People love to travel. They make plans. They book their tickets. Reserve their accommodations in advance. But sometimes life happens and they cancel. According to a 2017 survey, one in three vacations is cancelled due to the stress of planning. It’s no wonder Timeshare and Travel Website struggle to find an online credit card processing service willing to take on the risks associated with the industry.
Challenges of the Timeshare and Travel Websites
What makes finding an online credit card processing service difficult is the nature of the travel industry. Large ticket items and cancellations put it in constant risk of fraud and chargebacks. Because of this, banks and payment processors are hesitant to take on the risk and add higher fees. This is why it is important to find a payment gateway that allows consumers to quickly pay for their travel plans and for travel websites to collect payment. A merchant account that specializes in processing credit card transactions is the best option out there. But which one do you choose?
What Travel websites need for online credit card processing
Choosing an online credit card processing service can be confusing. There are dozens of services online that offer travel websites online credit card processing services. Here’s a quick breakdown of the different types of processing needed for today’s travel and timeshare businesses:
- eCommerce – The ability to accept payments online is a must for a travel website. More and more consumers are planning and purchasing their vacations all online, so your website needs to be equipped to accept those payments securely.
- Mobile – Despite more and more transactions happening online, in-person presentations typically associated with Timeshares continue to be popular. In order to process payments after presentations, a business must be able to accept payments on the go, through smartphones or tablets.
- Virtual Terminal – Over the phone, via mail, or typed into a computer, this type of merchant account processes credit card payments from customers without the use of additional equipment. Virtual terminals are a great option for Timeshares and Travel websites who have both an offline and online business presence.
Once you’re ready to look for an online credit card processing service, make sure to ask the following questions:
- What are the fees? Since travel merchant accounts are considered high risk, they are likely to have higher fees than other industries. So it is important to find a service that offers competitive fees or you’ll see profit being eaten up by the fees to process payments.
- How do they ensure the security of transactions? In today’s world of security breaches and hackers, customers will want to know their information is secure with you. Having an online credit card processing service that is equipped to handle the security of all transactions will make you an attractive option for customers shopping around for travel options.
- How quickly can they set up? Your travel website needed a reliable merchant account yesterday. Find a service that doesn’t expect you to wait more than a day to get set up and is ready to accept payments from customers right away.
- What currencies do they accept? Travel websites often mean you are dealing with transactions from individuals from around the world. Since dealing with different currencies creates additional risks, some services choose to only handle a limited number of currencies. Look for a service that has a multi-currency program and provides you more options for currency conversions.
- What type of customer service do they offer? You’re an expert in travel, not an expert in processing payments. Having access to customer service during your office hours can help you solve problems for your customers quickly. In the end, ensure you are able to process payments quickly and get support just as quickly.
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