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With tax day behind us, it seemed appropriate to take a look at another tax issue that can cause fiscal harm to your business. Being aware of how reporting your merchant activity to the IRS can impact your business, will help you prevent the government from having a reason to dip into your account. Each year, processors are required to provide your business with a form 1099K. The form needs to be submitted with your annual business tax return. The only exceptions are for businesses whose processing activity falls below the following transaction counts or volume. Retailers who have less than 200 credit or debit card transactions per year Retailers whose total credit and debit card transactions total less than $20,000 The rule, which took effect in 2012,

For years there had been talk of the ‘chipped’ card and all of the added security it would bring. Those cards are now being circulated and the ‘Fraud Liability Shift’ that accompanies them is the topic of our blog. Why are EMV cards more secure? The magnetic stripes on traditional credit and debit cards store contain unchanging data. Whoever accesses that data gains the sensitive card and cardholder information necessary to make purchases. That makes traditional cards prime targets for counterfeiters. Unlike magnetic-stripe cards, every time an EMV card is used for payment, the card chip creates a unique transaction code that cannot be used again. EMV technology will not prevent data breaches from occurring, but it will make it much harder for criminals to successfully profit from

One of the most successful advertisements of all time advised us to Never Leave Home Without It! The American Express Card has long been regarded as a bit of a status indicator and for good reason. While many businesses across America choose NOT to accept American Express cards (due to the higher percentage they charge business owners), American Express cardholders have some unique characteristics that most business owners might find intriguing! AMEX enjoys a leading market share in the lucrative business credit card market due in large part to their affluent cardholders. American Express cardholders average 60% higher incomes than non-Amex customers. American Express cardholders are more likely to charge everyday purchases than pay cash. The average American Express customer charges 53% of all personal spending while those

With all of the changes happening in the financial world these days, it pays to make sure your business is operating in a ‘compliant’ environment. Security, regulation and equipment issues need to be addressed to make sure your business is operating within the guidelines set forth by the card associations. Security: PCI Compliance has been mandated by the card associations and your business is required to have an annual certification. The process includes a questionnaire, requirements for a security handbook as well as quarterly scans for merchants connected to the Internet for processing. Not being compliant can result in pesky non compliance fees, large fines assessed by the card associations or worse- the loss of your business reputation as your name will certainly become front page news in

There are times in life when you really SHOULD follow the rules! Accepting credit cards is DEFINITELY one of those time! The operating rules and regulations are designed to protect the card holders, the financial institutions and lastly- the merchant. When you are aware of the rules as a business owner, you help reduce your risk for having your money held by the processing companies and you play a large part in reducing credit card fraud. Since cash flow is such a critical part of being in business, regulation awareness is also a critical part of protecting your business. VISA REGULATIONS MASTERCARD REGULATIONS AMERICAN EXPRESS REGULATIONS If you have specific questions related to your business, please give our helpful team a call! 1-888-249-9919 Cheri PerryMonday, February 8, 2016

If you’re a movie buff like I am, you’re probably familiar with the line from Stanley Kubrick’s “The Shining” where Jack Nicholson’s character types out several pages of the same sentence: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.While the context in the movie is a bit eerie, Jack’s comment is actually truer than you might think! I’ve also heard the old saying “Work is not supposed to be fun ~ that’s why it’s called WORK”. I humbly disagree ~ I believe that work should absolutely be fun! I’m not the only one that feels this way – there has been plenty of research on this topic and many of the studies found quite similar results: it’s imperative for a healthy company to have some fun.SIX