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Wow! This post on TheBreakFreeProject.org titled 5 Deceitful Tactics Credit Card Processors Use To Get More Of Your Money really captures the very points Vantage has been making now for 15 years! Everyday we work with merchants being aggressively pursued by both fly-by-night organizations and big-n Read More

First came Black Friday, then came Cyber Monday, and now, American Express is launching the first ever “Small Business Saturday SM” on November 27th, the Saturday after Thanksgiving. Small Business Saturday is a national movement to support and celebrate small businesses across the U.S. Read More

The Interchange amendment to the financial reform bill, sponsored by Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL), was adopted Thursday night. The measure gives the Federal Reserve authority to regulate Interchange fees, using a "reasonable and proportional" standard. The amendment also allows merchants to discount lower costs payment options and allows minimum card purchases. Once the Senate passes the financial reform measure, it will have to be reconciled with a House version that does not include the Interchange provision. Read More

As an alternative payment, keeping all the benefits of writing a check yet eliminating the need to start with a piece of paper has enormous implications for business models from peer-to-peer payments and gift giving to B2B invoices and payments to government and merchants. And accepting paperless checks would costs much less than accepting a debit card today, something businesses and merchants s Read More

House Financial Services Committee Chairman Barney Frank announced his committee would not take up Interchange legislation this year. However there are steps that small businesses, family-owned restaurants, local retailers and service providers can take to help themselves without waiting on the government. Read More

As a merchant, do you feel the fees you pay for accepting card payments are too high? I've not talked to anyone in business who thinks they aren't paying enough for merchant services. If you've been following the Interchange debate, you realize the Interchange fee paid back to the issuing bank is the target of reform. And while Interchange refo Read More

Does your business have policies in place for each of payment method you accept? Payment policies are critical in protecting the financial health of a business. Small businesses without payment acceptance policies are vulnerable to fraud. Read More

A common problem in F&B industry is dealing with payment card issues related to running tabs and adjusting tips. Recent developments require F&B establishments (F&B) to evaluate their current procedures. Read More

How important do you consider your cash flow? Many small businesses focus the majority of their attention on sales but cash flow is king. Read More

Medical professionals should be aware of a scam currently being perpetrated by unethical merchant account providers. Outbound calls are being placed to medical practices accepting credit cards claiming that they must reprogram their credit card terminal to be HIPAA compliant. Read More