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Q: Where can I find a copy of the merchant application?
A: A copy of the merchant application can be found under the ISO/Agent Resource Center, Forms & Documents section on our website. The merchant set-up packet was recently updated, and is now a tab and type document for easy use.
Q: Does the Mobile-scape terminal do PIN- based debit?
A: Currently the Mobilescape terminal is not PIN-based. We do look forward to adding this option to the Mobilescape in 2007.
Q: What's the difference between the Mobilescape 3000 and the Mobilescape 5000?
A: The Mobilescape 3000 series is designed for credit card use only. For businesses that need the flexibility of accepting payments by credit card and check, Commerciant offers the Mobilescape 5000, the market's first wireless, handheld payment processing solution to accept both.
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Welcome to the first issue of Commerciant's ISO & Agent News. This bi-monthly newsletter will help us keep you informed on the latest developments with Mobilescape, provide the inside scoop on selling wireless check and credit card processing in underserved markets, training schedules, important administrative information, new contests, and much more.
This month's issue focuses on the particular requirements and needs of plumbing businesses, and how selling wireless check and credit card processing solutions can have such a big impact on their bottom line...and yours.
We hope you'll find this newsletter a useful sales tool, but if for any reason you'd prefer to not receive it, please click the "unsubscribe" button at the bottom on this email and you will be removed.
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Marc Beauchamp |
| Vice President of Indirect Sales |
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There are thousands of plumbers across the U.S., and many of them lack an effective way to process credit cards and checks at the customer's house. They are at risk of losing money from bad checks, higher rates from card-not-present transactions, and wasting time by making routine trips to the bank to deposit checks. Now with Mobilescapethe market's only credit card processing and electronic check conversion solutionthey can easily and safely process payments everywhere. Read on to learn more about selling into this lucrative market.
Merchants that do business at the customer's home have traditionally taken payment by accepting a paper check or calling in a credit card number for processing. We've interviewed a number of plumbing companies that use Mobilescape, and here's what we found:
If a check bounces or a credit card number is bad, legal and collections options for recovering payment are limited and costly. Using Mobilescape to process payment before ever leaving the customer's house eliminates these risks.
For a company with 10 trucks, bounced checks can add up to losses of $6,000 a year or more. Using Mobilescape to process checks at the customer's house saves thousands of dollars.
When calling in credit card numbers, transposed digits and bad credit cards can cost thousands or dollars. Using Mobilescape to process credit cards at the customer's house means lower rates for card-present transactions, and prevents manual entry errors.
In some cases, more than 20 days elapsed from the time a check was written by the time the company deposited it an received an NSF notice. Using Mobilescape mean that funds are deposited in the company's bank in 1-2 days instead of 20!
Bookkeeping personnel spent many hours each week going to the bank to deposit checks. When the company used Mobilescape to process checks at the customer's house, these time consuming trips were eliminated.
According to the CEO of a mid-sized plumbing company in Dallas, Texas, a customer who requires a plumbing service call is generally not in a good mood. It's a large unscheduled expense, and a certain number of them will look for ways to dispute charges or stop payments on checks after the service has been performed. Using Mobilescape to process payment at the customer's house means that signatures are electronically captured, simplifying chargeback disputes. Companies can select check conversion with verification or conversion with guarantee services to be assured of payment.
The ISO & Agent resource page has helpful information on selling into the homes services vertical. If you have any questions about selling to plumbing companies, we can help! Give anyone on our ISO team a call and we'll be happy to help.
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Dallas-Area Plumbing Company Sees Cost Savings with Mobilescape
Collecting payments in the field had become an expensive, risky process for a growing plumbing company in the Dallas area. Field technicians had to phone in credit card numbers after each service call, which took between five to ten minutes. Once the technician left the customer's property and discovered that the credit card number was bad, it was  up to the company's accounting team to try and recover the funds. Accepting checks was also a problem. With no way to process the check at the customer's house, there was no way to know if the check was good.
Case Study: Plumbing Company, Dallas, Texas
The situation in the field
Collecting payments in the field had become and expensive, risky process for a growing plumbing company in the Dallas area. Field technicians had to phone in credit card numbers after each service call, which took between five to ten minutes. Once the technician left the customer's property and discovered that the credit card number was bad, it was up to the company's accounting team to try and recover the funds. Accepting checks was also a problem. With no way to process the check at the customer's house, there was no way to know if the check was good.
