By jsmith54 July 15, 2013
Poor customer service is killing business growth worldwide. No wonder businesses are struggling -- they are forgot about listening to the very people that support them!! Your customers!!! Forget helping local business like this.... ...read more
By walterppk February 15, 2013
When you find ALCA they let you take an loan advance 30 days,and seemed very helpful, along with the lowest fee's.I highly recommend this place if you need a cash advance or a check cashed! ...read more
By Jackson June 23, 2011
I will never go to this place again and I also dont recommend anyone to go there either. The lady who runs the place is rude and ran my credit over an advance that I paid back immediately. This lady puts you through to much although it is very convenient that she allows you 28 days with the same fees as everyone else its really not worth the hassle. I will not be talked down to when Im supporting your local business and to run credit for 100.00 when it's not like I'm borrowing 1000.00 or something. ...read more
5 Steps to Saving Money on Credit Card Processing 1.Never Lease a Terminal Most credit card terminals can be purchased for $100 to $600, depending on the type of equipment needed. Many small businesses lease a credit card terminal for between $10 and $80 per month over a three year term, paying 5 to 15 times the actual value over the course of the lease. Owning your own terminal also increases your ability to switch if you become unhappy with your provider.American Payment Systems sells all of our equipment at wholesale pricing. 2. Don't Accept Cancellation Charges The fine print of many credit card processing contracts includes a cancellation charge ranging from $250 to as much as several thousands of dollars. American Payment Systems feels they need to earn your business every month or you are welcome to switch without paying a cancellation charge.Our contract term is always month-to-month. 3. Use Interchange-Plus Pricing Credit card processors’ largest expenses are the payments they make to Visa and MasterCard. Those payments are set by a complicated formula called Interchange and vary for each transaction (for example, the fee is higher when a rewards card is used). It is set by Visa and MasterCard and cannot be negotiated. When you use interchange-plus pricing, you agree to pay the processor their costs (interchange) plus a flat markup amount. Since the markup never changes you ensure that you avoid any tricky fees. Large businesses such as Wal-Mart and American Airlines have always negotiated on an interchange plus basis because it results in a better deal. Every credit card processor can provide interchange plus pricing and smaller businesses can benefit from this kind of pricing as much as big ones. 4. Comparison Shop Make sure that you compare the offers on an apples-to-apples basis (interchange-plus pricing makes this easier) and make sure to let each of the prospective service providers know that you are comparison shopping. Be aware that the lowest priced may not always be the best. Read the fine print, ask for referrals and ask for details as to who will handle your account after the sale and who do you call for support. 5. Beware of Downgrades Unscrupulous processors who are not kept in check with an interchange-plus pricing scheme often charge an extra 1% to 2% for transactions that occur over the phone or using a rewards or business card. These downgrades can impact more than 50% of your transactions and add substantially to your total cost. ...read more
By American Payment Systems July 31, 2008
I meet with many people to look over their statements they recieve from there current credit card processor. Sometimes they have gotten a fair deal from their processor but more often than not they have recieved less than honest pricing. Below are some tips to follow when choosing a credit card processor. *Ask about every fee and why its charged. On most applications there is blank spaces for all sorts of different fees. Most of them sound important or necessary and the salesperson will pencil them in with a matter-of-fact attitude. Ask what they are for and why there charged. Monthly and application fees are usually just there for the salesperson to ensure himself a monthy check and one up front as well. There are quite a few different charges that vary from processor to processor so make sure you ask if it can be waived or not then when you recieve your first statement compare it with your contract line by line to see if the fees you agreed upon match those charged *Be careful with equipment deals.Were you promised a free terminal? Check again. Always remember nothing is free. You are going to pay for it one way or another. Usually in higher fees or lengthy contracts. Sometimes it truly is free. If you do high volume or sometimes a trade in of an older model or if the new terminal is proprietary, meaning no one else will be able to reprogram it if you switch processors, then sometimes you may truly get a freebie but more often than not there is a catch. Most important is be very, very careful when leasing equipment. I have seen merchants who have paid thousands of dollars for a 200.00 dollar terminal and will continue to pay because they are locked into a non-cancellable lease. Do your homework. Who is the lease with? Will you ever own the equipment? Is there a buyout? Most of the time leases are a bad idea for just a credit card terminal. They range in price but for the average merchant can usually get by with a new terminal in the 300.00 range. Contracts.When I talk to alot of merchants who are ready to put pen to paper and switch over to my service I ask them if they are in a contract. Most of them say "no...or at least my salesman from xyz processing never said anything about one", come to find out they are in a contract with a cancellation fee ususally numbering in the 300.00 price range. Before you sign anything, ask about contracts and if and when you can cancel, how much notice you must give and whet the fee will be for early termination. Most companies will waive cancellation fees if you ask them before you sign, rarely will they waive them if you wish to switch service to another processor. Do the math to see how much your new processor will save you and see when the savings will equal the fee and then decide if its worth it or not. Switching Processors.This paragraph is a little more difficult to address being that I am a processor and would love everyone to swith to me. Im sure if you have read this much of this blog you may be interested in accepting cards or making a switch from your current processor. If new to accepting cards follow the above points and you should do ok. If you are planning on switching because of poor customer service or an unreliable network or any other service issues please call me and hold me to the above as well. Now if you are planning on switching to get lower rates..be careful. First if you have had a good relationship with your current processor and he provides you with good customer service and attentiveness..remember that when the next processor comes along and can save you 17.00 a month. You may sacrifice service for savings if you do. Some processors may be offering dirt cheap rates where they as a business will make little or no profit off of you. How long do you think they will be in business? Where do you think your account will wind up if they fold and sell off their accounts? Who will then gain access to your financial and personal data. Now this may be the doomsday scenario but it can happen if you choose to go with a fly by night comapny with little foundation and in for the quick buck just so you can save a few bucks a month. ...read more
By American Payment Systems November 14, 2007
Cash advances and/or payday loans are available from several different loan companies. In fact there are probably several within your own city. These companies offer a temporary solution to your money needs. However you may not receive the amount of money you require by obtaining just one. ...read more
Teenagers need another source of money other then their parents, as they are constantly on the go. If you are a teenager you have many options to make money outside your chores. Here are some guidelines that you can follow to learn how to make quick money while a teen. ...read more
