Offering real-time credit-card processing on secure servers, an address
verification service (AVS) and a flat fee charged for each transaction, CS-VPOS
from Charge Solutions is an attractive payment system for any size business, but particularly for companies selling big-ticket items in which paying a percentage to a credit-card firm would be financially wasteful.
CS-VPOS works through a Web browser, which links to the online
transaction processing from a merchant''s e-commerce site. As a result, merchants don''t need to buy
transaction or other special servers. CS-VPOS supports all major
credit cards: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Diner''s Club and Discover.
Users are able to retain a good deal of control over the transaction process, with
the ability to void transactions, credit accounts in the case of returns,
perform batch processes for customers that don''t trust the secure servers,
manually post and force pre authorizations. Service-oriented companies, where
recurring monthly or quarterly billing is a necessity, will appreciate the
different levels of billing such as a one-time rebilling or a
selectable-duration rebilling.
In addition to the AVS feature which is designed to prevent fraud by ensuring that
the correct address is matched with the card number, there is selectable fraud
screening as well. Using this, a merchant can set up as stringent or relaxed a screening
process that fits specific needs. Users can also enter names, credit-card
numbers, and e-mail addresses of customers who are known risks. In addition, passwords
can be set up for trusted users who need access to administrative functions and
regular customers who are pre-approved.
CS-VPOS offers online access to a searchable history of transactions, a
listing of batch settlements, a toggle for rebillings, and password controls.
Daily traffic reports and system-generated invoices can also be sent out via
electronic mail.
Charge Solutions is unique in that it offers two pricing plans, one for
straight credit-card processing and the other combining credit-card processing with
merchant banking. The first plan includes $25 for a monthly service fee and $.25
per transaction, with a one-time $99 set-up fee. The second plan involves both
bank and transaction fees. The transaction fees are $25 for a monthly
service fee and $.25 per transaction. The bank fees include a one-time set-up
fee of $199, a $10 monthly statement fee, a 2.50 percent discount fee and a
$.35 transaction fee.
Clients also have access to the PosCart shopping cart which tallies up
purchases for customers. The fields in the shopping cart can be set by you, but
typically they will include a place to enter credit-card and address information.
In addition, the RememberMe function lets users enable your site to
remember credit-card and address information, so that the next time the customer
visits your site they don''t need to re-key that information. All the PosCart
settings are accessed via a remote Web browser; there''s no HTML or CGI
coding necessary.
With a strong shopping cart, secure processing and a flat-fee transaction
cost, Charge Solutions offers a good solution for businesses that want the
ability to process credit cards without paying a lot in percentage fees. And in
an industry where profits can be razor-thin and every little of margin helps,
this is a valuable capability for many e-commerce merchants.
Pros: Efficient shopping cart; transaction processing goes
directly from merchant''s site; good administrative tools; recurring billings for
businesses.
Cons:Product information must be manually entered, as
there''s no way to link to a product database.
Reviewed by: Kevin
Reichard
IE 7
Firefox 2.0
