increase margins by negotiating merchant services contracts mike barnidge – credit manager kim...
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INCREASE MARGINS BY NEGOTIATINGMERCHANT SERVICES CONTRACTS
Mike Barnidge – Credit ManagerKim Stegmeir – SR Credit AnalystLaura Jenkins – JR Credit Analyst
Also starring… Megan Schultz – Wells Fargo Merchant Services
Agenda for Today
• Explain the Merchant Process
• Explain the Fees
• Identify What is Changing
• Discuss Mobile Processing and Online Processing
• Step Briefly into PCI Compliance
• Present Negotiation Strategies and a Negotiated Offer
Merchant Services
• 27% of all point of sales transactions are cash
• This is expected to drop to 23% by 2017
• 66% of all point of sale transactions are completed with a card
• 31% By Debit
• 29% By Credit Cards
• Remaining 6% by Gift Card
• Finally – Checks bring up the caboose at 7%
Why is this important?
Virtual Currency is coming as well…
* Report by Javelin Strategy and Research - June 2012
• Plastic is convenient
• Plastic drives up the overall ticket more than cash alone
• Plastic reduces your risk (theft)
• Plastic reduces your trips to the bank
• Plastic allows you to transact business in the way your customers want to
• Plastic is easy
Before we get overwhelmed and confused…
Explaining the Game
• Who are the Players?
• What does the process look like?
• Who gets paid?
Who are the Players?
• Acquirer– Bank, Financial Institution or ind. Company that maintains a merchant’s credit card processing relationship, receives all transactions from merchant to be distributed to card issuers.
• Processer – data processing company that contracts with the Acquirers to provide processing systems that connect with the interchange system for clearing and settlement on behalf of Acquirer. Possible that the acquirer is its own back end processor.
• Credit Card Network – Visa, Mastercard, Amex, Discover, Diners…
• Issuing Bank– The card association member that issued a payment card to an individual and maintains that cardholder relationship.
Oh, yeah, and…
Bike Shop
Buyer Presents Card for Purchase
Gateway
Swipe Machine/Internet Initiates Authorization
Gateway
Gateway Manages Information Traffic
Gateway
Issuing Bank Approves or Declines
Gateway
Response Provided to Buyer/Seller
Gateway
Exchange of Goods
Gateway
Exchange of Funds
Gateway
Final Steps
• Issuing Bank Sends funds to the Credit Card Network
• Credit Card Network passes those funds, through the processor, to the Acquiring (Merchant’s) Bank.
• Acquirer deposits or “settles” the transaction into the merchant’s bank account
Who wants to make some money?
Interchange + Assessments + Rate
Issuing
Bank
•Interchange Rate and Per Item Fee (1.54% + $0.10 example)
Credit
Card
Network
•Assessments ( .11% + 0.0185 example)
Processor
•Communication Fee
•Batch Processing Fee
Acquirer
•Setup Fee•Annual Fee•Monthly Fee•Statement Fee•Rate –
Margin for Acquirer
$1.64
$0.13
$0.15
$1.25 Effective
Total Effective: $3.17
Profit $$$$
SG&A
Cost of Goods Sold
Interchange + Assessments + Rate
Issuing
Bank
•Interchange Rate and Per Item Fee (1.54% + $0.10 example)
Credit
Card
Network
•Assessments ( .11% + 0.0185 example)
Processo
r
•Communication Fee
•Batch Processing Fee
Acquirer
•Setup Fee•Annual Fee•Monthly Fee•Statement Fee•Rate –
Margin for Acquirer
$1.64
$0.13
$0.15
$1.25 Effective
Total Effective: $3.17
Issuing Bank
Interchange Rate and Per Item Fee (1.54% + $0.10 example)
• A fee paid between banks for the acceptance of card based transactions.
• Varies based on card type.
• Percentage + per item fee.
• Interchange updated twice a year.
Credit Card Network
• Assessments ( .11% + 0.0185 example)
• Charged by Visa, MasterCard, Amex, etc.
• Primary source of V/MC revenue (costs and margin)
• Basis Points on volume plus a per item fee for network access and brand usage
• Communication fees are the cost related to moving a sales transaction from one point to another.
• Batching refers to settling the charges to your terminal by sending the completed transactions for the day to the acquiring bank for payment.
• Make sure you “batch out” within 24 hours.
Processor
•Network Communication Fee•Batch Processing Fee
• These fees vary significantly depending on the offer on hand. Make sure you calculate these items on each offer to find the true effective rate!
• It’s a volume game. It also depends on the types of cards you accept.
• Make sure you are in the ballpark. Look at your Total Fees / your Total Volume Processed.
Acquirer
•Setup Fee•Annual Fee•Monthly Fee•Statement Fee• Rate – Margin for Acquirer (0.15%)
Where Do I Negotiate?
Issuing
Bank
•Interchange Rate and Per Item Fee (1.54% + $0.10 example)
Credit
Card
Network
•Assessments ( .11% + 0.0185 example)
Processor
•Communication Fee
•Batch Processing Fee
Acquire
r
•Setup Fee•Annual Fee•Monthly Fee•Statement Fee•Rate – Margin for Acquirer
Focus Negotiations Here
Credit Card vs. Debit Card
CREDIT CARD DEBIT CARD
• Buy now, pay later
• Higher interchange fees• More risk
• In person transactions
• Online/over the phone transactions
• Transfers funds directly
• Lower interchange fees• Less risk
• Pin-based (on-line)
• Signature based (off-line)
The Durbin Amendment• Went into effect October 1, 2011
• ‘Reasonable and proportional’ debit card rates
• Introduce competition to the debit processing network
Senator Richard Durbin
What does this mean for YOU?• Maximum interchange fee: 0.05% of the transaction value plus
$0.21 plus $0.01 for fraud prevention
(.0005 x $38.00) + $0.21 + $0.01 = $0.24
What does this mean for YOU?
