Adding the additional difficulty of ensuring that the provider has cost-effective platforms that function securely on mobile devices can make this decision even more difficult. This article will explore considerations for sellers exploring merchant service solutions designed for mobile devices.
Usability with Many Devices
With more than 61% of consumers owning smartphones with internet access today, the opportunity to optimize merchant services platforms for mobile devices has never been greater. However, with this widespread adoption comes a diversified marketplace of devices and operating systems that increase costs and make merchant services more complex. One users might purchase on an iPad with a high-resolution touchpad, while another user might access the same system with an antiquated flip-phone using just a numeric keypad. Therefore, finding merchant services platforms that are responsive across many devices is an important factor in deciding on the right service to use for your company.
Integrate with Existing Systems
Simultaneously managing different merchant service platforms for in-store, online, and mobile devices can be difficult to manage. This is especially true for companies that utilize automated systems, since each system will need to be routinely updated and the chances for error greatly increase. Therefore, finding merchant services platforms that can tie all of these needs into one service can be very helpful. National banks, credit card agencies, and major ecommerce platforms typically with offer these full-service capabilities. While they may be more expensive, and lack some features for individual functionality, the savings incurred by utilizing only one platform often exceed their costs.
Consider an App
One of the best advantages of modern mobile devices is their ability to utilize standalone applications that are affordable to develop and easy to obtain for consumers. Since most app stores make great efforts to ensure that listed providers are reputable, consumers will often trust an app more than making a purchase through a web browser. For loyal customers, an app can both encourage them to keep coming back and facilitate spreading the good word about your business to their friends. Apps even have the potential to go viral as they are shared across the internet and through social media. Therefore, companies looking for mobile merchant service providers should discuss ecommerce application capabilities.
Read Terms Carefully
Before jumping in with a desired provider, it is important to carefully read the specific terms that a merchant services company imposes on their clients. Depending on your industry, selecting services with lower fees, better chargeback terms, or better customer service can improve the results gained from your merchant services provider. While big selling features like low cost can be important, these contractual terms should be considered as the most important part. If terms are unclear, you should contact the company to discuss the implications of specific conditions. By obtaining a clear understanding of what the merchant expects from you, selecting the right merchant can become much easier as firms with unacceptable terms can be eliminated.
If your company already has an ecommerce merchant services provider, the best place to start is generally to get in touch with them to see how they can help you. With a full understanding of these criteria, you should now be ready to start exploring providers and move forward with provider selection.
