If you’re an online merchant with an e-commerce website, you know all too well the challenges and opportunities that come with running an online business. Even besides the everyday obstacles of getting your products and services into the hands of your customers instead of your competition’s, the basics of operating the business pose their own challenges, including the processes involved in accepting online payments. The good news is that accepting credit card payments doesn’t actually have to be a challenge at all if you have a payment processing partner with an excellent merchant support system like PayCafe.
Payment processing is complex
You might be tempted to think merchant support isn’t even that critical, depending on how long you’ve been in business and what, if any, kinds of problems you’ve encountered so far. But the truth is that the payment processing industry is vast, complex, and confusing for anyone who isn’t immersed in it on a daily basis. It’s precisely because of that complexity that it’s worth having an ally who has tried and true expertise.
For context: each time a credit card transaction is attempted, a complicated sequence of events occurs between the customer, payment processor, issuing bank, and card network. This web of activity ultimately leads to either an approved or declined transaction and a transfer of funds. Most of the time, this process is completed without any problems and with you and your customer’s none the wiser about all the elements involved. Most merchants also don’t have the time or energy to devote to understanding and navigating that process, so it makes sense to select a payment processor to do it for you.
But what if something goes wrong? Though relatively infrequent, there are a variety of issues that can arise during this process or your merchant account in general that could lead to problems for you or your customers. Also, fraud is, unfortunately, a very real possibility when dealing with online payments. When these kinds of complications crop up, what do you do? Given how many different entities are involved in the process, it can be unclear to know who to contact. Instead, what if you just had one number to call with processing experts to help you resolve any problem?
Having an ally in building your business
Of course, merchant support isn’t just valuable when something goes wrong. Indeed, hopefully, most of the time you’ll be actively building your business without having to contend with payment-related problems. A payment processor with an engaged support team can help you actually enhance your business by making tweaks to your website and more effectively using the tools provided. Maybe you want to learn how to get better information out of transaction report features. Or maybe you need help with more seamlessly integrating the shopping cart into your website. Or maybe you would like to find ways to automate parts of the payment process. With a robust merchant support system, you should be able to call up your processor and ask them for help with any question.
To many processors, you’re just a number
When you’re trying to find the best payment processing solution for your online business, you’ll undoubtedly come across some big names like Paypal. To a behemoth like Paypal, though, you’re just one little fish in a big ocean. They have no real incentive to provide customized merchant support since they have so many customers; you won’t get personalized service from an account representative who knows your business. Moreover, consider what would happen if unpredictable circumstances led to you suddenly having higher than average chargebacks, a red flag that many processors will use to justify immediately terminating your merchant account; there’s nobody to call to talk it through and explain your situation.
It’s the value of access to expert support, advice, and problem-solving acumen that can differentiate one payment processor from another. When merchant support is done right, it isn’t just about being a helpline to call when something is wrong; it’s about investing in and developing a business relationship that can actually help your business thrive. How a processor approaches support should be a key consideration when making your selection, along with technology features, security, website integration, fees, and all the other aspects involved in payment processing.
Why is PayCafe different?
To PayCafe, merchant support should be a non-negotiable feature of a payment processing solution. The combination of industry, product, service, target audience, and strategy make each business and its needs unique. For that reason, PayCafe offers a concierge-style merchant support system that is available to you when you need it.
With PayCafe, merchant support isn’t just for when things go wrong. From the very beginning, you will have access to a knowledgeable representative who can assist you through the entire sign-up process; PayCafe even offers an additional, complimentary “jump-start” feature so that you can have a merchant support representative on the phone with you each step of the way until you’re ready to start accepting payments.
The attention to merchant support doesn’t stop there. Whenever you pick up the phone (or any contact method you prefer), PayCafe’s staff will be ready to address any questions or concerns you have. Their ultimate goal is to get to know your business so that they can tailor support and suggestions to quickly meet your needs and get you back to running your business. Throughout the life of your business relationship with PayCafe, you can always rely on them to be a guide and a source of expert support.