Gulf Management Systems Gears Up to Attend 2018 IPPA Business Excellence Conference

New Florida-based member of leading nationwide trade association related to payroll and taxes for employers of all sizes to showcase myriad of premium payroll-oriented services; JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Phoenix to play host for October 17 to 19 event.

Clearwater, FL – October 4, 2018 – Gulf Management Systems, a Clearwater, Florida-based merchant provider of premium payment processing solutions, announced its intentions to attend the 2018 IPPA Business Excellence Conference, scheduled to take place from October 17 to 19 at the JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort and Spa in Arizona. Gulf Management is a new member of the leading nationwide trade association related to payroll and taxes for employers of all sizes (IPPA), and plans on showcasing its myriad of innovative payment-oriented services at the Conference including those associated with direct deposit and credit payments options.

The IPPA is comprised of privately-held companies whose primary function is the preparation of payroll and related taxes for employers of all sizes. Its broad base of independent service bureaus – large and small – is dedicated to offering the best client service and the most advanced technology. The Association prides itself on a proven track record of providing competitive solutions for today’s marketplace.

Gulf Management Systems’ payment specialists create custom payment solutions for businesses at transparent rates, seeking to become partners will all of its clients. From start to finish, Gulf representatives ensure each client’s success, providing them with a plethora of options to best serve their customers and simplify payment processing via a scalable and personalized approach. Since 1992, the company has boosted productivity and savings for businesses through its technology and payment processing expertise.

What’s more, as an all-in-one payment processor specializing in technology-enabled debit card, credit payments, ACH, EFT, e-commerce and direct deposit services, Gulf Management Systems brings the experience demanded of all types of businesses, boasting the capability to handle all points of the payment process for an operation.

“We are committed to our customers by way of unique customer service – different from most payment processing providers,” says Charles G. Billone, President of Gulf Management Systems. “Each of our accounts is supplemented by a hands-on, dedicated personalized coach that supports the client, and this coach puts in the required effort to set up the account, learn the essence of the client’s business and provide a detailed orientation to ensure the user is well-versed with regard to processing as to avoid any errors or delays – thus contributing to their overall confidence as a merchant.

“At this year’s IPPA Business Excellence Conference, we plan on exhibiting these characteristics for all attendees via demonstrations and discussions to show what kind of organization we are in the world of employee payment solutions.”

Gulf Management also became PCI Compliant in 2017, meaning each of its clients could rest assured knowing they receive the highest level of security. Benefits of PCI Compliancy include decreased risk of of a security breach, obtainment of a guideline standard regarding how to handle data, peace of mind knowing data is secure and avoidance of costly fines.

Gulf Management Systems is located at 2753 SR 580 Suite 212 in Clearwater and can be reached by calling (800) 947-3156. For more information visit www.GulfManagementSystems.com or email operations@GulfManagementSystems.com.

How Do Credit Card Fees and Costs Work?

For new and even current businesses, credit card fees can be very confusing. Accepting credit cards is an important part of your business, but you want to first understand what you’re paying for and the fee process and structure. There’s many solutions available to you and before deciding you want to be well-informed. There is a lot of factors that go into the credit card fees you end up being charged, which is discussed below.

Credit Card Interchange Fees

The largest portion of fees comes from interchange fees, which are collected from the credit card issuers. These fees are a certain percentage and then a fixed fee, typically no more than $0.25 per transaction. However, there are a variety of factors that go into this.

Credit Card Network

The four major credit card networks are Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. They all have slightly different credit card rates, which will be discussed.

Type of Card

Some fees are altered whether the card in the transaction being used is a credit or debit card. The type of credit card is also important. For example, business credit cards can be more expensive to process, and other types of reward cards as well.

How You Process the Payment

This means whether you swipe the credit card through a card reader, or manually punch in the card for a credit card verification, these will both impact the fees you pay on a transaction. There’s also different fees between online and mobile payments. However, transactions that are swiped tend to have the lowest fees involved.

Merchant Service Provider Fees

A merchant service provider, which handles your payment processing for business will charge fees for the services they provide your business. Depending on the volume of transactions your business runs, the fees will vary. We recommend taking your time when evaluating the credit card process. At Gulf Management Systems we create a customized payment solution that fits your business. Call us at (855) 847-7764 to find out more or simply fill out the form below.

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How to Evaluate a Payment Processor

When it comes to payment processing, it can be quite confusing. The system can be difficult to understand even basic things, such as what your rate is and the various fees that go along with accepting credit cards.

