Cash Flow Plus is looking forward to 2010 and ways that we can help bring added value to you, our merchants – tools, concepts, and processes that you can adopt to improve your businesses and bottom line.  With this in mind, we wanted to make you aware of a system that we have discovered that you need to know about – one that offers an affordable and effective marketing solution that will help you bring more business to your door and take back the business that is going to Internet shopping!

In 2008, local merchants lost over $108 billion of business to online merchants like Amazon.com, eBay, and other big name online retailers.  It’s time to reverse this trend and keep consumers shopping locally! Please join us to hear about a solution that is unique, affordable, simple and effective.  The system gives local consumers an incentive to shop with you and keep retail revenue in our community.  It automates the process of:

Þ Getting access to more customers

Þ Increasing customer loyalty, new and repeat business

Þ Keeping customers thinking about you

Þ Competing effectively with businesses which advertise on the Internet

Þ Doing it all for less than a cup of coffee a day (the cheap stuff!)

Event details are as follows:

WHEN/WHERE: Monday, January 11, 2010, at 141 Central Square Drive, Prince Frederick, MD.

TIMES: Session 1 – 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM (a light breakfast will be served); Session 2 – 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM (a light lunch will be served)

RSVP:  Please email sales@cashfloplus.com or call us at 877-876-3791 to RSVP by Thursday, January 7, 2010.  SEATING IS LIMITED!

Halloween is still fresh in our minds, but the malls and stores are already decorating for the holidays, and soon consumers will be making their lists and setting out to shop! For some people, though, it’s hard to come up with a different gift idea every year for the people on their list, and many turn to gift cards.  Are you offering them the chance to do business with you with a gift card purchase?

Gift cards have become the number one gift for the holidays, outselling gift certificates by a 10 to 1 margin. Gift cards also offer many benefits to the merchants that offer them:

• The initial sale of a gift card is an immediate source of revenue for a merchant.
• The card acts as an advertisement for the merchant. Gift cards encourage repeat visits by customers who don’t use the entire value of the card on the first visit.
• Some cards can be recharged after the initial value is depleted, bringing customers back into the business to make additional purchases.
• There is a high potential for increased sales above the value of the gift card amount from customers who purchase items higher than the value of the card.
• Merchants offering gift cards typically realize an increase in overall sales and cash flow, sometimes as much as 30 percent or more.
• Gift cards are easy to issue, and transactions using gift cards are fast and efficient because no change is issued when a gift card is redeemed.
• Statistically speaking, merchants can realize an average of 15 to 20 percent pure profit on cards that are issued but never redeemed.

To realize the advantages of gift cards and grab your portion of the market, please contact us SOON for more information – so that we can get you set up in time for the holidays!

For those who weren’t able to attend our Educational Seminar on September 19, here are some important links to web sites that contain a host of information on Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards and Compliance:

VISA’s Web Site:  http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/cisp_overview.html

VISA Incident Response Information: http://usa.visa.com/merchants/risk_management/cisp_if_compromised.html?it=l2|/merchants/risk_management/cisp.html|If%20Compromised

MasterCard Security Site: http://www.mastercard.com/us/merchant/security/index.html

MasterCard PCI Manual: http://www.mastercard.com/us/wce/PDF/10172_MasterCard_PCI_Manual.pdf

American Express Security Requirements: https://www209.americanexpress.com/merchant/singlevoice/dsw/FrontServlet?request_type=dsw&pg_nm=pci&ln=en&frm=US

Discover article with levels and a link to their security program: http://www.paymentsnews.com/2009/01/discover-announ.html

JCB’s PCI Site: http://www.jcb-global.com/english/pci/index.html

With the decline in the current economy and expenses always rising, Cash Flow Plus would like to let merchants know that there are ways to obtain funds for your business to help you when you need that extra cash on hand.

Merchants using credit card processing systems can borrow as much as 125% of their average credit card sales for a 6-month period.  For example, if your business processes $10,000 in credit card sales per month, you can borrow as much as $12,500 to reinvest in your business or take care of other high-cost loans on your books. The loan is paid back by taking 25% of batches and is generally paid off in 6 months or less.

