In a recent article, I address some questions most merchants DON’T ask, but should.

The first part of the article is geared towards new merchants. New merchants need to decide IF they will benefit from a merchant account. Most merchants will benefit from the marketing value alone associated with the Visa and Mastercard logos. It is also important to accept all forms of payments that your customers have available.

I recommend new terminals over used terminals for the following reasons. Most “new” terminals you find on the internet will still need to be programmed, and many merchants charge for this. Considering the cost of the terminal, reprogram fees and shipping, you do not normally save enough money to take a chance on older technology with less features.

Credit card mix and how you accept your cards also make a huge difference when selecting which rate structure for your merchant account. The truth is, there is not a UNIVERSALLY PERFECT account which will save all merchants money all the time.

My newest article is posted here http://hubpages.com/hub/Merchant-Accounts-that-HELP-your-Business