All posts by Abtek

Abtek is a state-of-the-art Credit Card Processing and Merchant Account Solutions provider. As credit card experts, we enable businesses big and small to accept and process credit cards, as well as delivering customized processing solutions to fit your evolving business needs.


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ABTK-SM-Blog-DataBreach-Hero

5 Bad Habits Putting Your Business at Risk for a Data Breach

A data breach occurs when an outsider obtains customer information, putting customers at risk for fraudulent charges and identity theft. It can also threaten the reputation of businesses.

There are useful practices and various steps a business can take to prevent such breaches.

ABTK-small-blog-image-DataBreach011. Sticking with old, familiar technology

It is important for businesses to keep up with technology. They must upgrade security in addition to the ways they process payments. While it can be more costly to move to the newest methods, it makes customer information much more secure. After all, those who would illegally gain access to customer information will be using new technology—so why shouldn’t your business stay one step ahead?

Target is an example of a major company that had a data breach due to outdated technology. To prevent this issue in the future, they’ve begun to implement the technology to be able to process mobile payments.

2. Using the same POS system across all stores

Business owners can be tempted to go with what they know, especially if they’re a chain. They become familiar with certain technology, and so they tend to use it in across all stores. However, this habit should be changed. Businesses need to have different computer systems for franchise stores, especially with regard to POS systems.

Jimmy John’s stores were the victims of a major data breach because many of their POS systems were the same. The perpetrators of the data breach were able to clone payments once they figured out how the POS systems worked. If the chain had different POS systems, the data breach may not have occurred.

ABTK-small-blog-image-DataBreach023. Not updating encryption

Encryption of information is the most important way to protect your customers. Encryption scrambles customer data, such as credit card numbers, and makes it unreadable. That way, in the event of a data breach, the information obtained is useless.

Home Depot was hit with a data breach that originated from malware. Home Depot’s security system could not protect against the malware due to how new it was. But, updated encryption software would have made the data unusable to those who created the malware.

4. Insecure employee login information

Employers must give employees access to computer systems and data in order to do their jobs. However, it is easy to become complacent with employee login information. Employee passwords may be easy to guess. Employee credentials may not be deactivated when an employee leaves. Business owners must cease those bad practices. Employee passwords should be complex and changed every few months. Credentials must be deactivated when an employee leaves.

eBay’s data breach occurred because the thieves used employee login information. It is not clear how the hackers had access to employee credentials, but if eBay had made employee credentials more secure, the data breach may have been prevented.

ABTK-small-blog-image-DataBreach035. Failure to watch computer systems

Businesses must regularly watch computer systems, especially POS systems, for signs of a potential security issue. They should look for any irregular transactions or payments. They should check the system for malware and viruses. It is easy to trust security, but vigilance will prevent a data breach from going unnoticed.

In the case of the Neiman Marcus data breach, they failed to check their systems. Not only did the data breach occur, but it went unnoticed for months, despite malware being on their POS systems. It is vital that businesses scan for malware and harmful programs on a regular basis.


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Does Your Business Accept Cash Only? Why You’re Probably Losing Customers

Cash-only businesses may seem lucrative in terms of quick payments, bookkeeping and simplicity, but an all-cash standard may incur a heftier expense: Customers.

Cash-only businesses thrive from cash-drawer-reliant setups, and boosting a start-up business’s potential on a cash-only platform may reduce professional downtime. However, several revealing statistics have shed light upon the trend. Credit card processing has become the new standard—and for good reason.

ABTK-small-blog-image-cashonly-01The Out-Cashed Consumer

Modern consumers utilize credit and debit cards to close a majority of their purchases, with cash becoming infrequent among shoppers. Statistica: The Statistics Portal revealed an astonishing 7.2 percent of shoppers were all-cash-buyers in the U.S. in August 2014. The trend may be capable of hindering businesses reliant on the cash drawer.

Nobody likes inconvenience, and consumers unable to make easy credit card payments may feel alienated. Exchanges may be written off as an interaction worthy of any preference, but the following sales options are hindered by an all-cash system:

  • Individual-based returns
  • Loyalty programs
  • On-account returns

Additionally, customers, it seems, are instantly deterred from all-cash payments upon entering a retail atmosphere. Credit card processing is considered a modern commodity within retail realms, and a consumer unable to access what they perceive as a holistic buying experience may turn away from prospective purchases altogether.

