As business technology improves, choices increase for the average business person. In the world of credit card processing, the most important choice currently is, “Analog or Digital?” If you are currently using analog phone lines to connect your business with your credit card processor, you may be unintentionally costing yourself money and customers.

Analog lines and their associated modems were fine at one time, primarily because that was about the only option there was. They worked, they required little maintenance, and your transactions got processed.

But these days, with options such as high-speed phone lines and broadband internet access, analog equipment may quickly become a liability. First of all, with IP credit card processing, you could be performing your transactions faster than you thought possible. And second, IT departments at some processors have stopped supporting analog terminals used over digital phone lines because of performance problems.
Most businesses these days already have internet connectivity, so why not take full advantage of an asset you already have onsite and let it save you money? IP credit card processing has many advantages. The most obvious, of course are speed and security. Your terminal is always connected, always “On”. No need for dialing out for each transaction. Faster transaction times mean you can handle more transactions and your customers will have shorter wait times at the checkout. If they don’t have to stand around while your modem dials up and connects, they’re going to be a lot happier. Keep in mind, also that a high-speed connection may qualify you for lower transaction fees. This is dependent on your processor.

If you have a fair amount of daily telephone or fax traffic, your switch to IP-based processing will free up that phone line you’ve been using for processing. You can either repurpose it as an additional business line, or just drop it altogether.
There are some items to consider before you decide to go with IP credit card processing. The first consideration should be whether or not your processing bank supports IP-based processing. These days it’s rare to find an institution that doesn’t, but it’s always best to err on the side of caution. Next, you should confirm that your current phone service includes high-speed digital lines. If it doesn’t, you should inquire as to the viability of adding that service. You may want to consider it as your business’ investment in the future.

Since business technology is obviously going to continue to migrate into the digital world, and you don’t want to be left behind, it just makes sense to take the leap to IP-based processing of your credit card, debit card, and EBT transactions. It’s faster, more secure, cost-effective, and you know that sooner or later, your competitors are going to.

Author Bio: Andrew Parrott is the Marketing Manager for Host Merchant Services, a leading merchant services provider. He focuses on empowering and educating business owners on the advantages of having a merchant account. Host guarantees unsurpassed pricing, support, and customer service. Reliable payment processing is critical to your business and HMS is a partner you can trust to deliver.