staff Credit and debit card payments are a staple in most modern retail businesses. These transactions are accompanied by several fees, which small business owners pay to their payment processors. These fees are interchange fees and can vary widely by credit card network. This guide will help you understand these rates, how they are set, and how to reduce them.
Payment Methods
It is essential to understand the interchange fee definition and its purpose in the e-commerce industry. Every time a credit card or debit card transaction is made, interchange fees are paid to the issuing bank. These fees compensate for the costs incurred by the issuing bank in providing payment products to individuals and businesses and for rewards, fraud, and risks assumed by the bank.
Online customers expect a convenient, secure, and streamlined checkout experience. The proper payment methods can help reduce shopping cart abandonment and increase sales. In addition to credit cards, which still make up most of the e-commerce transactions globally, you can offer digital wallets.
Choosing the best e-commerce payment methods for your business requires thoughtful consideration of your customer base and the types of products you sell. You also need to consider the costs of each type of payment method, including transaction fees and other hidden charges.
You will need a payment processor, a gateway, and a merchant account to accept payments online. A sound processor should have a clear pricing structure and transparent fees that don’t eat into your bottom line. If your business accepts customers from EU, don’t forget to learn more about sca and 3ds to help your business stay compliant with the current regulations.
Some offer a flat monthly subscription with no long-term contract and wholesale interchange rates on all swiped/chip transactions. Plus, it provides an extensive knowledge base and 24/7 customer support to help your team grow your e-commerce business.
Payment Processors
Payment processors, merchant services providers, and gateways are critical in processing credit card payments for online e-commerce sales. As one of the most vital outsourced business operations, selecting a suitable e-commerce payment processor is an important decision for merchants.
When a customer pays by card online or at a point-of-sale terminal, the processor conveys that purchase data to the merchant’s bank for verification and completion of the sale. The processor is also responsible for verifying and confirming the legitimacy of credit cards with merchant fraud liability protection, ACH bank transfers, and global ACH payments (eChecks), and providing other services like fraud prevention and transaction authentication.
The processors earn service fees by charging card issuers, acquirers, and merchants a percentage of the transaction value for each approved transaction batch. Some processors offer tiered pricing options that combine elements of interchange-plus and flat-rate costs, which can be more competitive than the prevailing market rate for specific transaction types.
When evaluating potential payment processors, consider their features, prices, and whether they suit your industry. Some processors specialize in particular kinds of credit card payments, such as prepaid cards and virtual wallets. On the other hand, some credit card processors offer zero-fee processing systems that save you thousands of dollars yearly; Click Here to understand it better. Likewise, some companies offer a range of hardware options that can support your e-commerce business’s in-person and on-the-go needs.
Fraud Prevention
As fraud rates rise, merchants must be vigilant in protecting their business. While shoppers can’t physically steal items from store shelves, that doesn’t mean they can’t rip off retailers by filing fraudulent chargebacks. In 2021, e-commerce fraud cost businesses $20 billion in lost revenues, and it’s on the rise worldwide.
To prevent fraud, e-commerce businesses should monitor their websites and customers for red flags such as new accounts that purchase large amounts of goods, inconsistencies between billing and shipping addresses, a sudden change in buying patterns, and low-value transactions. Some e-commerce businesses also use software tools to check IP addresses and flag those in countries that have high fraud rates.
Fraud prevention is essential for e-commerce businesses that offer buy online, pick up in-store (BOPIS), or other omnichannel options. This is because shoppers who illegitimately file chargebacks with their banks can often make valid claims that the items weren’t delivered or looked different than expected, which leads to expensive chargeback fees for the merchant. To avoid these charges, e-commerce businesses should work with reliable logistics partners to provide tracking numbers and proof of delivery that can be used to fight back against chargebacks. They should also monitor customer profiles for signs of fraud, including inconsistent shipping and billing information, multiple failed payment attempts, and suspicious connections between users.
Interchange Rates
Credit card interchange fees are a tiny percentage of transactions your business pays to the card network, like Visa and Mastercard. The fees are a necessary buffer against the credit risk that card networks assume when issuing cards to consumers who spend money they don’t have. There are dozens of different interchange rates set by the various card networks, and these rates can be influenced by things like your Merchant Category Code (MCC) and type of transaction. For example, a retail debit card or a swiped/chipped, manual keyed-in credit card transaction will have different rates than a B2B or commercial card transaction. Your MCC, transaction volume and other factors may also qualify you for different processing tiers that offer lower interchange rates. The exact amount you pay is determined by your card processor, which may charge a markup over the interchange fee. Many processors will show these charges clearly on your monthly statements, including the interbank interchange fee the card issuer charged you and any additional processing fees your processor added.
Some merchants try to reduce their costs by demanding that customers make a minimum purchase when paying with a credit card, which can help them cover the cost of high interchange rates.
