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5 Tips To Creating More Profits From Your Affiliate Program
1. If you're selling eBooks, set up a free marketing course that your affiliates can offer on their websites or in their ezines to promote your product. This can be a course you offer through a pop up on your site that has generated sales for you...
Do You Have a Plan?
Writing a business plan for a home based business is every bit as important as writing a business plan for a conventional outside the home business. The lack of a concrete plan can be linked to many businesses failing before...
Does Hype Work on the Web? (The Sequel)
I recently wrote an article that asked readers, "Does Hype Work on the Web?" My contention was that today's web users are too savvy to fall for hyper-inflated sales language like "Totally insane offer!" and "Expires soon, don't delay!" and we're...
Growing importance of Internet Promotions
Internet promotions are becoming popular by the day and more and more companies are now considering them as a component of their marketing strategy. Internet promotions pay off well because the visibility of the ads and other promotion...
Web Site Marketing Puts Your Own Mark On A Business
The web site marketing you use to promote your Internet location tells a lot about you in general. Everyone that shops wants a pleasurable experience. The same is true in Internet shopping. You want to make your site as easy as possible for people...
 
Online Merchant Account - Costs and Alternatives

A Merchant Account is a commercial bank account established by a merchant to receive payment via credit cards. Three parts are required to accept credit cards. Besides a merchant account, you need a local bank checking account to deposit funds and a processing solution, such a terminal or web-based store front to take credit card payments. Online merchant account, or ecommerce merchant account, is a merchant account that can take credit orders on the Web.

Cost of Merchant Account

An online merchant account will boost your online sales, but merchant account incurs various types of cost. A merchant account usually requires a one-time setup fee between $50 - $100. Some merchant account providers waive the setup fee in promotion period or in conjunction with other services. Other costs include gateway fee, statement fee, annual fee, transaction fees and discount rate fees.

Accept Credit Card without Merchant Account

When you first start an online business and have limited resources, the alternative would be to use the services of a credit card processor. You can enjoy the benefits of processing credit card transactions online without the requirements of a merchant account and high costs involved. Paypal, WorldPay, PaySystems and Clickbank are some of popular credit processing services. Popular shopping carts or online storefronts, such as eBay Store, Yahoo! Store and Microsoft bCentral, offer built-in credit card processing capability.

International Merchant Account

International merchant accounts (


target=new>http://www.4th-media.net/online_payment/international_merchant_account.php ) , or Offshore Merchant Accounts, are merchant accounts that allow the merchants to accept payments from around the world-- regardless of where your business or customers are located. Comparing to an online merchant account, two major services that come with an International merchant account are Multiple-Currency Support and International Fraud Protection.

Wireless/Mobile Merchant Account

Mobile merchants used to face unique issues when accepting credit card payments. With the advancement of high-speed wireless networks and mobile technology, mobile businesses are no longer limited in their payment options to just cash or checks.

Many merchant account ( http://www.4th-media.net/online_payment/mobile_merchant_account.php ) service providers waive application fee and setup fees to attract more businesses. However, the use of wireless service provider does incur the expense of the terminal hardware, activation fee, monthly service fee, and transaction cost.

Copyright @2005, Bruce Zhang

About The Author

Bruce Zhang has over 10 years experience in developing ecommerce and e-business application such as literature fulfillment ( http://www.4th-media.net/order_fulfillment/literature_fulfillment.php ) and supply chain management ( http://www.sysoptima.com/scm/ ) applications.