• Minimum dollar amount on credit card transactions
• Discounts to customers
• Two-tiered network option
CHECKOUT FEE• As of January 21, 2013
• Surcharge on purchases made with Visa or MasterCard credit cards
• Post a notice!!
• Amex and Discover?
STATES THAT PROHIBIT SURCHARGES
Things to Consider• Surcharge could cover the swipe fees
• Additional expense for customers
• Consumers spend more $$$ with credit cards
• Your environment
Re-Cap• The Durbin Amendment
• $10 minimum for credit card transactions• Offer incentives• THESE ARE BOTH LEGAL
• Checkout Fee• Add surcharge for Visa/MasterCard• 10 States• CREDIT CARD COMPANIES ARE NOT
READY
“Apple is trying to kill the cash register”
Mobile Processing – Square
• Square - $275 Monthly• Under $400• Monthly Limit of $21,000• Manually Entered – 3.5% + $0.15
• Square - No Monthly
• 2.75% per transaction
• Next day deposits
• Transaction business with proper tax from anywhere.
• Owner of Square created Twitter
Mobile Processing – Ebay/Paypal
• 2.7% Per Swipe
• Accept echecks
• Next day deposits
• Transaction business with proper tax from anywhere.
Those Look Easy, Why Wouldn’t I Do That?
• The larger the transaction, the more costly it is.
• Another vendor and signon?
• How are you going to update your POS?
Merchant OS
• Utilizes Innerfence Credit Card Terminal
• Updates root sales data
• Monthly fee based on plans
Quickbooks
• Utilizes Intuit GoPayment
• Connects to Quickbooks Financial software
• Monthly fee based on plans
PCI Compliance
• Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards
• All companies that process, store, or transmit cc data information must maintain a secure environment.
• Simple “No, No’s”• “Just run the card you have on file.”• Check your receipt• Secure environment• Every employee get’s a login to critical data
“These aren’t the droids you are looking for”
History’s Greatest Negotiator
Where Do I Negotiate?
Issuing/Consu
mer
Bank
•Authorization Request Fee
Credit Card
Network
•Interchange Rate + Interchange Per Item Fee based on card type
Processor
•Communication Fee
•Batch Processing Fee
Acquire
r
•Setup Fee•Annual Fee•Monthly Fee•Statement Fee•Rate – Margin for Acquirer
Focus Negotiations Here
“Brand new to the business”
• Start by requesting 3 offers
• Drill down the offers to sniff out differences – where is money being made?
• Prove your numbers, don’t agree to goals. Sign up conservatively.
• Make customer service a priority because you will need help
“Just Completed My Rookie Contract”
• Analyze the most cost prohibitive items
• Analyze the convenience, address your concerns i.e. “This STUPID MACHINE!”
• Forecast your growth
• Be patient with the process
“You should be paying ME to put your machine in my store”
• Know exactly what you need. Multi location? Online? Mobile?
• Shop your whole relationship.
• Spend your time wisely on negotiations.
• Ask for more…then ask again…then ask one more time. Is that your best offer? Is that your lowest price? How do I get your lowest price?
The Unassuming
Negotiator
QBP Association Pricing Benefits
• Special Pricing achieved by leveraging the QBP Relationship
• Full range of processing options
• Partnership benefits – 24/7 support, next day funding with Wells Account
Pricing Summary
• No Set Up Fee
• No Annual Fee
• No Annual Compliance Support Fee
• No Monthly Minimum Processing Fee
Pricing Options
• Terminal Account – NO POS• Interchange + Assessments + Rate = IC + 0.15%• $5 Monthly Service Fee
• POS System Account – POS Integration• Interchange + Assessments + Rate = IC + 0.17%• $5 Monthly Service Fee
• Gateway/Virtual Terminal Account - Internet• Interchange + Assessments + Rate = IC + 0.17%• $31 Monthly service/gateway fee
If you only remember 3 things…
• Know exactly what you need by establishing “must haves” and “nice to haves”
• Focus your time on what you can negotiate - large dollar items assessed by Acquirer. Establish your Effective Rate.
• Help your team understand the impact of their actions. Card not present transactions, credit card #s on a post it note, failing to settle nightly.
• Ok, one more – Identify your own per transaction goal based on effective rate
Fee Distribution
Issu-ing Bank
• Focus Negotiations on the fees of the Acquirer (Annual, Monthly, Per Location, Statement, POS Connectivity)
• Be aware of the language, but don’t get worked up about it• Interchange Fee = Interchange + Per item fee• BPs (bips) – basis points; 1 BP is = to .01%• Batch and/or Settlement – nightly process to finalize transaction
• Total Effective Rate = Total Merchant Fees/ Total Card Volume Processed• $425 / $10,000 = 4.25%
• Establish communication around effective rate
Gateway
1. Calculate your rate – how concerned should you be?
2. Compare effective rate to what you were sold on in the first place.
3. Seek out two more offers (We already got you one).
4. Determine your needs – Online? 3 Locations? POS Connection?
5. Set a goal for your effective rate.
6. Negotiate better pricing that incorporates your needs and desired effective rate.
7. Track results.
Do This When Get Back to the Shop