However, accepting credit cards have become crucial in the world of business today. Our society is shifting towards going paperless, with consumer purchasing preferences moving towards credit cards as opposed to cash. As a business owner you should be aware of these trends to make sure you’re not paying any hidden fees and charges that affect your profits. Here are a few tips for evaluating a payment processor.

Their Rates and Fees

With payment processors, there are a variety of factors that go into the rates and fees you’ll pay to process payments. Some of these may include; monthly sales volume, amount of years you’ve been in business, credit rating, etc. Some processors will advertise a flat rate across the board while some make a customized payment solution, just like we do at Gulf Management Systems. In your search for a processor, some will offer lower rates for business that utilize swiped transactions, sale’s through a credit card machine. This tends to be the most secure and least risky solution.

Their Customer Service Process

As noted, many businesses are unaware of payment processing rates and extra fees involved. This often results in people getting locked into contracts and overpaying way too much for their payment processing. At Gulf Management Systems our payment consultants will go over all our recommended options based off your business and individual needs. We explain all the fees involved, where they come from, and how we will be able to save you the most money. Many business owners are unaware of the various options at their disposal such as credit card processing, E-Checks, and ACH payment processing.

The Application Process

Some companies in the past would send a representative to your place of business to verify the location but that is rare this day and age. Throughout the application process you should be prepared to provide documents such as your business license, tax returns, and other financials. This typically require a two-way access to your bank account if they accept you. This will allow them to deposit funds into your account or even withdraw them in the case of a chargeback.

Takeaway

In all, choosing the appropriate payment processor is a very important decision for your business. At Gulf Management Systems, we’ve been helping business process payments for over 25 years, see how we can help you!  

The 5 Best Ways to Collect Customer Payments

For business owners, keeping up with payments can be difficult at times. To ensure timely payments, your customers should have a variety of payment options that facilitate an easy transaction on their end.  Having payments that come on time is very important and reduces headaches and frustration!

While payment technologies continue to advance, customer expectations continue to rise. To adapt to this, your business must offer several ways for customers to make payments. No one wants to mail in a check or pay over the phone, they need to have multiple available channels to make payments!

Add a Payment Button To Your Website

Incorporating a simple “pay now” button to your website can be a huge benefit to your customers. Being able to accept payments online is a big hurdle many businesses face. Adding e-Commerce to your business's website is a great way to increase revenue and attract customers. This allows customers to make purchases or pay bills at their personal convenience, saving you time asking for a check or other forms of payment.

Send Online Invoices

Invoices are a common way many professional companies send bills to customers through email. Sending traditional paper invoices to take too long and often results in late bill payments. Through online invoice technology, you’re able to streamline the collection of your payments online. Customers can simply hit a button before being directed into a payment portal to securely make their online payment. With more payments occurring online, customers expect every business to offer online payments.

Accept Recurring Transactions

Accepting recurring payments from customers is the easiest and most cost-effective way to take payments. ACH Payments allow customers to pay from their bank account and every month on a set date the payment will be taken out from their account. Customers can be charged monthly, yearly, or on whichever payment schedule they are on. ACH payments are also the safest way to accept transactions for both customers and businesses. The main benefit of recurring transactions is that customers don’t need to manually enter payments every time they need to make a payment. The transaction is safely processed every month utilizing ACH payments.

Take Payments On-The-Go

For businesses that are on the move, accepting mobile payments can make a big difference. For service-based businesses, they typically rely on customers mailing in checks or writing down credit card information. Using a simple mobile payment system, Gulf Management Systems allow merchants to accept payments wherever they are. Less people carry cash these days and customer preferences are leaning towards credit and debit card payments. Having this kind of flexibility allows businesses to increase their revenue and eases of payments for their customers.

With the right payment technology partner, your business can accept a variety of payments. At Gulf Management systems, we create a customized payment solution that fits YOUR business, contact us today and see how your business can succeed with us!  

Benefits for Businesses to Accept Card Present Transactions

What is a Card Present Transaction?

Accepting credit card payments in person with a mobile device reader which captures data from swiping a magnetic strip card, dipping an EMV card, or tapping for NFC / contactless transactions, such as a smartphone utilizing Apple Pay. A card present transaction is not only secure for your business but it also creates a sense of security for your customer.

Why should I accept payments in person with a card reader?

