The Retailers Guide to Merchant Services: From Storefront to Internet

Owning a business in The Digital Age requires that business owners learn new ways of promoting their products and services, as more and more people are shopping on-line rather than in storefronts. This means that business owners must be well – informed about accepting credit cards from their customers. In Retailer’s Guide to Merchant Services, Gail Cavanaugh explores the process of accepting credit cards including the types of accounts, the rates and fees, the types of terminals, the advantages and disadvantages of accepting credit cards, the exposure to fraud, and reducing chargebacks. Business students can gain insight on how to apply Michael Porter’s Five Competitive Forces to the decision to accept credit cards, learn how to market the business on the Internet, and engage in a hypothetical study of the profit margin upon accepting credit cards in payment for products and services. The book also contains a Christian commentary on some of the concepts which require careful thought and consideration in decision making.

Gail Cavanaugh has been invovlved in the insurance business for over 15 years as a claims representative and then as insurance agent and registered representative. She has sold merchant services to small businesses and writes several business blogs. Born and raised in Newport, Rhode Island, she currently resides in Portsmouth, Rhode Island.