ABTK-small-blog-image-cashonly-02Mobile Payments: The New Retail Realm

Speaking of commodity, mobile wallets and smartphone-accessible payments are on the rise. A Digby.com industry survey revealed several notable statistics surrounding mobile-based retail purchasing, and each proposes an increasingly digital-based future:

  • 27 percent of worldwide companies intend to implement location-based mobile purchasing
  • Mobile purchases accommodate for 12 percent of Americans’ mobile media consumption time
  • Retailer applications capture five times more engagement than non-mobile providers

Increasing mobile trends and heightened technology will likely deliver a new era of retail purchasing. Unfortunately, cash-only businesses may be behind the curve due to massive inaccessibility to such mobile platforms.

Besides consumers strictly “not wanting to pay cash” out of principle, a business operating away from mobile accessibility may appear “shady”, or even “untrustworthy” in modern retail realms. Linking a reliable mobile application—or even a company website—to user accounts promotes a stable, sustainable consumer community.

ABTK-small-blog-image-cashonly-03Cash Volume and Increased Risk

Understandably, security expenses are important. While maintaining an expansive credit and checking system may be expensive, losing money due to theft dominates a store’s potential losses.

Maintaining an all-cash location is considerably more dangerous than utilizing a digital payment system. Modern security technology and information technology solutions are incredibly effective, and provided security measures often provide more than enough coverage to protect an aspiring company.

The Modern Purchasing Standard

Excess cash is also a security risk for the consumer. Additionally, the consumer aversion to carrying around large sums of cash may further limit an all-cash business’s revenue capabilities. A consumer limited to cash is similarly limited to the amount their willing to carry on them. Few people walk around with enough cash to make large-sum transactions.

Security reasons aside, however, the world’s retail atmosphere is evolving towards digitalization, and all-cash businesses may be behind. After all, as companies grow and become more relevant, they’ll likely garner competitors. Feasibility is a consumer benefit, and a consumer may opt to purchase a competitor’s product when a quick card scan or swipe is available.


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3 Ways Merchants Can Revolutionize the POS Experience for Customers

Merchants today are using innovative technologies to improve the customer experience, giving the buyer more power and more control over the POS process. Customers are responding with increased enthusiasm to improved POS systems, and with renewed interest in the way they buy. This can be seen at retail leaders like Apple, in the everyday buying experience with online retailers and even when ordering a sandwich from tech savvy restaurants.

Using New Tech to Revolutionize POS

We can look at a few examples to see how merchants are leveraging technology, merchant services options and smart sales techniques. They use what they have available to make their jobs easier, improve sales and excite customers. Consider the following:

ABTK-small-blog-image-POS-Experience-1Apple iPad Checkout

Apple stores are famous for having numerous “Geniuses” available to guide customers through the purchasing process. It is easy to get help there when you need it, and no customer is left in the dark on what is available and what will work best for him or her. But Apple goes one step further by giving the control back to the customer–and highlighting one of its flagship products, the iPad.

When customers want to start choosing what to buy, customizing and adding different components, they are given an iPad to do it on. They can enjoy the tactile feedback and high quality visuals offered by the iPad, and choose exactly what they want to add to their shopping carts. It’s a great idea, and may even lead to an additional iPad sale. Credit card processing can be initiated on the iPad as well, making the process a complete experience.

ABTK-small-blog-image-POS-Experience-3Online Countdown Deals

Many ecommerce retailers have discovered a way to get shoppers more involved and active while perusing their stores. These merchants offer limited time deals that are tied to a countdown clock. The shopper has the option to review the deal, but is only given a limited time to decide whether or not to buy. Smart merchant services providers make this easy, giving merchants quick and painless credit card processing options and the technology to customize the shopping experience with things like countdown deals and customized shopping experiences.

ABTK-small-blog-image-POS-Experience-2Self-Checkout Sandwiches

Even certain restaurants are getting on the technology wave, using mobile merchant accounts and iPads to let customers do their own ordering. These restaurants display a menu, give a written explanation of how the system works and then allow customers to order exactly what they want on an iPad. Instant online payments and credit card processing through modern merchant services providers make customer payments a breeze as well. This also makes customized ordering–no mayo, add mustard, hold the pickles–painless for the buyer.

Customers Love Innovation and Control

Consumers enjoy using innovative technologies like touchscreens to enhance their buying experience. They also appreciate the control that these tools give them. Granted, there will always be a few people that dislike what’s new. Returns, complaints and chargebacks will still occur. But overall, these revolutionary approaches to POS and customer experiences offer a better way of doing things, both now and in the future.


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9 Data Breaches That Rocked 2014 (And What You Can Learn In 2015)

2014 was the year of the data breach. One after another, big brands were subjected to malicious attacks by hackers that not only compromised countless pieces of customer data, but almost-irreparably damaged these brands.