There are many reasons to care about accepting a card present transaction. The main reasons are:

1.    The card present transaction will help lower your cost of processing

2.    The card present transaction will help lower your chargeback liability

Lower Processing Fees

Keying in card information will qualify the transaction as a card not present transaction which will always have a higher cost. The higher cost usually always come from the credit card processing fees that make up your rate which are interchange fees, assessment fees, network fees, etc. The fees for card not present transactions are always higher because the chance for fraud and chargebacks are much higher.

With a card present transaction, the cardholder is physically present with the card at the point of the transaction. Credit card processing fees are much lower for card present transactions because the reduction in liability in fraud and chargebacks are much lower. Thus, qualifying you for lower cost credit card processing fees, and ultimately saving you money.

Reduce Chargeback Liability

Card networks (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AMEX) and processors presume card-present transactions are less of a risk. However, as a merchant, you will always have liability for chargebacks with card present transaction, but your chances with the card not present transactions will usually be a lot higher.

The EMV liability shift that took place a couple years ago now plays a crucial role in your business regarding EMV chip cards. However, if your business accepts an EMV card by swiping and/or keying it in you’re liable for the fraud that can occur. Using an EMV capable card reader, the fraud stays with the processor.

Learn Today

Speak with a payment consultant today to learn how to not only lower costs from credit card processing fees but to also process more secure transactions. Call us at 800-947-3156 to see how we can help your business!

How ACH Transactions Can Help Your Business

What is an ACH Transaction and How Can It Help My Business?

An ACH transaction is a simple way to accept recurring payments from customers at a low cost.ACH processing is a powerful method of payment both for receivables and payables, as it can help streamline cash flow from many aspects of business operations. There’s many uses for ACH transactions for a business from a receivables perspective, such as offering an optional payment method versus credit cards, not to mention it is usually more cost effective from the merchant perspective, it is commonly used for recurring billing and is also a method of account on file for variable debits.

ACH processing for receivables can be processed by various payment processing software, point of sale hardware, and by an ACH payment gateway API which gives a lot of flexibility for billing for many types of businesses. ACH transactions is also useful in terms of payables for streamlining many business operations from direct deposit (payroll), payouts, and reimbursements. ACH transactions for payables is facilitated by various methods from uploading NACHA files facilitated by software and is also API driven by pushing credits for direct deposit.

The Gulf Management Advantage

Utilizing Gulf Management Systems billing software, merchants can process one-time payments, recurring payments, or variable payments, efficiently and securely. Our billing software offers your business many other advantages. You’re able to edit payment information & schedule payments with our fully functional web-based software. We allow businesses to Accept all payment methods, such as credit cards, ACH, and E-Check. There are also simple reporting features along with free authorization and payment forms. We can transform your business into an omni-channel solution, with online, in person, and telephone payments.

Discover How ACH Can Help Your Business

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The Benefits of using SOAP API

SOAP(Simple Object Access Protocol) is a messaging protocol specification which exchanges structured information within the specification of the web services within computer networks. It’s necessary because it induces independence, extensibility, and neutrality. SOAP allows the processes running on separate operating systems the ability to operate and communicate using XML(Extensible Markup Language). Read more to see the benefits of SOAP API.

One of the advantages of SOAP is that it has universal description, discovery, and integration features. It acts as a director of web service interfaces which are described in the language of WSDL(web services description language). SOAP also allows businesses the flexibility of integrating their existing software using its protocols which is important. This integration allows multiple platforms such as Solaris, Linux, or Windows. SOAP can be utilized for facilitating batch or single ACH transactions.

There’s also a few other advantages to SOAP. The neutrality of SOAP especially makes it suitable for the use of any transport protocol. The implementations that often use HTTP as a transport protocol, but there’s also other transport protocols that can be used. When SOAP is combined with HTTP exchanges, it tunnels easily through the existing proxies and firewalls. Lastly, SOAP is available in XML and all its facilities, which includes the extensibility and internalization of the XML Namespaces.

SOAP is a valuable API and is what Gulf Management is run through for our ACH transactions. Contact us today if your business would like to facilitate ACH transactions through our API.

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Why Credit Card Processing is Necessary for Small Businesses

For most businesses accepting credit cards is the norm these days. However, many small businesses are still resisting the implementation of credit card processing. Some are afraid of the upfront charges and transaction fees involved. There’re many benefits however of these systems which can’t be ignored. Find out the benefits of implementing credit card processing for small businesses.

New Market Opportunities

Accepting credit cards will allow merchants to increase their sales and is also a smart move in the long-run. There’re several different markets now available once a business begins accepting credit cards. For businesses looking to go online, accepting credit cards on this space is essential. Having a secure company website is the first step to accepting customer payments. Once a business begins to accept credit cards, they can also choose to take their business on the go and accept mobile payments.