The benefits to borrowing against your credit card sales are several: you get access to immediate cash, as most loan checks are issued within 10 business days of application; there is no personal guaranty required; and exactly 25% of your credit card sales are collected as payback until the loan is paid off, whether you have high or low credit card volumes each month.

Contact us for more information!

Like our “three E’s” motto says, it is our job at Cash Flow Plus to assist you in making your business more efficient, effective, and expeditious in obtaining your accounts receivables. We all know (or think) that time is money. In business, time wasted is money lost! Think of the time it takes to collect checks, endorse them, fill out deposit slips, and take them to the bank to make your deposit. If you could streamline this process to allow yourself or your employees to spend time on more important, more profitable tasks, then from a management perspective you have improved the efficiency of your business. Think of how profitable and how efficient it would be to deposit your checks from your office or store, simply by pushing a button. No more waiting in line, sitting in traffic, or rushing to the bank to meet deadlines, etc.

Just like banks, you now have the ability to make deposits from the comfort of your office. All that you need is a scanner that hooks up to your computer. Simply scan the checks (individually or up to 70 at a time) and with one click of your computer, voila! Your deposit is now in your account!

Begin saving your business time and money by contacting us for more information!

With the cost of processing credit card transactions on the rise (and expected to continue to increase), Cash Flow Plus wants you to know that there are alternatives available that will save you quite a bit of money!

While credit cards are widely used by consumers, debit cards are very popular as well. The benefits of accepting debit cards are two-fold: First, as a merchant, you are charged a flat fee of .49, plus network fees, which brings the fee to an average of .79 per transaction. Let’s compare that, using numbers, to a credit card transaction and the fees associated with it:

Suppose your customer makes a purchase totaling $100.00.  Processing this as a credit card transaction with a discount rate of roughly 1.79% (if it is a face-to-face transaction and NOT a rewards card), the cost of the sale is $1.79.  Add the transaction fee of .25 and the total cost that you, the merchant, pay out to Visa/MC for this sale is $2.04. You only have to do the math to see that by processing this same transaction as a debit, you will be saving $1.25! The higher the ticket, the more the savings!  On a $1,000.00 transaction, the calculations are $1,000.00 X 1.79% = $17.90 + .25 transaction fee = $18.15 vs .79 = a savings of $17.36!

While the savings are substantial, possibly the greatest benefit to taking debit cards is that the funds are in your account the next day! With credit cards, it can take anywhere from 24 to 72 hours, depending on how the transaction occurs (swiped vs. keyed-in).

Another way to save on credit card fees is to accept checks electronically.  While electronic check transactions are conducted much in the same manner as credit card transactions, the cost is considerably less, making the savings to you considerably more!  Keep in mind that as credit card processing rates increase, so do the downgrades (when transactions are keyed in or government, corporate, or rewards cards are used). This can drive the discount fee up to over 3.00%!  If you accept electronic checks, you can eliminate that fee and save money.  Let’s turn again to the example:

Your customer makes a $100.00 purchase. If they present you with a credit card, the cost to you as a merchant could be anywhere from $1.79 to $3.00 or more for that transaction (don’t forget the .25 transaction fee). If this same transaction was in the form of a check, the fee would be 1.69%, plus a .25 transaction fee. And just like a debit card, regardless of the amount of the check, the cost factor does not change – it remains at 1.69%.  This transaction by check would cost you, the merchant, $1.94!

What it all comes down to is this: in these difficult economic times, saving money is critical. By accepting a debit or electronic check transaction for $1,000.00, you will save almost $20.00 over processing that transaction through a credit card. Call us for details!

Want to eliminate the risks of the knuckle-buster and some of the costs associated with using wireless machine for accepting credit cards??  Cash Flow Plus can do that for you!  If you are in the service industry (plumbing, electrical, home improvement, etc.), have a fleet of drivers or employees on the go (towing, limousines, cabs), or frequently participate in trade shows or exhibitions where you conduct sales, we can help you to efficiently and economically process credit card transactions without high cost and inconvenience, streamlining your business and ultimately saving you hundreds, if not thousands of dollars!