Here are some of the more notable businesses affected by cyber criminal attacks during 2014:

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1. Ebay

In May, eBay revealed that hackers had managed to steal the personal records of 233 million users. Usernames, passwords, phone numbers and physical addresses were all compromised. But the biggest victim: Ebay’s ego.

2. JPMorgan

Tens of millions of Chase customers were affected when accounts were infiltrated—even if their bank accounts weren’t. The attack touched 80 millions households and 7 million businesses, making it one of the largest in history.

3. Target

Last spring, Target confirmed that a large data breach from late 2013 affected 40 million customers. The company later announced that more data was compromised, reaching 70 million people. Proving that the shame is 100% on them for exposing customers twice.

4.  Home Depot

Home Depot announced last September that their massive data breach allowed cyber criminals to harvest information from 56 million customers in the United States and Canada. Vendor credentials were used to steal customer data.

5. Staples

Staples confirmed its payment system’s data breach–an incident in which 1.16 million credit and debit cards used were stolen over a period of up to six months. The criminals behind the breach have been accused of already using the card data for fraud.

6. U.S.P.S

Hackers attacked the United States Postal Service’s online network. Blame was quickly placed on hackers based out of China. The damage? 800,000 employees’ data was compromised, including Social Security numbers and addresses.

7. Domino’s Pizza

A “hacking group” held Domino’s Pizza hostage, demanding ransom for over 600,000 customer records obtained through a data breach. In exchange for the personal data (names, addresses, emails, phone numbers and even favorite toppings), the hackers demanded $40,000 from the pizza chain.

8. Verizon Wireless

Verizon Wireless experienced 1,367 data breaches and more than 63,000 security incidents in 95 countries during 2014. The company released their annual security report that painted a picture of the reality of data security (or lack there of) and the state of cyber crime.

9. Jimmy John’s

Customers who swiped their cards inside one of 216 Jimmy John’s stores were affected by last year’s data breach. Cards entered manually or online were not included in the attack. The information exposed may include the card number and in some cases the cardholder’s name, verification code and/or the card’s expiration date.

***

Data breaches are the new normal. 

So what can you learn from these big brands’ data breach incidents? That no business is truly immune from being the victim of a data breach–but you can practice best standards and practices by having a response plan in place.


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ABTK-SM-Blog-ScanVsSwipe-hero

Scan vs. Swipe: The Benefits of NFC Payments

With its Apple Pay product, Apple is kick-starting the scan vs. swipe revolution that credit card and mobile wallet companies have been trying to usher in over the past few years. Scanning, which allows brick-and-mortar businesses to be more competitive with ecommerce ones, was made possible through the development of near field communication (NFC)­—a technology that allows ­two devices to communicate and exchange information with one another wirelessly.

Stores and businesses equipped with NFC technology can scan a customer’s card or smartphone for payment instead of swiping their credit card through POS systems. So how do NFC payments benefit you and why are merchant services companies promoting it?

ABTK-small-blog-image-ScanVSSwipe-1 Ease of Use

NFC is easy for both retailers and customers to use. Set up and installation is simple and your merchant services provider can answer any questions you have. Consumers simply scan their credit card or smartphone for payment. For smartphone users, there’s the extra benefit of not having to carry multiple store and credit cards in their wallets. They can pre-load all payment information to a mobile wallet app on their smartphone.

Cost Reduction

Businesses that want to offer NFC payments as an alternative to traditional credit card processing will have a one-time cost of purchasing the readers. Readers are reasonably priced and can be obtained from your merchant services company. Reduced paper product use will save you money and attract customers who prefer to do business with environmentally conscious companies. Aside from the purchase of the reader, NFC payments can cost you less annually than standard credit card processing.

ABTK-small-blog-image-ScanVSSwipe-2Payment Processing on the Go

Since there are no paper receipts requiring signature, payment processing via NFC is much faster. Businesses equipped with NFC readers can handle more customers in a day than those with standard POS systems. Customers who like the ease of online payments will be drawn to businesses that offer self-service NFC readers at their checkouts. Service professionals and salesman in the field who have mobile merchant accounts can also take advantage of NFC.

Advertising and In-Store Marketing

NFC lets customers quickly and easily redeem coupons and gift cards, and add to loyalty reward programs—benefits that are unavailable with traditional credit card processing. Besides these wins for customers, you can use NFC to offer discounts for and promote your products and services. Retailers can also take advantage of NFC’s in-store marketing capabilities. As customers near certain products or areas in a store, NFC can send targeted coupons or product information to their mobile devices. Through various mobile programs and apps, customers can trade discounts and offers with other users.

