to one third of those relying on the once-thought-secure “HTTPS” protocol — “have been warned they could be exposed to eavesdroppers, after researchers discovered a new way to disable their encryption protections.”
Avoiding the EMV Chip Processor Upgrade? Why You’re Gambling With Your Business’s Future
With the movement toward secure payment processing via EMV chip cards, many small businesses are still resisting the required upgrade to chip-reading POS terminals. At AVPS, we totally understand that no business wants to incur extra expenses, especially when you already have functional equipment. However, our nation is at the point when credit card transaction security is a truly hot-button topic, and with so many highly publicized data breaches, both credit card issuers and consumers are fed up. You know that, without EMV chip processing; your business will be liable for any fraudulent charges.
Falling Gas Prices Mean More Money in Consumers’ Pockets—How Your Business Can Benefit
With gas prices at their lowest in a decade, many consumers are finding themselves with a much-appreciated boost in expendable income. While this translates into bad news for the oil and gas industry, retailers and other businesses are enjoying a season in which their customers have more money to spend. Those extra dollars affect businesses of all types, including restaurants, retailers, and home improvement. As a leader in merchant account solutions, AVPS wants our clients to make the most of this trend, and capitalize on a customer base with a little bit more money in their pockets. Here are some ideas for making the most of those low gas prices:
Hearts to Be Celebrated This Weekend But Watch for the “Heartbreak of Hackery!”
If you’re not counting the Super Bowl, the upcoming Valentine’s Day weekend (which, by virtue of President’s Day making it a three day holiday!) is “the first major holiday of 2016, and retailers expect this Valentine’s Day will set a spending record,” according to one ABC report.
East Meets West in Rising Card Use, While Super Bowl Spending Rises, Too
We reported last week that Visa revenue was up in Europe, as more and more people in the EU use cards instead of cash, for their purchases. Which of those EU countries might you guess uses the most cards? Germany? Perhaps the UK, right across the channel from France?
