Who is your Internet service provider and are you satisfied with them? Is your high speed cable service up to snuff? Now days there are a variety of cable services to choose from. You most likely have one in your local town. Then there are the big kids on the block. One of them is Time Warner Internet.
What is your occupation? Do you by chance use a computer at all? Ha, that's a good one, I know. You more than likely use a computer on a regular basis. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Heck, most jobs these days require some kind of computer assistance. Even the waitress in your local restaurant probably uses a computer to ring things up. And this doesn't even concern how often you make use of a PC or Mac when relaxing at home.
Who is your Internet service provider and are you satisfied with them? Is your high speed cable service up to snuff? Now days there are a variety of cable services to choose from. You most likely have one in your local town. Then there are the big kids on the block. One of them is Time Warner Internet. This is the largest service provider of Internet access in the country.
If you already have Time Warner Internet you know what I mean? To be more technical, it's called Roadrunner. With a little bit of homework you'll know that Time Warner Internet offers specific packages to their customers. At this time, I have Time Warner Internet, cable television, and phone service. It's a package deal if you will. I like this because it means one convenient monthly payment. Now, if you already have Time Warner Internet, then you probably understand its advantages. Or the individuals who have not joined Time Warner Internet, I'll give you the scoop. I purchased the Roadrunner service in the past. Way back when it all started. Wow, was it an upgrade from dial-up. It's kind of the difference between a Volkswagen beetle and a Porsche 911 turbo. I think you get my point.
I have to admit that I enjoyed the service from day one. Roadrunner actually offered high-quality Internet. Years later I moved and decided to try the local Internet provider. I realized it was a mistake when I got my first bill. It turned out to be a tad pricier than they had originally claimed. Making things worse, my Internet service would randomly throw me off line, all of course at the worst possible time. This got rather irksome to say the least. I had to go back to reliable Time Warner Internet.
If you are seeking reliable and affordable high-speed cable Internet, then maybe it's time you gave Roadrunner a shot. With Time Warner Internet you can get a customized package which specifically fits your needs. Isn't that what it's all about folks? Getting great service and the quality product for your money isn't too much to ask forFree Articles, in my opinion. Get online and check out the great deals today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning internet. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting you internet service guide
Saturday, May 5, 2007
Who Is The Best VoIP Provider??
Thinking of getting yourself a VoIP phone? Fed up with your current provider and thinking of a switch? Have a gripe or an attaboy on the provider you use now? Have a burning question you just can't seem to get answered?
Well...you can satisfy all those needs easily at BroadBandReports.com. Pay a visit to the VoIP Review section and you'll find a pretty indepth resource showing a review and comparison of multiple providers based on first hand accounts of real users.
Now if it's bitch or praise you want to do....just jump into their VoIP Forum. You can also catch up on the latest VoIP news, ask "how to" questionsScience Articles, or just lurk and soak up the ambiance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications http://ld.net/mscprez and http://DS3-Bandwidth.com .... delivering choices to both residential and business consumers worldwide for voice and data broadband services. Michael also authors BroadBand Nation http://BroadBand-Nation.blogspot.com where you're always welcome to to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, and ramblings for the masses.
Well...you can satisfy all those needs easily at BroadBandReports.com. Pay a visit to the VoIP Review section and you'll find a pretty indepth resource showing a review and comparison of multiple providers based on first hand accounts of real users.
Now if it's bitch or praise you want to do....just jump into their VoIP Forum. You can also catch up on the latest VoIP news, ask "how to" questionsScience Articles, or just lurk and soak up the ambiance.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications http://ld.net/mscprez and http://DS3-Bandwidth.com .... delivering choices to both residential and business consumers worldwide for voice and data broadband services. Michael also authors BroadBand Nation http://BroadBand-Nation.blogspot.com where you're always welcome to to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, and ramblings for the masses.
Choosing An Internet Merchant Account
Surf to Google and perform a search on "Internet Merchant Account". The results are staggering (472,000 results!) If you have created a web based business and need to accept credit card payments, your choices are limitless. Before you partner with a provider, take time to understand the different components of internet credit card processing, and know what to look for in a merchant provider.
How It Works
Accepting credit card payments through your web site actually requires multiple components. Between a paying customer and your bank account, three layers exist:
Payment Gateway - This is the code that will transmit a customer's order to and from an internet merchant account provider. The payment gateway provides you the ability to accept customer billing information (credit card number, credit card type, expiration date, and payment amount) and the necessary validation steps that must be followed before the credit card is actually billed.