Options for recovering payment are limited. The company can try to pursue the customer with phone calls and letters, but that is time consuming and often ineffective. They can also turn the account over to a lawyer or collections agency to recover the funds, but the fees for each of these methods can come close to or even equal the amount of the ticket. Finally, they can choose to simply write off the amount of the call. The company was experiencing over $6,000 every year in bad tickets, and was looking for a way to improve their credit card payment method while reducing the number of bad checks and stopped payments.
The situation at headquarters
The company allows its technicians to take the company's trucks home at the end of each shift. As a result, technicians only came to the home office every couple of weeks to drop off checks they had collected. Once the checks were in the office, it could take as many as another ten days to account for the payments, reconcile against invoices, take the checks to the bank and wait for the checks to clear. In some cases, more than 20 days elapsed by the time the company discovered they had received a bad check. Customers who had received repairs three weeks prior were sometimes not cooperative in sending another check.
The solution
The company adopted the Mobilescape 5000, the first wireless, handheld payment processing solution for both checks and credit cards. The company is using Mobilescape to convert paper checks to electronic payments at the customer's house, minimizing the risk of collection, and expediting the collection of funds. With the appropriate check verification and guarantee subscriptions, funds are usually deposited the next business day instead of the usual two to five days. The affordable Mobilescape solution includes hardware, software, integration services, wireless service, transaction processing, and unbeatable support and maintenance.
Results and Return on Investment
The company has identified a noticeable return on investment since adopting the Mobilescape 5000 and has seen process improvements in the field and in the back office that are saving the company substantial money.
They have caught more check declines in the field, and have reduced the number of bad checks and stopped payments.
On checks transactions, they are now getting paid in one to two days, rather than in 15-20 days.
They are catching declined credit cards and are able to ask for alternative payment before they ever leave the customer's house.
They are no longer at risk of transposing credit card numbers, since they don't need to call them in over the phone.
The company has also seen improvements in the customer experience. While customers at first were unfamiliar with electronic check processing, they were very impressed with the ability to watch the technician swipe a check for the amount of the purchase, and then receive the voided check on the spot. Given the threat of fraud and identity theft, customers were also very happy that the checks and credit cards never left their sight. Finally, they also were pleased that their personal credit card numbers were not written on invoices and that their checks were no longer stored in the trucks until they returned to the office.
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ISO & Agent Mobilescape Training |
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Don't forget that Commerciant offers weekly Mobilescape training teleconferences for new and old agents.
Basic ISO & Agent Training
Tuesdays, 10:00 am CT
Thursdays, 1:00 pm CT
Dial 1-866-365-4406; enter code 7355512#
Duration: 60 minutes
The basic ISO & agent training covers company history, the features and benefits of Mobilescape, the Mobilescape Manager, the revenue model overview, and other topics.
Mobilescape 3000/5000 Demo Troubleshooting
Fridays, 1:00 pm CT
Dial 1-866-365-4406; enter code 7355512#
Duration: 60 minutes
The troubleshooting session is designed for ISOs that have a demo or live terminal present during the training. We cover hands on training issues that involve following prompts and manipulating actual equipment during the training.
This session is recommended for all ISOs to complete in order to answer many of the questions that arise out in the field.
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And the winners are... |
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Thanks again to everyone who participated in our summer Cancun contest. If you didn't win this time, don't worry, a new contest will be starting soon. Be sure to check out our website for details on your next chance to win.
Good Luck!
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Congratulations to our winners!
First Place - Chris Demian
Ultimate Merchant Systems
Brandon, FL
Second Place - Eric Elam
CardSmart Merchant Services Inc
Las Vegas, NV
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Check Certification News |
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 We're working hard to get certified with check processors, and our list is growing quickly. We're adding new processors every week. Currently, the Mobilescape 5000 is certified with:
EZ Check (B certification) Affirmative Technologies (B certification) ECHO (B certification; A certification pending) GETI (B certification) Money Movers of America (B certification) A few of the processors coming soon include: CrossCheck Global Check Don't see your processor listed? Let us know, and we'll work on adding them to our list! Just contact Elly, Roy, Marc or Terry on Commerciant's ISO team. |
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