Improved Security

Magnetic stripe readers are subject to counterfeit cards and skimming. Enhanced security technology that can eliminate these types of fraud is compatible with NFC’s wireless communication, but not with magnetic stripe readers. Reduced fraud means fewer chargebacks and more profits for merchants.


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Keep Your Holiday Profits: Chargeback Prevention Tips

The holiday season has once again come to an end. Whether your customers used in-store credit card processing systems or visited your ecommerce site, you don’t want to see your holiday profits whittled away by subsequent chargebacks.

Common Reasons for Chargebacks

Before we discuss how to prevent chargebacks, let’s look at the most common reasons that chargebacks occur.

  • Fraudulent card was used
  • Cardholder disputes merchandise quality
  • Incorrect amount was charged to the card
  • Errors occurred during credit card processing
  • Proper authorization wasn’t obtained

ABTK-small-blog-image-Holiday-Profits-1General Prevention Tips

Here are some general chargeback prevention tips that apply to merchants who accept online payments as well as swipe cards on POS systems.

  • Be sure the customer recognizes the business name you give to your merchant services company. Many chargebacks occur because customers don’t recognize the business name that appears on their statement.
  • Respond to retrieval requests in a timely manner. If you don’t respond within the number of days allowed in your merchant services agreement, it’s likely a chargeback will occur.
  • Get an authorization 100 percent of the time. Failure to get an authorization will result a chargeback.

ABTK-small-blog-image-Holiday-Profits-2Prevention Tips for Swiped Cards

Following are tips that merchants who process cards through POS systems or mobile merchant accounts can follow to lessen the chance of a chargeback occurring.

  • Swipe all cards through your credit card processing terminal. Doing so proves the card was presented at your store. If you have to get an imprint because your terminal is down, be sure all information appears: amount, business name, business location and signature.
  • Always compare the signature to the back of the card. Understandably your cashiers want to get customers through their lines quickly, but it only takes a few extra seconds to check the signature. Your cashiers should check the signature against a photo ID if there’s no signature on the back of the card.
  • Ask for another form of payment if the card is declined. Don’t continue to swipe the card.
  • Make sure the number on the screen and the credit card number match.
  • Get an authorization for the full sale amount – don’t break the sale amount into smaller amounts.

ABTK-small-blog-image-Holiday-Profits-3Prevention Tips for Online Businesses

Here are some helpful tips that online merchants can follow to prevent chargebacks.

  • Make sure your customer is giving you the correct billing address by using the Address Verification System (AVS).
  • Provide your merchant services company with a telephone number that it can print on your billing statement. This increases the likelihood that the customer will call you and determine what the purchase is before disputing it with their card issuer.
  • Use shippers that provide proof of merchandise delivery to the full billing address. This will help you in case of a dispute. Require a signature for expensive merchandise to be left with the purchaser.

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5 Reasons Why It’s Easier Than You Think For Your Business to Accept Apple Pay

Apple’s new mobile payments service, Apple Pay, allows consumers to use certain mobile devices to make payments in an easy, secure and private way. Here are a few benefits.

ABTK-small-blog-image-ApplePay01 1. Better Than a Mobile Wallet

Apple Pay isn’t exactly a traditional mobile wallet, it’s a mobile payment enabler, and that makes it easier to use for customers. Users can keep their current credit cards without worrying about having to store money in a separate digital account. It’s one advantage that Pay has over mobile wallet systems like MCX–a retailer effort to enter mobile payment markets that requires users to create an entirely new account.

2. Touch-to-Pay is Simple and Speedy

Perhaps most importantly for users, Apple’s touch-to-pay system works, and works fast. You touch your phone to a sensor (this helps remove NFC interference issues) and tap the iPhone’s main button. Sometimes a PIN is required, but the process is fast and dependable. This compares favorably to options like CurrentC, the latest MCX project that works with less dependable and unnecessary QR codes.

ABTK-small-blog-image-ApplePay023. Timing is Everything

Apple is well-positioned to see quick growth in Apple Pay. Mobile payments have been around long enough for most users to become acquainted with them; currently, they have an estimated 42% of American smartphone users and a large Passbook customer base to draw from. Perhaps even more importantly, Apple has released Pay just ahead of the massive upgrades that U.S. merchants will need to make to their credit card systems–upgrades that could go a lot more smoothly if merchants also upgraded to Pay at the same time.

4. Start Big, Go Small

When Apple first announced Pay, it opened with compatibility for around 220,000 stores in the United States. This is a fairly small start, but it shows Apple’s intent: Start with the big guys, then expand outward into smaller retailers and chains as Pay evolves. By first recruiting more of the top 100 retailers in the U.S., Apple has given Pay a momentum boost right out the starting gate. People are already used to it, and retailers are already working on management systems for it.

