Guest post by Chase Paymentech, providing thousands of Verizon customers’ best-in-class debit and credit card processing through Verizon Merchant Services. Get the insight you need into how payment processing really works and how to use it to your advantage with our series: The Skinny Behind the Swipe.

Now that you know the types of equipment required to process payments, and exactly what you need to process payments, you are ready to find out more.

What exactly will accepting more than cash and check cost you? You already know that accepting debit and credit is much more convenient for your customers, but is it worth it? The answer is yes.  In 2011, roughly 60% of the total share of retail point-of-sale dollarvolume was purchased with a credit or debit card* and that percentage is steadily rising.  So you know you need to accept credit and debit cards, but, how do you know if you’re paying too much to accept them?  Below you’ll find some basics of what makes up payment processing pricing.

Guest post by Barbara Hernandez-Taylor, senior marketing manager at Intuit.

As this summer’s Olympic Games begin to wind down, there’s a way for highly competitive small business owners around the country to participate in ‘the games” without having to buy a ticket to London.  We here at Intuit have devised a fun game for small business owners called Intuit Small Business Games. It’s fast.  It’s fun.  And, you can win your very own Gold, Silver or Bronze medal.  In addition to winning bragging rights for your business, you’ll also be helping other small businesses to get their ideas off the ground.

Guest post by Chase Paymentech, providing thousands of Verizon customers with best-in-class debit and credit card processing through Verizon Merchant Services. Get the insight you need into how payment processing really works and how to use it to your advantage with our series: The Skinny Behind the Swipe.

Nearly 1 in every 3 consumer purchases in the U.S. is made with a credit card payment.*

Being able to accept payments whenever and wherever you are, and more importantly wherever your customers are, is key to making the sale and growing your business. Oh, and accepting those payments quickly, simply and securely?  That’s key, too.  But how do you get started or what’s the latest in debit and credit card processing solutions? Surely you need some type of equipment, but how do you know what’s right for your business?

Here’s a breakdown of some different payment processing solutions and the businesses that use them. This will help you know what you’re looking for or what you may need to grow your business.