The Web Processing program is a little more expensive because another layer has been added to the transaction process. That layer is the company providing the web transaction system.

The additional fees are required to cover their costs in developing the Internet based system, secure server costs, dedicated leased, secure, lines to the processing network, staying current with security issues, payroll costs, equipment costs, and overhead.

During a month when 100 transactions of $100.00 each are processed for a total of $10,000.00 in sales the additional cost of the Web Processing system is $125.00. But how can you benefit? Can you justify those additional costs?

First you should consider the amount of time it would take you to process 100 orders per month. Personal experience tells us that the first few months it's really fun entering all those sales but then it gets tedious and tiresome. It is a very time consuming process. Surely your time can be better spent pursuing more sales.

Could you even hire someone to do it for you for $125.00 per month? We don't think so.

With the Web Processor system, on the other hand, your customers enter all the required information freeing you for other more productive endeavors. Then what about the errors? Yes people make errors when entering their credit card numbers and if you want to complete the sale you must track them down and retrieve the correct information. Another time consuming process.

The Web Processor, on the other hand, immediately notifies the customer if they entered an incorrect card number and offers them a chance to correct it. Another benefit of the Web Processor system. So much for the time saving benefits and you're still not convinced.

Have you ever heard of a software program that wasn't upgraded as new operating systems were marketed? Windows to Windows 95 and now Windows 98. Each of those new operating systems brought about a corresponding round of upgrades to your software and your processing software is the same. Upgrades are not free so some consideration must be given to those future costs.

Then there is also the cost of tech support. Most PC based processing software systems come with 90 day free support and after that the cost per call is anywhere form $75.00 to $95.00. Add those costs to the equation.

Then there are the annoying little idiosyncrasies of the different processing networks. Prior to getting our own Web Processing merchant account we were processing through a network that required us to step our modem down to 300 baud to connect successfully to their modems.

Consider for a moment our frustration when our new 300 MHz PC with a 56 K modem wouldn't connect to our bank's processor. After numerous tech support calls (remember those $95.00 calls?) with the PC manufacturer, the modem manufacturer, and the processor we gave up and replaced our new 56 K modem with our old 28.8 K modem. So much for progress.

We realize the Web Processing system isn't for everyone. We just wanted to point out some of the benefits of using it because so many people look at only one aspect of it and say just say it's too expensive without realizing all the associated costs and hassles using the PC based processing system.

We've used both methods and can honestly say we're happy with the Web Processing system. We wouldn't go back to the old way for anything.

This information is provided to help you make the right choice. We offer some of the lowest prices on PC based and Internet based credit card processing so the choice is yours.

Keith R. Johnson
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