Retail businesses have had to close their brick and mortar locations due to stay at home orders and lockdowns imposed by public health authorities to slow the spread of Covid-19 in communities across America. Business owners are turning to e-commerce in order to maintain some business continuity and continue to serve their customers who are also on orders to stay home and slow the curve. The increase in e-commerce carries with it more exposure to fraudulent activity.

What is a virtual terminal? A virtual terminal—as opposed to a physical POS terminal—is a software application that allows merchants to accept payments in the absence of the actual card. These transactions are commonly referred to as “card-not-present” (CNP) transactions. Virtual terminals transform computers, smartphones, and tablets into a POS and enable brick-and-mortar and ecommerce businesses to accept credit card payments over the phone, through the mail, or online. All you need is an internet and data connection, and you’re good to go—no POS hardware required.

If you are a small business owner, entrepreneur, or freelance contractor, you have probably found yourself thinking about scaling your business or considering an upgrade to your Point of Sale (POS) system. Both on-premise and cloud-based POS systems have attractive features and benefits. Let us help you to determine which system is most suitable for your businesses’ current and future needs. 

You thought you had this whole retail thing figured out — until you didn’t. In case you haven’t noticed, the retail landscape has shifted slightly since mid-March. Consumer habits have likely shifted for good.

Gift card fraud is becoming increasingly common in the marketplace. According to a 2018 National Retail Federation survey, 56 percent of consumers planned to give gift cards as gifts during the holiday season, making the cards an easy target for thieves.