Whether your sales staff is 1 or 1,000 your staff can conduct credit card transactions using smart phones (you would not use a gateway utilizing a landline phone) all under the umbrella of one gateway! Your business can receive immediate authorizations (removing the risk associated with keyed-in transactions after the fact) and as a business owner, you can view real-time transactions, meaning you can see the transaction from your computer the same time the authorizations are given to your staff. You can also conduct transactions from your computer if needed. What a savings over using multiple wireless machines and paying a gateway fee for each one!

The ability to accept credit card transactions through wireless means is quickly making the old-fashioned “knuckle-buster” a thing of the past. Knuckle-busters are risky to use – not only are you unable to get instant authorization for the purchase, but you then have to worry about whether the transaction will actually go through when you DO key it in! You never know when a customer might have exceeded their credit limit, or whether they are using an expired or even stolen card!!  If you’re lucky enough to have a wireless credit card machine, you may not have to deal with this because you can get instant authorizations at the time of purchase – however, the price of wireless machines and services can be quite costly.

Let us help to streamline your business & make it more effective & efficient, at the same time saving you hundreds, if NOT thousands of dollars!

If you are a merchant who accepts credit cards, you could be missing an opportunity to save money! If your average credit card ticket is $35 or more, you may benefit in the long run by accepting debit cards in addition to credit cards.

With PIN- based debit transactions (where the customer has to enter a personal identification number to complete the transaction), merchants typically receive funds for the purchase in their accounts the next day…and the higher the average ticket, the more you save on fees.

Debit card transaction fees are the same for each transaction, regardless of the actual amount of the customer’s purchase, whereas with credit card transactions, merchants typically pay a percentage of the total of the purchase, along with a transaction fee, for each credit card transaction that they accept. If you do the math, you can see where accepting more debits (if the average purchase is $35 or more) can save money!

Adding debit cards to your accepted modes of payment is easy.  You can add a PIN pad to your existing terminal or have your terminal encrypted internally.

Another way that you can add to your bottom line as a merchant while driving more business to your door is by offering ATM machine services at your location. Did you know that four out of every five Americans have an ATM card? Studies show that the typical ATM customer spends 20-25% more than a customer who does not use an ATM.  The average ATM withdrawal is $52, and depending upon the type of business, anywhere from 15 to 80% of the cash withdrawn is dispensed back into the business.

With an ATM machine at your business, customers will be able to obtain the cash they need to complete their purchases with you, without leaving your location. Plus, you will experience an increase in customer traffic flow and cash sales. As an added benefit, you as a merchant can set your own ATM surcharge which virtually offsets the merchant fees that you pay on credit card transactions and earns you money daily.

Many types of businesses can benefit from having an ATM on site, including restaurants, liquor stores, variety stores, grocery stores, bowling alleys, movie theatres, nurseries, hair salons, and more!

Due to the current economic conditions, many consumers have turned to their checkbooks as a means of making purchases in order to avoid increasing the balances on their credit cards.  Unfortunately, merchants have also seen an increase in the number of checks being returned due to insufficient funds.

To protect yourself as a merchant, consider accepting checks electronically – it’s less expensive than accepting credit cards, and you can guarantee the checks. Checks can also be submitted up to three times electronically (compared to two times using the traditional method), and with electronic deposits, you will save yourself time by avoiding a trip to the bank. You will also enjoy the same safeguards that you currently have with credit card processing.

For more information, contact us today!

At Cash Flow Plus, Inc., we take a great deal of pride in informing our merchants of the newest and most innovative ways of accepting electronic payments. It is our sincerest hope that by doing so our merchants will have information necessary that will assist them in accepting their accounts receivables in what we refer to as our “Three E Program” : the Most Effective, Efficient, and Expeditious manner known in the industry. As such, we are excited to offer Interchange Pass Through to those utility companies accepting MasterCard as a form of payment from their customers! By utilizing Straight Pass-Through, all of the associated fees are removed, thereby saving you $100’s, if not $1000’s, of dollars per month. With cold weather just around the corner, the sooner you get in touch with us the sooner we can begin to save you money! It is a very simple and seamless process. Utilizing this software has saved other utility companies as much as 700% receiving their accounts receivables! Get in on the ground floor of this emerging market and begin saving immediately! For more information, contact us today!