Merchant Newsletter - June 3, 2006

Less is More: PVP Palm is now Faster!

Now frequent operations are automated making transactions even faster!


 
Verified by Visa.. Or Terrified By Visa? Visa has a program, called Verified by Visa that is SUPPOSED to protect merchants from FRAUD based chargebacks.  Basically, the cardholder registers on the VbV (Verified by Visa) program, and sets up a password.

This password is used by the cardholder when he checks out on an VbV enabled shopping cart.  The customer feels safer, and the merchant is (supposedly) protected from a fraud-based chargeback.

Sounds pretty cool, here is the catch- VbV is not used by many cardholders, so when someone's info is stolen, the first thing the fraudster does is use the credit card info.  If he wants merchandise from a VbV "protected" site, he simply goes to VbV, and signs up himself!  Easy enough to do with a little personal information, and armed with the VbV password, he makes all the purchases he wants....  Merchants enthralled by their new "Protection" may even bypass many of their internal anti-fraud controls, like shipping to only the verified billing address, as these transactions are now "safe".

When the victim gets the bill, of course he does a chargeback, and the merchant cries - "Hey- that was a VbV protected transaction!  I pay MONEY each and every time someone uses VbV on my site, what gives?"  The "out" that VbV has been reported be using is that they reclassify the chargeback from "FRAUD" to "ITEM NOT RECEIVED".  Of course the victim never received the goods, the fraudster did.  VbV does NOT protect against the "Item not received" chargeback code so the merchant has paid for basically, nothing.  By the way, the merchant still loses the funds AND the merchandise.  

Our position here, is that VbV is flawed, and the loophole they have used can nullify any advantage of using it, making the initial setup expense and per-transaction fees a poor investment indeed.  The card associations must make the banks accountable for the authorizations that they issue over the network.  When a bank issues an authorization, currently it means..  "maybe".  





Pocket Verifier Professional for the Palm is already one of the fastest ways to make a mobile transaction. Now it is even faster! We received a call from a merchant saying "you ought to do this...".  It was a great idea, so we did!

First, merchants that always use the "Flip-it" feature no longer have to tap to flip the screen.  Our OPTIONS screen has a checkbox marked "Auto FlipIt", that when checked, will automatically flip the screen when it gets to the signature!

Second, we have an "AutoPrint Approvals" checkbox that will print the receipt the instant the transaction is approved, making it even faster, and saving two more taps on the screen!

Finally, we have a checkbox that lets you bypass the review screen.  This is the screen you see AFTER you have entered the amount, (or Amount and Tip), and allows you to enter an Invoice Number.  If you are not entering an Invoice Number, you can bypass this screen entirely by checking "Bypass Review Screen on Swipe". This only works on Swiped Transactions, on Keyed Transactions, you use this screen for data entry so you cannot skip it.

If you normally add TAX on the review screen, you can check the "Auto Tax" checkbox, and tax will be automatically added to each transaction.  We have had this feature for over a year, so most of you will be familiar with it.




You can download this upgrade anytime from our FREE Upgrades page. The upgrade works on all Palm OS devices.  If you are using a Treo 650, you can download it over the air by pointing your phone's internal browser to: www.merchantanywhere.com/treo650  

If you have any ideas for a product improvement, please feel free to call or email us with your idea.  Our merchants are the biggest source of new features, and we value your input!





OUCH!  These glasses are not for the faint of heart, nor for those who fear needles.

These glasses, designed by James Sooy and Oliver Gilson are real, you can see them at www.piercedglasses.com for yourself.  I lose my glasses all the time but I am not sure the solution is to nail them to my head.  Their website shows the development of this product, as well as earlier versions.  I do not think that people are lining up for this one, but you never know.. look at the Pet Rock.

ORDER FREE MERCHANT MATERIALS HERE!!!

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