BluePay Blog

As a business owner, you’re likely already aware of the PCI compliance rules governing payment data security. However, payment information isn’t the only thing worth protecting from fraud and abuse. In fact, there exists a host of data protection laws around the globe designed to safeguard sensitive personally identifiable information (PII). These privacy acts are becoming increasingly important given the speed and ease with which we send, receive, and store data in the digital world.

Topics: E-Commerce and Online Payments, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips, Consumer Education

When looking at a way to expand your business offering, one way to do so is through subscription-based products and services offered through your website. A McKinsey study found that the subscription-based e-commerce market in the U.S. increased from $57 million in 2011 to $2.6 billion in 2016. And, it’s still growing at a considerable rate with more opportunities, especially since consumers are subscribing to everything -- from Netflix and Spotify to phone apps to curated product boxes with snacks, educational toys, food and prepared meals, clothing and makeup, and even pet items.

Topics: Due.com Partner Posts, Recurring Billing and Electronic Invoicing, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips, Payment Trends

Throughout most of retail history, point-of-sale (POS) technology focused exclusively on payment acceptance — i.e., cash, checks, and credit cards.  Yet, with time and innovation, POS systems became more robust, allowing businesses to:  Accept more payment options — such as ACH and mobile wallets  Collect consumer data and shopping preferences  Manage loyalty programs and rewards

Topics: Payment Technology, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips

The BluePay Blog is dedicated to providing you with useful information to help you understand payments, learn best business practices, or stay attuned to security concerns. We continually publish new content, averaging over 125 posts annually. We took a look at our blog to see which posts resonate with our visitors. Here is a list of our top 10 popular blog posts. If you haven’t read them yet, click on the links below.

Topics: E-Commerce and Online Payments, Payment Technology, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips, Getting Started with Payments, Awareness

It seems like every week there’s a new high-profile data breach that dominates cybersecurity news headlines. Sometimes, these stories bleed into the mainstream as well.  In just the past few years alone, for example, you’ve probably heard about the following cyberattacks:   WannaCry and SamSam ransomware attacks Deloitte and Equifax data breaches Colorado Department of Transportation hack Facebook and Cambridge Analytica breach

Topics: PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips

There are three essential components you need to bring together to accept credit cards:  A merchant account. This is essentially a bank account that allows you to accept incoming credit card payments.  A payment processor. This term is used interchangeably with merchant account provider. When you apply for an account to accept payments, your provider will set you up with an acquiring bank and the connections to authorize and settle transactions into your bank account of choice. A payment gateway. This is the tool that captures credit card data before sending it to your processor. Think of it as an “online” credit card terminal. 

Topics: E-Commerce and Online Payments, Payment Technology, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips, Getting Started with Payments, Merchant Accounts

As a business owner, you already know how hard it is to stay abreast of constant changes such as:  New tax laws. Evolving payment technology. Industry trends.  Plus, your company likely releases its own products, services and features on a regular basis. Against this backdrop, who has time to blog?  There are very compelling reasons why you should launch and maintain a blog with regularly updated content.  We’ll start with an obvious one. 

Topics: Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips

According to the American Marketing Association, the average U.S. consumer receives more than 10,000 advertising messages every day. These ads are delivered across a broad range of media, including television, radio, print, email and social networks.  Given this deluge of marketing messages, it’s simply not possible for any individual to sort through all of this information.  This is why we’ve come to rely on heuristics — i.e., mental shortcuts that allow us to get through the clutter. For example, if 10 million people buy the newest book from Dan Brown, you’re more likely to pick up a copy. It must be good.

Topics: Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips

In the retail world, chargebacks are very similar to refunds in that:  Successful sales are ultimately reversed.  “Unhappy” customers get their money back.  Though unlike refunds, chargebacks aren’t something you implement on your end as a merchant.  Instead, they’re initiated by the customer — with or without your consent.  Thanks to consumer protection laws, starting the chargeback process is very easy for customers.

Topics: EMV, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips

Whenever customers are unhappy with products or services, they can request a refund directly from you — the merchant.  This is usually an unpleasant experience, and retailers often go out of their way to avoid issuing refunds. The alternative, however, is much worse.  These dissatisfied customers also have the option of disputing purchases and initiating chargebacks through their banks. The banks then credit those users’ accounts before chasing you down for the outstanding balance. 

Topics: EMV, E-Commerce and Online Payments, PCI Compliance and Fraud Prevention, Small Business Tips, Enterprise Business Tips, Getting Started with Payments