What types of business do you accept?
Fast Merchant Account accepts virtually all all businesses, including retail, professionals, trade shows, mail order, telephone order, Internet based and home based businesses and high risk merchant accounts.

What if I have bad credit?
With our 98% approval rate you are likely to get approved, even if you have bad credit.

How long does it take to get approved?
Most accounts are approved in one to three business days. Once approved, we will inform you of your acceptance and ship your credit card terminal immediately.

What are the advantages of accepting credit cards online?
Accepting credit cards online will boost your sales. Studies have shown that businesses that only offer the option of sending in a check or money order often lose sales. Also, it fosters trust with your customers if you appear to be a legitimate business. Plus, the money is automatically wired into your bank account.

What about fraud?
We are an industry leader in fraud prevention and risk management, Fast Merchant Accountshas one of the lowest loss rates in the online retail industry.

I'm not sure what terminal, equipment or software is best for my business.
Typically, Point of Sale terminals are a good choice for 'brick and mortar' retail stores when the credit card is available for 'swiping', while browser based 'virtual terminals' are an excellent choice for internet only and phone/mail in orders.

Most Internet sites will also benefit from a 'real time' payment gateway so users can purchase products and services directly thru your web site 24/7/365.

Contact Fast Merchant Accounts for a free consultation and we will advise you on what is best for your business needs.

Do I need a bank account to accept credit cards and does it have to be a business checking account?
Yes, you do need a bank account, which would be necessary to receive funds from your customers. Yes, it does have to be a business account.

What is a charge back?
A charge back is when a customer receives their credit card statement and does not agree with the charges applied. The customer can either call the merchant or get a return on their merchandise or they can call their bank and issue a charge back against the charge.

Address verification service (AVS)
An important fraud-prevention mechanism that verifies customer addresses within the United States. This ensures the identification of the cardholder and guarantees that you ship merchandise to a legitimate customer.

Authorization
The act of insuring that the cardholder has adequate funds available against their line of credit. A positive authorization results in an authorization code being generated, and those funds being set aside. The cardholder's available credit limit is reduced by the authorized amount.

Automated clearing house (ACH)
ACH is a national electronic network that transfers and clears funds between banking institutions on behalf of merchants and their customers. In other words, ACH helps you get your money from your customers' transactions.

Batch
The accumulation of captured transactions waiting to be settled. Multiple batches may be settled throughout the day.

Capture
Converting the authorization amount into a billable transaction record within a Batch. Transactions cannot be captured unless previously authorized, and authorizations cannot be captured until the goods or services have been shipped or transmitted to the consumer.

Cardholder
Any person who opens a credit card account and makes purchases using a credit card.

Card validation code 2 (CVC2) and card verification value 2 (CVV2)
Important fraud-prevention mechanisms initiated by MasterCard and Visa to protect merchants. MasterCard's CVC2 and Visa's CVV2 codes help merchants distinguish legitimate customers from those who try to commit fraud. These codes are the three digits on the back of a MasterCard or Visa card that follow the cardholder's credit card number—they protect Internet merchants by helping to identify a cardholder in a non-face-to-face transaction.

Chargeback
Dispute procedure that occurs when a cardholder or card issuer questions the validity of a previously settled transaction. When the dispute is found in favor of the cardholder or card issuer, Charge back also refers to the reversal of a charge by which the cardholder is credited for the amount of the disputed transactions and the agency is invoiced for the amount.

Debit card
Used similarly to a credit card, but the funds are transferred immediately from the customer's bank account to the merchant's account. The advantage of debit cards to merchants is instant access to funds.

Discount Rate
The percentage rate that the bank charges the merchant for each credit card charge.

Mail/phone Order Transaction
A transaction where a card holder orders goods or services from a merchant by telephone, mail or other means of telecommunication, and neither the card nor the card holder is present at the merchant outlet.

Real Time Processing / Payment Gateway
The service that automates the payment transaction between the shopper and merchant. It is usually a third-party service that is actually a system of computer processes that process, verify, and accept or decline credit card transactions on behalf of the merchant through secure Internet connections.

Per Transaction Fees
Fees paid by the merchant to the merchant bank or other contracted party on a per transaction basis.

Point Of Sale (POS)
Location in a merchant establishment at which the sale is consummated by payment for goods or services received.

Issuer
The bank that extends credit to customers through bankcard accounts. The bank issues the credit card and receives the cardholder's payment at the end of the billing period. Also call the issuing bank or the card holder bank.

Recurring Billing
Transactions for which a card holder grants permission to the Merchant to periodically charge his account number for recurring goods or services.

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol
Allows encrypted, authenticated communications to travel safely and securely across the Internet. SSL provides merchants with privacy, authentication and message integrity. Most browsers indicate SSL connection by displaying a 'key' or 'closed lock' in the bottom right portion of the screen.

Settlement
As the sales transaction value moves from the merchant to the acquiring bank, to the issuer, each party buys and sells the sales ticket. Settlement is what occurs when the acquiring bank and the issuer exchange data or funds during that function.

Ticket
Another name for the sales slip or its monetary value that results when a credit card purchase is made.

Transaction
One example of transaction is the process that takes place when a card holder makes a purchase with a credit card.