FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Will the extremely low rates & charges offered by Seymour Direct remain low or will they increase after 12mths?
A. During the past 20 years Seymour Direct has NEVER increased customer’s charges, in fact customers very low rates are reviewed from time to time with even lower rates offered as time goes on. In addition to this the monthly payments (excluding VAT) for the credit card machine is guaranteed never to increase.
Q. Are there any hidden charges I should know about?
A.One of our specialist card acceptance staff will run through every charge payable by you which will then be printed on to all the relevant documents for you to check BEFORE you sign, so you will never have any nasty shocks.
Q.Will my business be approved for a credit card machine?
A. All applications will be considered and Seymour Direct can give you best advice from over twenty years of trading.
Q.What is PCI and does it cost me anything?
A.PCI stands for Payment Card Industry and has been introduced by all UK banks. The costs vary depending on which of the banks we organise your merchant account with, however Seymour Direct will advise what your best options are.
Q.What are the advantages of accepting credit & debit cards?
A.Accepting cards can open up many new sales opportunities, for example telephone, mail order and Internet. It also encourages impulse buying when a customer may not have cash to make an immediate purchase without the opportunity to use a card. There are also accounting benefits as the amount of cash you need to hold will be reduced and cash-flow is improved and book-keeping becomes simpler.
Q.How do I obtain a facility to accept credit & debit cards?
A.You will need to set up a merchant account, which Seymour Direct can organise for you. In a few cases in-depth financial information is also required such as historical and/or forecasted turnover plus copies of guarantees and/or warranties, etc. A current business bank account or personal bank account is also needed for the acquiring bank (the bank that process the transaction in the background) to transfer payments made by your customers to you. Seymour Direct will also organise the equipment needed for you to accept card payments. These machines can be rented from as little as £10.50 plus VAT per month for a static machine or from £16.95 should you require a portable machine as used by restaurants. There are many other options available and discussing your requirements early with Seymour Direct will prevent you from needless time wasting.
Q. How much will it cost me to accept card payments?
A.Different banks will apply different charges for your transactions in the form of a percentage of the value of the transaction for both credit & debit card payments. Some banks will charge more for a cardholder not present (CNP) transaction as there is a higher risk of fraud. The amounts charged can vary considerably from one bank to another but speaking to Seymour Direct will ensure that you get the best possible deal available for your business.
Q.Is there much of a risk in accepting card payments?
A.Whilst there is an element of risk in accepting card payments, the banks are constantly developing the security issues most recently the major improvement being through the introduction of CHIP & PIN which makes it extremely difficult for fraudsters to use credit & debit cards without knowing a 4 digit PIN (Personal Identification No.) and also puts more of an onus on the cardholder to ensure their PIN is kept confidential. However by adhering to the guidelines and making sure your staff are fully trained, problems of fraudulent transactions can be kept to a minimum for both the merchant and the cardholder.