Internet Merchant Account - A Merchant Account is an account with a financial institution or bank, which enables you to accept credit card payments from your clients. The payment gateway actually transmits the billing information to the internet merchant account provider. Unfortunately, most local banks do not provide internet merchant account capability.
The main reason why most local financial institutions or banks do not want to provide online merchant accounts is because transactions conducted over the Internet are totally different from face to face transactions where a signature is required to authorize the purchase. This makes online transactions prone to credit card fraud. Fraud protection should be one of your primary considerations when choosing an internet merchant account provider.
Web Site - Regardless of which merchant provider and gateway service you choose, your web site will need to integrate with your service providers. Most providers include detailed web integration instructions.
How Much Does It Cost
Understanding the total costs of your merchant provider can be tricky. Remember my Google example - there are more merchant account providers than there are people looking for internet merchant accounts so ask questions and be picky! Typically, an internet merchant account will have three types of costs:
- Up Front Application Fees
- On Going Fixed Fee
- Discount Rate
- Fixed Transaction Fee
- Termination Fees
- Miscellaneous Fees
Let us discuss each type of cost:
Up Front Application Fees
Many internet merchant accounts will require an up front application fee. This fee, supposedly, is to cover their costs for processing your application. In case you choose not to open an internet merchant account, they still cover their initial costs. Although common, many providers waive these fees and I recommend that you choose a provider that does not require an up front fee.
On Going Fixed Fee
Most all internet merchant providers require a monthly fixed fee or "statement fee" as it is commonly named, which is simply another way to cover their costs and make money. You will be hard pressed to find a provider that does not require this type of fee on a monthly basis. However, do not choose an internet merchant account that requires more than $10 per month. Additionally, most internet merchant providers require a monthly minimum (usually $25). The bottom line is that you will be paying at least $25 per month (on top of the monthly statement fee) for your account.
Discount Rate
Usually, the discount rate will be between 2 and 4 percent. The discount rate is the sales commission the provider earns on each sale. For example, if the discount rate offered is 3%, and you receive a sale over your web site for $20, you will owe 60 cents to your internet merchant provider.
Fixed Transaction Fee
Usually between $0.20 and $0.30, the fixed transaction fee is the fixed fee portion of each sale. Unlike the discount rate, the fixed transaction fee is the same for every transaction. Whether you get a $1 sale or a $100 sale, the transaction fee will be the same.
Termination Fee
A bit more hidden in the small print, a termination fee can apply if you cancel your merchant account within a specified period of time (usually within one year). But beware, some merchant providers require a three year commitment!
Miscellaneous Fees
If a customer requests a refund and they want their credit card credited, an internet merchant provider will charge you a separate fee (usually between $10 - $20). Read the contract carefully, as other special fees may apply.
Putting It All Together
Now that the different fees have been explained, let us look at an example set of transactions to help understand what an internet merchant account may cost your business on a monthly basis.
I have created a simple formula to help you calculate your monthly charges:
Total Charges = Statement Fee + Number of Transactions x (Average Sale x Discount Rate + Fixed Transaction Fee) + (Number of Chargebacks x Chargeback Fee)
For example, let us see you sell widgets over the internet. The sales price for each widget is $10. You typically have 100 sales per month and about 5 people request refunds (chargebacks). For this example, let us assume you have signed up with Jones&Jones internet merchant account services and have the following terms:
Discount Rate - %2.5
Statement Fee - $10
Fixed Transaction Fee - $0.30
Chargeback Fee - $15
Using my formula above, your monthly Jones&Jones charges will be:
Total Charges = 10 + 100 x (10 x .025 + 0.3) + (5 x 15) = $140
You can calculate your monthly sales revenue by multiplying your sales volume by your price:
Monthly Sales Revenue = 100 x $10 = $1000
Your internet merchant provider is costing you %14 or your total sales.
Making Your Decision
Before you choose and internet merchant provider, understand all of the cost components. Use your current or projected sales data to forecast what your internet merchant account costs will be. Planning ahead can save you time and money.
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as a link to FindMyHosting is included. For the link, please use http://www.findmyhosting.com, and for the link text, please use "FindMyHosting - Web Hosting Search". Although preferredFree Articles, no notification required.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Quick is co-founder of Findmyhosting.com (http://www.findmyhosting.com), a free web hosting directory offering businesses and consumers a hassle free way to find the right hosting plan for their needs. Feel free to contact Andy at andy@findmyhosting.com in case you have any questions or comments regarding this article.
How It Works
Accepting credit card payments through your web site actually requires multiple components. Between a paying customer and your bank account, three layers exist:
Payment Gateway - This is the code that will transmit a customer's order to and from an internet merchant account provider. The payment gateway provides you the ability to accept customer billing information (credit card number, credit card type, expiration date, and payment amount) and the necessary validation steps that must be followed before the credit card is actually billed.
