The Chinese symbol for the word ‘crisis’ also contains the symbol for ‘opportunity.’ We love this way of thinking, especially this time of year. Because it’s chargeback season. Millions of merchants are gearing to fight chargebacks. The vast majority of holiday chargebacks take place in the first weeks of the new year. We know this…
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A Reminder for 2017: Credit Card Fraud is Alive and Well
We’re not big on New Year’s resolutions here, but there are a few things e-commerce merchants might want to take under consideration, if not already, for 2017 regarding credit card fraud. It’s going to get worse. As a reminder, with the U.S. migrating from credit cards with the magnetic stripe to those with the microchip,…
Why We Offer Startup Merchant Accounts
Who knows who or what will be the next Amazon? Or the next Zappos? We like the e-commerce game and, with due diligence, we’re willing to take a chance on new e-commerce businesses by offering startup merchant accounts. Our belief at Instabill is that legal and legitimate e-commerce businesses deserve to accept an array of…
When You Can’t Get a Merchant Account (But Need One)
We receive merchant account inquiries into the hundreds in any given week. In a perfect world, we’d find solutions for each of them. But when you’re at the mercy of an acquiring bank that makes its decision based on risk profile, it doesn’t always go the merchant’s way. What is a merchant supposed to do…
How We Defend Ourselves From Phishing Attacks
Last Tuesday, to our surprise, we received an email from Janet Yellen, the Chair of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve. Why was she contacting Instabill? To inform us that ‘our hour of compensation and actualization has come’ and, after her meeting with the U.N., Bank of America, South African Reserve Bank…
3 Reasons to Meet with Instabill at NEAA 2017 and Ice Totally Gaming
Instabill will attend the NEAA 2017 and ICE Totally Gaming tradeshows, founder and CEO Jason Field announced Monday. NEAA 2017 is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 31-Thursday, at the Renaissance Boston Waterfront Hotel while ICE Totally Gaming 2017 is slated for one week later, Tuesday through Thursday, Feb. 7-9, at the ExCel London. Instabill is attending…
Why European Merchants Need to Diversify Payment Technology
If a recent survey from our partner Worldpay holds true to form, European merchants are going to have to upgrade their payment technology to accept a number of different payment methods in the coming years. European consumers are going to be paying for their goods and services in several ways, says the survey: mobile phones,…
5 Ways 3D Secure 2.0 is a Shadow of its Original Self
3D Secure 2.0 is going to make merchants rethink their checkout process. Some time ago on one of our satellite websites, we appealed to merchants to think about utilizing 3D Secure to combat e-commerce fraud. It was a big ask – 3D Secure was considered a disruptor, an invitation to checkout abandonment. That has all…
For Sanity’s Sake, Make Your Return Policy Sing!
This time of year, the most important element on an e-commerce website’s front page – along with sales and offers – is the return policy. Merchants need to make it as prominent as possible. See, American consumers have clever nicknames for particular shopping days: Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and Cyber Monday, for example. We’ve…
The Best Customer Service? Amazon Offers a Shining Example
E-Commerce merchants, small and large, are making gains in offering the best customer service. My wife and I received a wonderful example earlier this week. Gift-giving is a scared thing in my household. My wife takes it to a new level, and the recipients of her gifts – often myself and our two sons –…