Plan Your Escape Route Now

Do you have a plan for bad weather?  Fire?  Burglary?

Now… come clean… How often do you go over any of these plans in your office?  Does once a quarter sound reasonable?  Does it include a communication plan for when local phones don’t work?  Consider an out of area contact you can call or text that you are ok.  This is a great idea not just for your office, but also for yourself personally.  Again, try to get out of state – not out of town.  When phones get jammed, you can often call out of state just fine.

What happens if the power goes out?  Do you know your exit route in the dark?  Why not keep a flashlight in your desk – and check the batteries each month on the first.  When is the last time you checked your office’s emergency lights?  Why not do that on the first of each month, too?

What about for a chemical leak?  For bad weather you want to stay low to the ground.  But some chemicals like chlorine gas stay low to the ground – for a chemical leak you want to get OFF the ground – get as high as you can.  Where would that be in your home and office?  Consider going to a smaller room and sealing off doors and air conditioning ducts until the gas dissipates.  Have tape, foil, and N95 or better dust masks handy.

What about a holdup?  If a guy comes in with a gun, what’s your plan?  Do you have a big desk to hide under?  Do you have something nearby you can use as a weapon?

What about data breach?  In our industry of credit and debit card processing, we talk about this all the time.  You may have heard the term PCI Compliance.  If you aren’t sure what this is – and you accept credit cards – you want to learn about it.  It will help you create an organized plan to protect your customers from fraud – and you from fines and embarrassment.   It’s a good idea to get data breach protection insurance.  We have added that recently to all accounts we process payments for.  Ask us if you want to discuss it more.

Oh… but you know it won’t happen in your office, right?  Do you use facebook?  Email?  You are leaving tracks.  Websites you visit and emails you open put stuff on your computer.   Links you click can put stuff on your computer.  And clearing your cookies isn’t enough.  But you CAN turn these things off – or use stealth mode.  Get good help to make sure your computers don’t store stuff.

Plan your escape routes now.  You will agree that it is better to have them and not need them than need them and not have them!

Kiosks Add Convenience to Your Billing Office

Kiosks are great ways to receive payments in your lobby, at your drive-up (like a bank ATM), and off your premises (at a partner billpay location).  You save save time and reduce customer wait times.

An investment in a kiosk depends on your needs:

• Do you want to accept credit and debit cards at the kiosk?
• Do you want to accept checks at the kiosk?
• Do you want to accept cash at the kiosk?
• Do you want the kiosk to dispense change at the kiosk?
• Do you want the kiosk to tie into your CIS Billing System?
• Do you want it located indoors or outdoors?

Click Here to see a pdf overview.

Since there are many variables, contact our office to arrange a short telephone consultation with a Kiosk Specialist.  Or call 1-877-977-VISA.

Pay By Phone App is Here!

Our PayByPhone app lets you transfer callers to an automated system that will capture your caller’s payment information – and deposit the money in your bank account.

• Great for reducing calls to your office staff to accept a payment over the phone.  Just transfer callers to our toll-free number.
• Great for accepting payments after hours – offer an option on your after-hours message to “press 2 to pay your bill by credit card now”or list our toll-free payment hotline for them to call directly.
• Great for those who can’t or won’t pay you online due to lack of internet or concerns about security

Ask us for more info for your specific needs by clicking here.

Try out a demo right now!

1.)  Call toll free 1-855-483-5729 – will answer after 2 rings
2.)  Welcome – Press 1
3.)  Enter 7digit code or 5 digit zipcode to get listing -  use 99999 for zip code of 9999909
4.)  Account No. followed by “#” -  12345 #
5.)  For security, confirm primary telephone no. -   Press 1
6.)  Enter amount to pay -  4500 #    (this is $45.00)
7.)  The fee will be $2.95 -   If agreed to Press 1
8.)  Enter the Card No. -  4003 0001 2345 6781
9.)  System will reply back to confirm – Press 1
10.) Enter Expiration Date – 1215   (for December of the year 2015)
11.) Enter CVV – 123
12.) Enter 5 digit zip code where statement is sent – 99999
13.) System will tell you your total amount to pay – to accept Press 1
14.) System will give you your confirmation No. – xxxxx
15.) Thank you.

Ask us for more info for your specific needs by clicking here.

Imagine:

• an automated system that does the work of accepting a payment – work done FOR you
• a system that customers can use 24 hours a day to pay you what they owe you
• a system that never gets grouchy or has a bad day
• a system that doesn’t mind if the CUSTOMER is grouchy or having a bad day!
• a system that can pay for itself by charging the customer a fee for using it – an optional feature
• more time to do what you need to do

Ask us for more info for your specific needs by clicking here.