ABTK-small-blog-image-ApplePay035. Security is More Important Than Ever

Apple Pay dodges many security vulnerabilities by utilizing tokenization. This helps reduce the amount of sensitive data transferred and makes that data as useless as possible to hackers. It also introduces new security in the form of Touch ID and similar features. In a world where big seller databases are being hacked increasingly often, this is a welcome benefit for all users.


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Possible Chick-fil-A Data Breach Compromises At Least 9,000 Sets of Credit Card Data

250px-PC_Chick-Fil-A_2012-08-01While the world was celebrating the arrival of 2015, hackers eyed a new data breach target: Restaurant chain Chick-fil-A. Jamie Condliffe at Gizmodo reports:

Chick-Fil-A has admitted that it’s “received reports of potential unusual activity involving payment cards used at a few of our restaurants.” Further reports suggest that the fast food chain is the common link in the loss of 9,000 sets of card details.

Chick-Fil-A learned on December 19th that suspicious payment activities were happening at some of its outlets, and its since been working with authorities to find out what’s happening. Some digging by Brian Krebs reveals that “nearly 9,000 customer cards [were] listed in that alert, and that the only common point-of-purchase were Chick-fil-A locations.”

It turns out that the size of this breach is larger than the Target data breach.  Details are still emerging–follow us on Twitter to stay current.


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10 Things You Need to Know About EMV Cards in 2015

Changes are coming to way we purchase just about everything. After a few years of lagging behind the rest of the world, the U.S. is finally making its way toward EMV cards nationwide. EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa) capable cards are a leap into the future from traditional magnetic swipe cards of the past. So what do you need to know about this new economic innovation?

1. EMV Is The Safest Way to Purchase

Most individuals have already moved away from cash in preference of using cards to maintain their accounts and make purchases. However, even our cards are susceptible to fraud and misuse. The reason behind this is because the information contained on the magnetic strip never changes. If a criminal duplicates that strip they have the consumer’s information. EMV cards will have microchips instead. The information on these chips will change with each transaction making them impossible to replicate.

ABTK-small-blog-image-EMV022. EMV Transactions Will Be Slower

Unlike quick swipe cards, EMV cards use a process called “dipping.” The card is dipped into a data portal where you must allow time for the machine to read the card. Because the verification process is more thorough, the process will take a bit longer.

3. Most EMV Cards Will Use PINs

Just like your old debit cards, new EMV cards will also have a PIN number.

4. New Fraud Rules With the Advent of EMV Cards

One of the big controversies associated with card fraud has always been who the blame should fall on when fraud occurs. Starting October 2015, major U.S. card issuers will hold non-compliant EMV parties liable when fraud occurs. So if a merchant has not gotten on board with EMV, and something fraudulent takes place, then the merchant may be held liable.

ABTK-small-blog-image-EMV015. Most Merchant Terminals Will Be EMV Compliant By 2017

The EMV shift will take some time. Although merchants are being encouraged to be compliant by 2015 to avoid fraud liability, automated fuel dispensers will be compliant by 2017.

6. You Can Use EMV Cards With Non-Compliant Merchants

Although the risk of fraud is greater, non- compliant merchants will be able to process EMV cards with their old card machines.

ABTK-small-blog-image-EMV037. EMV Cards Are Great For Traveling

The U.S. is actually one of the last major markets to change over to EMV cards, so if you are traveling outside of the U.S. it is likely that you will have an even easier time using them while traveling abroad.

8. EMV Cards Will Not Solve Online Fraud

Do not get the idea that EMV cards will solve all forms of fraud. Online fraud can still take place within the new system which is why consumers and merchants are encouraged to continue to keep tight reigns on their transactions and security measures.

9. Expect to See A New Card Soon

When the financial institutions that you use become EMV compliant, you will receive a new EMV card or smart card with instructions on how to use and protect it.

10. Merchants Need to Get On Board

In order to avoid the risk of huge fraud liability, merchants do not need to drag their feet on EMV compliance. Updating systems and getting on board with EMV can safeguard small to mid-size businesses from being a part of possible fraud situations.

 


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Staples Hack Exposes 1.2M Credit Cards

You may recall that office supply giant Staples fell victim to a data breach not too long ago. In the run-up to Christmas, the extent of that breach has come to light: About 1.2M credit card numbers are open to risk.

The breach, which was announced back in October, affected point-of-sale systems at 115 Staples stores–of 1,400+. However, experts are confident that the breadth of this hack won’t dent holiday shopping at the retail giant.

Read more at USA Today.

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