The time when e-commerce was introduced, it was expensive as well as complicated. In addition, it was difficult to implement it in the marketplace, but today it has become commonplace to do business. For small businesses, e-commerce has been proven as one of the most important advancement. Small businesses can reach those customers through virtual market whom they could not in the physical world. Even opening a merchant account has not remained stressful, as it was earlier. But every coin has two sides; along with the advantages, there are some pitfalls especially, in case of credit card processing. Traps like hidden cost/fee, unclear or confusing contracts can easily lead the business down the road making it hard to come back. So, it is important to have a good understanding of merchant processing agreement before getting into it.

Get the knowledge to avoid common mistakes that are made while choosing a credit card processor. These mistakes go as follows:

Avoid these Mistakes

Terms and Conditions

Only a very few business owners read the terms and conditions carefully before signing the agreement for credit card processor. Reason being, it is bulky and at times very confusing. This is why most of the businesses get surprised and bear the impacts of it on their revenue. So, it is advisable to buy some time and go through it very carefully without missing anything. You never know what you will find in there and if something confuses you or generates suspicious. Do not hesitate to ask your potential processor to get the clearer picture. Make sure that all the issues are resolved and clarified before signing the contract.

Information about the Fee Charged

Every credit card processor charges a nominal fee for its services. But some processors try to slip in hidden charges or additional charges without letting the merchant know about it. Although fees are a reasonable and normal part of credit card processing, it is wise to ask for breakage of the same in order to have a clearer picture of it and avoid being mishap by credit card processors. Study the pricing table (can be provided by the card processor when asked for) very carefully and ask as many questions as you can to have a complete understanding of the fee structure. If you think that you don’t understand anything or find it suspicious, ask the processor or look for a new credit card processor.

Signing for Volume

If you are starting a new business or you already own a small or mid-size business, it becomes difficult to predict the monthly sales in advance. But if you want to get a credit card processor for your business, you would have to sign an agreement with a minimum monthly sales requirement. And if your business fails to fulfill this condition, an extra fee will be occurs as penalty. Such charges are unfair to small businesses. So it is important to read the agreement fully to find any loopholes and avoid them, if possible.

Search for Options

It is a good idea to look for options available in the market and what they have to offer you before signing the contract for you high-risk business. Do not make mistake by signing for merchant payment processing with the very first e-commerce payment processor. Doing so can never give you the knowledge of what payment processor have to offer. It will be beneficiary to read the reviews and talk to the processors personally rather than pursuing them on recommendations. Take your time in choosing the right credit card processor for your business but make sure that whichever processor you chose is affordable, transparent and responsive. If you take these measures, you will never regret your decision.