We're curious to know..

Help us help you (and win a prize, too!)

We want to make sure we're addressing your practice's hot-button merchant services issues, and to do that, we need your input. Help us by answering the few quick questions below.

And if you're interested in a statement review, now's the time to send it in. Everyone who sends me their statement for review will receive a $15 Starbucks gift card.

Thanks for your input! We're looking forward to working with you.


1. How long does it currently take you to get your credit card sales deposited into your bank? Would receiving next day funding on AMEX transactions be helpful?

2. Do you use a loyalty program to incentivize your patients? If so, is it successful and generating revenue

3. If you could change 2 things regarding your merchant services what would they be. I know everyone wants to see more savings. That's a given but is there any thing else?


Feel free to contact me by going to the ODpayments link above or directly at

Toll Free-(855)4-CHOSEN
Local Number-(805)910-1445 ext. 127
Fax (805)910-1447
www.ODpayments.com
michael.lepore@chosenpayments.com

1. 22 hours

2. No loyalty programs. I would be skeptical of loyalty programs, only because I believe that products/services should be able to stand on their own merits, and not need the offers of incentives to get the business.

3. Ease of use (at POS), and a REAL statement, without a bunch of fees made up of formulas, and difficult to understand explanations. And I absolutely HATE processing fees.

Hello Johns. Thanks so much for the reply. Response are below. Please feel free to call me, e-mail me or let me know how I can connect with you

1. 22 hours ---- Did you know that (depending on your time zone) you can get 12 hour funding with certain merchant service companies? Additionally all Friday, Saturday, Sunday batches will be received first thing Monday. There is also a way to get all Amex transactions deposited in one batch with the other card types in this 12 hour timeframe, We have found that a lot of eye care businesses enjoy the benefit of having cash flow expedited as they are use to 48 hour funding for Visa and MasterCard and 3-5 days for Amex. If you would like us to consult for free and determine a way to speed up funding time for your business we will be more than happy to assist.

2. No loyalty programs. I would be skeptical of loyalty programs, only because I believe that products/services should be able to stand on their own merits, and not need the offers of incentives to get the business. ---- I agree with you completely that products and services should not need to be “rewarded” to consumers and they should sell themselves. However what a lot of eye care businesses are starting to do is simply give a “thank you” to their loyal customers by way of a discount off their next purchase or % back if they spend a specific dollar amount, etc. We have found that this protects the integrity of the business while giving a sense of appreciation to the customer. This does not work for everyone and I really appreciate your feedback!

3. Ease of use (at POS), and a REAL statement, without a bunch of fees made up of formulas, and difficult to understand explanations. And I absolutely HATE processing fees.---- The POS is a great comment, thank you for that. We will spend some time to discuss POS opportunities on this form in the coming weeks. With respect to the fees and statement that is the most common pain point we hear. A simplified statement is what everyone deserves and not a 15 page package that is filled with gibberish. Simple items such as; the amount of sales volume processed for each card type during the month, the number of transactions, and a simple fee breakdown is all that we have found Merchants want to see. We can help to simplify this process and cut through the difficult to understand statements made up of miscellaneous fees. We will provide a sample statement in which your feedback would be greatly beneficial for us and for all users with respect to ease of reading. If you wish to send a copy of your statement we will gladly review it and consult with you to point out all the areas of importance and where your fees can be cut back. We are here to help!

Thanks

Michael Lepore

Toll Free-(855)4-CHOSEN
Local Number-(805)910-1445 ext. 127
Fax (805)910-1447
www.ODpayments.com
michael.lepore@chosenpayments.com

One more thing that irks me beyond anything else: Security compliance protocols that are not explained by the vendor, and the penalties associated with them. I once had a company "fine" me more than $6000 for non-compliance, AFTER I had an email from them stating all my offices were in fact compliant. The had take the penalty fees out every month, and it took them 18 months of fighting with them to recoup the money.

I hear ya. That's an all too common occurrence in our industry. A company not being completely truthful about certain cost associated with taking credit cards. PCI (payment card industry) compliance is important and should not be taken lightly. Getting breached and having card holders info compromised can ruin a business if you aren't in compliance.

Sounds like you were but just had a less than honest company pull a fast one. We aren't all like that I promise. I can see how it would have cost you alot especially if you have more than one practice. Thanks for the input. Perhaps I will post some hard facts about PCI compliance. You shouldn't have to pay a lot for it and if you have several locations with the same tax ID it's possible to link them together.

Thanks
michael.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ODpayments

You shouldn't have to pay a lot for it and if you have several locations with the same tax ID it's possible to link them together.

Thanks
michael.

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I don't think that we should have to pay anything for being compliant (and we don't now). Just tell us what we need to do, and we'll do it.

I agree. There are many fees that I personally do not agree with and in most cases can waive them. PCI compliance is $99 per year which is very low compared to what I have seen other companies charge. Some companies will agree to pay this for you but just know that nothing is free in this biz. Your account either has a lot of profit in it where then can justify paying this for you or they are going to make it up some place else. We give you the option to let us do the PCI for you or provide us a certificate showing that you are compliant. That certificate will transfer to us. You can also obtain compliance on your own and if you can find it for free of cheeper then we encourage you to do that. Just send us the proof that you are compliant and all is good. Its a pain though and most business owners are too busy to want to have now research the ins and out of PCI compliance so having a company like Chosen Payments is highly beneficial.

I'm posting some PCI info for you in the other forum. Be sure to check it out

thanks agin for your input

Michael