1099 Reporting Requirement Repealed

Great News from the U. S. Senate today in a repeal of the burdensome 1099 reporting requirement.  Read more…

Convenience Fees Are Not To Be Assessed by a Third Party

Convenience Fees Not Assessed by a Third Party – U.S. Region 5.2.E
ID#: 010410-010410-0003037

In the U.S. Region, except as specified in “Tax Payment Program – Interchange Reimbursement Fee Qualifications and Fee Amount – U.S. Region,” a Convenience Fee may only be charged by the Merchant that actually provides goods or services to the Cardholder. A Convenience Fee may not be charged by any third party.

Source: Visa International Operating Regulations – 15 October 2010   446 VISA PUBLIC 13 October 2010

Let Customers Pay You With Their Cell Phones

Yes, you read it right – you can now let your customers pay you by sending a text message.

Those chatty, texting cell phones drive you crazy in the lobby, at the counter, and in the drive-up window.  Now, you can get paid from those same cell phones.

And it’s so easy for you:

1- you contact The Neil Group to set up an account and tell your customers they can now pay by text

2- your customers register their credit card, debit card, and/or checking account on a special, secure  site

3- each month your customer get a text message with the amount they owe you – when they reply to that text you get paid from their card or checking account

Want to see how it would look to your registered customer?

1 – On your cell phone, open a new message to: 58789

2 – In the body of the message: payutilities (as one word)

3 – Send it

Response will be “To authorize your payment of 200.00 to Utilities please enter the TxID: 123 and your 4 digit PIN.”

Reply with: 1231234  (no spaces or dashes)

Send it

Response will be: “Thank you!  Your payment has been received.  Your confirmation number is 85482652682.”

Click here to request more info through a short phone consultation – or call 1-877-977-VISA today!

Is Charging Customers a Fee to Use a Credit Card Illegal?

No.  But many would have you believe just that.

Think about it, if you charge customers a fee to use their card will more of them use their cards to pay you?  Or less?  Less.  And that’s bad for the credit card industry – an industry that makes money when you accept more credit (and debit) card payments.

Another reason you may be told this is that most all processors of card payments do not understand the special considerations that apply to you.  The Neil Group has worked with people just like you for many years and will help you do this the right way, allowing you to recoup the costs of the service that your Board, GM, or Balance Sheet requires.

Finally, give careful consideration before allowing another company to charge your customers.  Visa Operating Regulations specifically prohibit this practice:

Visa International Operating Regulations – 15 October 2010
446 VISA PUBLIC 13 October 2010

Convenience Fees Not Assessed by a Third Party – U.S. Region 5.2.E  ID#: 010410-010410-0003037

In the U.S. Region, except as specified in “Tax Payment Program – Interchange Reimbursement Fee Qualifications and Fee Amount – U.S. Region,” a Convenience Fee may only be charged by the Merchant that actually provides goods or services to the Cardholder. A Convenience Fee may not be charged by any third party.  (bold emphasis added for clarity)

Stop Annoying Online Bank Billpay Checks

We hear it all the time: “Man, do we hate getting online banking checks!  They come in without a coupon – and sometimes no account number!”

But you can’t stop them – nor do you want to.

How about a system that accepts them for you, automatically deposits them for you, and then sends a list of who paid what?

eLockbox is the answer.

eLockbox converts the paper checks your customers have sent to you into cash in your bank account.  And you never have to touch the paper or open the envelope.

And you get your money faster with eLockbox!

Online Bank Billpay services generate a paper check that you get 4-6 days later.  eLockbox gives you electronic delivery of those payments directly into your bank account via Direct Deposit – often the very next day.

eLockbox:

• Eliminates paper checks
• Improves cash flow
• Stops manual posting of payments

Plus, you get a detailed report and a posting file each day for importing to your billing software.  You can make corrections to account numbers before posting and the best part is – once those corrections are made, they are automatically applied each time that customer makes an online payment in the future.  (Do the work once and never do it again!)

Get rid of your Online Bank Billpay headaches today!  Click here to get more info. Or call us at 1-877-977-VISA today.

KY PSC Tariff for Credit and Debit Cards

Click here to see a tariff that was written and provided to us by the Kentucky Public Service Commission.  Your office may submit this tariff for approval to charge a fee to accept electronic payments.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

Utilities Accept Online Payments in 3 Easy Steps

Collect money 24 hours a day with online payments.

You can accept Visa, MasterCard, Discover, and American Express credit cards and debit cards in 3 easy steps.

1. Set up an account with The Neil Group by calling 1-877-977-VISA or clicking here.
2. Copy and paste the website code we provide you to your website*.
3. Advertise that you accept online payments.

* If you don’t have a website, no problem.  You don’t need one anymore.  We can provide a page for you just like this one –> http://www.commercialpayments.com/sample.html

Notes:

Funds collected deposit to your existing checking account – you don’t have to change banks.

You will set up this service quickly by phone and fax – no appointments or meetings necessary.

Your online payment page can be ready in 1 to 3 working days.