Ease of Purchase

To run a successful business, the needs of the customer must be met. Most customer payment preferences are debit and credit cards. This is mainly because of ease of use and security. When customers visit a business that only takes cash, they aren’t likely to want to shop there again. On the other hand, when a customer visits a business taking credit cards, they will always be able to easily make a payment. Cash is slowly becoming obsolete and even small businesses must move with the trend of credit card processing.

Legitimizes Your Business

By letting customers know that you accept credit cards, they acknowledge a sense of trust with your business. Customers have a sense of trust and security with their credit cards and will instill that same trust in your business. Merchants can expect that the implementation of accepting credit cards will legitimize their business in the eyes of consumers. For many businesses still on the fences accepting credit cards can be easy! At Gulf Management Systems, we can help your business accept credit cards today!

Find out More about Accepting Payments! 

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The Benefits of Accepting Mobile Payments

Mobile payments allow customers to pay from their phones. The type of mobile payment systems vary but most payments are made via mobile apps.  There’re many benefits to this that can help businesses.

The Advantage for Businesses

It’s Cost Effective

Offering a mobile payment solution such as a barcode scanner or mobile card reader is a cost advantage compared to a credit card terminal. Most businesses already have a terminal solution, but these are a great solution to implement regardless. Keeping up with customer payment preferences is very important.  Most credit card terminals from the banks charge merchant’s transaction fees and monthly fees as well.

Consumer Engagement

Offering mobile payment solutions simply makes the checkout process a lot easier and quicker. This could increase returning business and consumer satisfaction. There’s also a chance that businesses can benefit from impulse buys from customers who might not have wanted to take their time to make a purchase. Customers are also more likely to trust your business if you accept mobile payments because most mobile payments require a two-way factor authentication.

Reduce Wait Time

For retail merchants, they can reduce their store lines with mobile payment technology. Since mobile payment technology can be taken anywhere, there’s no need to simply take payments in one place anymore. For floating businesses or merchants with people on the sales floor, payments can be accepted in just about any location. This is also an opportunity for salespeople to upsell products or assist customers finding products. Sales can now easily be processed via mobile phone, tablet, or laptop.

Easily Accessible Data

Through mobile payment technology, customer data is more accessible and easier to track.  With this data, you can utilize different tactics to improve future campaigns and sales. After the sale with a mobile payment solution, you can access customer behavioral information which can be very valuable. You can see customer spending habits, preferred payment methods, frequency, and much more. Utilizing real-time customer information allows businesses to tailor their offerings according to consumer behavior.

Utilizing mobile payment systems can be a valuable tool for businesses. If you would like to get started accepting mobile payments contact us to get started!

Why You Should Accept Credit Cards Online

If your business is expanding or moving into the e-commerce space, its going to be necessary to find a processing service to accept credit cards. For some business owners that aren’t familiar, credit card processing can be intimidating. For businesses that have a physical storefront, they’re missing out on a lot of sales by not selling online. They are limiting their business to their local area opposed to being found online by just about anyone in the world.

Here are a few key reasons on why you should accept credit card payments.

More Shopping is Happening Online

Businesses across all areas have found the value in moving their transactions online. Being able to accept payments online is an additional revenue stream. Regardless of what you want to sell online, if marketed correctly people will find your product or service. There’s millions of people every day searching for products online, a huge market to be tapped into. Less people are doing retail shopping, and this is even more of a reason to have an online presence accepting payments.

Accepting Credit Cards Online is Easy

The way most credit cards work is by encouraging spending to reap their benefits or rewards. As a merchant, this is an advantage to your business. Since purchasing items online is easy for customers to do, it encourages repeatpurchases. Once your website has a shopping cart platform and is set up to accept payments, consumers will be able to access your site and buy goods as they please. For businesses that have recurring billing, your customers can simply enter their credit card information once and can choose to get charged on a set date every month. This allows for an increased cash flow and less difficulty processing payments.

Most Transactions are Made using Credit Cards

Customers both online and offline prefer paying with credit cards, which is used in about 90% of online transactions. This is due to the accessibility and security credit cards offer. For online shoppers there’s also a sense of trust once they provide their information to a seller. The most important factor is setting up a reliable system to process and accept payments for potential customers.

If you’re ready to start accepting credit cards online, call us to get started with this process. We’ve worked with businesses for over 25 years helping them accept payments and can do the same for you!