What To Do When there is a Credit Card Processing Outage

What is a Credit Card Processing Outage?

When many companies or customers want to make a purchase and aren’t able to use their credit cards, it is because of a credit card outage. Usually, this occurs when there are widespread power outages, unstable internet connections, and technology failures. In today’s technologically advanced world, businesses must plan ahead of time for outages; failure to do so will result in income loss.

How Can a CC Processing Outage Affect Your Business?

There are numerous ways that a credit card processing outage might negatively impact your organization. If your organization only runs online and relies on the internet, a blackout can be problematic. Your system will not be able to handle credit card transactions, causing a revenue loss. To solve this problem, you can try rebooting the router, and if that doesn’t work, you may need to call your internet provider to help you with this issue further.

Another reason why the internet may fail to connect could be inclement weather, which could cause payment processing to be disrupted. When there’s bad weather outside, it can easily affect your internet cables and even phone service. There is no real solution to avoiding lousy weather that can affect your internet service, but you can always call customer service to ask what steps to take to get your internet up and running again.

It may not even be the internet causing an outage, but the payment provider, the company, is using. According to BusinessInsider.com, “Last year, Fiserv, one of the largest payment providers in the US, experienced widespread outage affecting major companies such as IKEA, Forever21, McDonald’s, and Popeye’s.”In this case, many businesses that rely on payment providers will be forced to close or keep their stores operating, putting immense pressure on business owners and employees. This is just one of the many examples of how an electrical failure can cause many businesses to shut down their business.

Along with payment providers, another component that may be causing a blackout is the hardware, which keeps everything linked and functioning efficiently. Sometimes, the hardware that a business uses may cause the systems to malfunction. That’s why it is important to purchase a POS with quality hardware and a backup battery unit. It is possible that the hardware may not be compatible with the payment system companies are using, and it is recommended to purchase the hardware along with the payment processor from the same company. If you find that it is compatible with the payment system, you may need to reboot the system or call a professional to see if the system may need to be replaced.

How to Address a CC Processing Outage As a Small Business Owner

Now that you know what can cause this, it is essential to assess what the problem may be and take the next necessary steps. If you can’t figure out what the problem is, an application called Down Detector can help you determine what it is. According to StaxPayments.com, “It is a helpful resource that gives real-time notifications if there is an issue with the internet provider, payment processing company, or various credit card companies such as Visa or Mastercard.” Businesses can detect the problem in this manner without having to go through every possible reason. It may also be convenient and simple for them to return to business without having to spend countless hours on it.

The next step is to communicate with your customers once the problem has been identified. If there is a blackout, it is critical for businesses to communicate with their customers. Customers will be advised before purchasing anything online or in-store in this manner. To announce the outage, the business owner should post on social media so your customers can also share their story or to their friends about any store updates. Failure to communicate with customers will leave them frustrated and never to return to your store.

If your payment processor is not working, you can always set up alternative payment methods for your consumers. Offer Paypal, Amazon Pay, and other payment methods that consumers can pay wirelessly and can be more convenient for them. There are many options that can help consumers still purchase at your store. As long as you keep these suggestions in mind and know how to solve them you are on your way to beating a credit card outage!

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Submit the form or call us at (888) 990-9913 to take the first step in getting the best credit card processing solution for your business!

By Marko Georgiev