Internet Merchant Account - A Merchant Account is an account with a financial institution or bank, which enables you to accept credit card payments from your clients. The payment gateway actually transmits the billing information to the internet merchant account provider. Unfortunately, most local banks do not provide internet merchant account capability.
The main reason why most local financial institutions or banks do not want to provide online merchant accounts is because transactions conducted over the Internet are totally different from face to face transactions where a signature is required to authorize the purchase. This makes online transactions prone to credit card fraud. Fraud protection should be one of your primary considerations when choosing an internet merchant account provider.
Web Site - Regardless of which merchant provider and gateway service you choose, your web site will need to integrate with your service providers. Most providers include detailed web integration instructions.
How Much Does It Cost
Understanding the total costs of your merchant provider can be tricky. Remember my Google example - there are more merchant account providers than there are people looking for internet merchant accounts so ask questions and be picky! Typically, an internet merchant account will have three types of costs:
- Up Front Application Fees
- On Going Fixed Fee
- Discount Rate
- Fixed Transaction Fee
- Termination Fees
- Miscellaneous Fees
Let us discuss each type of cost:
Up Front Application Fees
Many internet merchant accounts will require an up front application fee. This fee, supposedly, is to cover their costs for processing your application. In case you choose not to open an internet merchant account, they still cover their initial costs. Although common, many providers waive these fees and I recommend that you choose a provider that does not require an up front fee.
On Going Fixed Fee
Most all internet merchant providers require a monthly fixed fee or "statement fee" as it is commonly named, which is simply another way to cover their costs and make money. You will be hard pressed to find a provider that does not require this type of fee on a monthly basis. However, do not choose an internet merchant account that requires more than $10 per month. Additionally, most internet merchant providers require a monthly minimum (usually $25). The bottom line is that you will be paying at least $25 per month (on top of the monthly statement fee) for your account.
Discount Rate
Usually, the discount rate will be between 2 and 4 percent. The discount rate is the sales commission the provider earns on each sale. For example, if the discount rate offered is 3%, and you receive a sale over your web site for $20, you will owe 60 cents to your internet merchant provider.
Fixed Transaction Fee
Usually between $0.20 and $0.30, the fixed transaction fee is the fixed fee portion of each sale. Unlike the discount rate, the fixed transaction fee is the same for every transaction. Whether you get a $1 sale or a $100 sale, the transaction fee will be the same.
Termination Fee
A bit more hidden in the small print, a termination fee can apply if you cancel your merchant account within a specified period of time (usually within one year). But beware, some merchant providers require a three year commitment!
Miscellaneous Fees
If a customer requests a refund and they want their credit card credited, an internet merchant provider will charge you a separate fee (usually between $10 - $20). Read the contract carefully, as other special fees may apply.
Putting It All Together
Now that the different fees have been explained, let us look at an example set of transactions to help understand what an internet merchant account may cost your business on a monthly basis.
I have created a simple formula to help you calculate your monthly charges:
Total Charges = Statement Fee + Number of Transactions x (Average Sale x Discount Rate + Fixed Transaction Fee) + (Number of Chargebacks x Chargeback Fee)
For example, let us see you sell widgets over the internet. The sales price for each widget is $10. You typically have 100 sales per month and about 5 people request refunds (chargebacks). For this example, let us assume you have signed up with Jones&Jones internet merchant account services and have the following terms:
Discount Rate - %2.5
Statement Fee - $10
Fixed Transaction Fee - $0.30
Chargeback Fee - $15
Using my formula above, your monthly Jones&Jones charges will be:
Total Charges = 10 + 100 x (10 x .025 + 0.3) + (5 x 15) = $140
You can calculate your monthly sales revenue by multiplying your sales volume by your price:
Monthly Sales Revenue = 100 x $10 = $1000
Your internet merchant provider is costing you %14 or your total sales.
Making Your Decision
Before you choose and internet merchant provider, understand all of the cost components. Use your current or projected sales data to forecast what your internet merchant account costs will be. Planning ahead can save you time and money.
You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as a link to FindMyHosting is included. For the link, please use http://www.findmyhosting.com, and for the link text, please use "FindMyHosting - Web Hosting Search". Although preferredFree Articles, no notification required.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Andy Quick is co-founder of Findmyhosting.com (http://www.findmyhosting.com), a free web hosting directory offering businesses and consumers a hassle free way to find the right hosting plan for their needs. Feel free to contact Andy at andy@findmyhosting.com in case you have any questions or comments regarding this article.
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