TheMerchantsGuide.com to Offer Direct Marketers Free Merchant Account Audit

 

Card-Not-Present Merchants Should Strive to Save on Processing Fees

 

Boston (March 24, 2009) – TheMerchantsGuide.com announced today a special, limited-time offer whereby it will provide Direct Marketers with a free summary payment processing audit.  Citing a troublesome economy and high processing fees, the publishing and consulting firm hopes to build merchant awareness around the savings potential within this frequently-overlooked cost center.  Credit Card Fees typically represent between 2.5% and 5% of a Direct Marketer’s total costs.

 

Like other retailers, direct merchants are suffering in this negative economic climate.  “These merchants are scrambling to look for more ways to save money,” says Michael E. Shatz, Principal of TheMerchantsGuide.com.  Shatz believes that direct merchants should start taking a harder look at their credit card processing fees, and is prepared to help them start – gratis.

 

“It doesn’t take us great deal of time to identify cost reduction opportunities,” says Shatz, “and when a meaningful opportunity is uncovered, it generally proves to be a good thing for both the merchant and our firm.”  TheMerchantsGuide.com often works on a ‘gain-share’ basis, participating in a percentage of the savings it generates for its merchants.  “This offer is designed to provide merchants with a risk-free environment to identify these savings opportunities,” says Shatz.

 

In order to accept credit cards, merchants must pay a variety of fees to card associations, card-issuing banks, and payment processors.  Shatz advises, “Given increasing fee levels, pricing complexity and the number of players involved in the typical transaction, there is often room for improvement.  Naturally, large merchants have the highest potential for savings in absolute dollars.  What’s more, we have found that Direct Marketers using recurring payment models may, under certain circumstances, have an opportunity to actually increase billings.”

 

“On average, more than half of the audits performed by The Merchant’s Guide identify some type of savings opportunity,” Shatz explains.  “Of these, roughly one-third of the cases are worth pursuing, with average cost savings running between 10% and 25%.”

 

The company will be offering the free summary audits as resources permit through May 31, 2009.  Merchants can sign-up by visiting the company’s Web site: www.TheMerchantsGuide.com.

 

About The Merchant’s Guide:

 

The Merchant’s Guide, LLC provides Direct Marketers accepting electronic payments with methods to lower fees and improve revenues by offering informative training guides, payment operations audits and professional guidance.  The independent publishing and consulting firm specializes in serving merchants who accept payments using Customer-Not-Present models including electronic commerce, mail order, telephone order, catalogs, continuity programs and direct response media.

 

Contact:

Mike Shatz

The Merchant’s Guide, LLC

(866) 782-5861

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