Not long ago, the concept of ISOs targeting small- to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with any product other than processing services was, at best, a distant possibility and, at worst, an unattainable goal. However, an increasing number of ISOs are either considering a move into the POS equipment space or have already jumped on the bandwagon.

ISOs’ approaches vary considerably, from persuading merchants to dump obsolete standalone transaction processing peripherals in favor of integrated POS systems, to promoting contactless and mobile payments, to touting hardware/software packages geared toward a specific vertical.

Download the full PDF

On the heels of the e-commerce revolution of the 1990s,which introduced credit card payments to the Internet, the m-commerce revolution promises to be the next big wave, many forward-thinkers are predicting. The “m” is for mobile, reflecting consumers’ love affair with the pocket-sized devices they use to take pictures, send and receive text messages, call home, and browse the Net. Today, consumers head for the mall with both cell phones and wallets, but in another decade or two, the wallet may be history.

The companies that make cell phones and run the cellular communication infrastructure could one day displace banks and credit card networks as the keepers of the settlement system people use. But first, the handset manufacturers, cell phone carriers, and payment processors will have to come together to make m-commerce work. Consumers are hardly waiting for corporations to invent the mobile payments system of the future. Donna Embry, senior vice president for product development at Louisville, Kentucky-based Payment Alliance International Inc., pulls out her iPhone while being interviewed by Transaction Trends and pulls up Amazon.com to buy a book. It’s a bit slow, but the process works. She gets a confirmation message that she has bought the book and then gets another message that Amazon will provide fast one-click service in the future for orders she makes with that phone, thanks to a cookie that has been implanted.

Download the full PDF

 At long last, most health-care providers now see the advantages of credit card acceptance, but ISOs can’t make the mistake of treating them like regular customers. Unlike selling to traditional merchants, tapping the health-care market presents a unique set of business practices, priorities, and considerations. Targeting this vertical market requires ISOs to understand the business of health-care providers and attract their interest.

Downlaod the full PDF

 While agent retention has always been a top ISO concern, shrinking margins and recessionary conditions are fueling agents’ urges to shop around. ISOs must take concrete steps now to keep valuable sales representatives from becoming their competitors later.

Offering sales performance-based bonuses is a step in the right direction, but financial incentives alone do little to cultivate agent loyalty. “If ISOs expect that agents will be happy with just a larger percentage of revenues, they are mistaken,” says Christian Murray, director of business development for Global eTelecom, a Destin, Florida-based provider of value-added solutions. Touting inflated residuals and up-front bonuses with “back-end” catches doesn’t work either, he adds.

Download the full PDF