In a time where everyone is trying to cut costs and save a dime, it can be really important to try and make an alliance with a reputable company that shares a mutual benefit.  As a business owner, you know that these types of alliances can really save you a lot of money; however, they can be hard to find.  Here at PhotoBiz, we already have a strong alliance with one of the most powerful merchant providers for you.  This offers you a way to save money while giving your customers’ the convenience of accepting credit cards.

 
How do I accept credit cards online?
For an easy to read (technical description) click here to read a great wiki.  In basic terms, there is a “payment gateway” that allows your shopping cart to verify a credit card transaction online in a secure manor.  There are three main components:   A merchant provider, A payment gateway, and the merchant owner (YOU).  The merchant provider is a large company that accepts a payment for you and provides you a line of credit until the charge goes through with their specific card association (Visa, MasterCard, American Express & Discover).  They charge you a transaction fee based on cardholder risk. 

[:: The lowest risk is when you have the credit card in hand and swipe it through a machine.  A slightly higher risk occurs when you take a credit card over the phone.  Online transactions have the highest risk and subsequently the highest transaction charge. ::]

The payment gateway allows for ecommerce to take place and is kind of like a “Body Guard” that bridges the gap between the merchant provider and you.  Having a secure payment gateway and a reputable merchant provider will save you a lot of time and money.

 
Who?
First of all, you know that we have an “A” rating with the Better Business Bureau, so we only recommend other companies with the same rating.  Itransact is a company that focuses on customer satisfaction just like PhotoBiz.  When you choose iTransact as your merchant provider, you are assigned your own account manager who can assist you in any situation.  There is also a 24 hour service number if you ever have questions with your merchant account.  Not only that, they are able to offer you an incredibly low rate for being a PhotoBiz customer.  Click here to view the special PhotoBiz Rates!
                                             Itransact (PhotoBiz Preferred Vendor)                                   
Fees                                      Plan “A”                                       Plan “B”                   Industry Standard
Set up Fee                                 $49                                               $0                                   $50-$100
Application Fee                         $0                                                 $0                                   $200-$300
Monthly Fee                               $0                                                 $0                                   $20-$40
Annual Fee                                $0                                                  $0                                  $50-$200
Contract Term                          None                                             None                               2-3 Years
Transaction Rate                     2.19%                                           2.89%                             2.15%-5%
Transaction Charge                 $.19                                              $.20                                $.20-$.50
Statement Fees                        $9.95                                            $0                                   $5-$20

**By getting into a contract with the wrong merchant provider, you can find yourself paying many hidden fees that can really cut into your overall profit margin!

 
Security
Itransact is able to offer you some incredibly low transaction rates while not having to charge you any fixed costs, but that’s just half of it.  Your bottom dollar is obviously an important aspect of your business and you need to control your cost, but cost is by no means the most important feature of a Merchant Provider.  You also want to provide a safe and secure website to give both you and your customer’s ease of mind.  This can be very costly, time consuming and worrisome if not done correctly.  All card holder data is stored on iTransact’s secure servers so that both you and your customers can be confident this information is protected.  Security is the #1 concern and iTransact does a fantastic job of exceeding these expectations.  PhotoBiz, all of our merchant solutions, Our Shopping Cart and most importantly all of our customers are completely PCI compliant and secure to accept credit cards online!