CrossCheck Blog

Here at CrossCheck, I am fortunate to attend a variety of payments industry events, such as the CardNotPresent Expo (CNP) last month, and two previous conferences by the Information Security Media Group, the world’s largest media organization devoted solely to information security and risk management. Seminar sessions are offered at most of these events, and the informational sharing is invaluable. I thought I had a good understanding of the perils involved in accepting payments, but I was very surprised to learn at the CNP Expo that fraud is now increasing auto dealership risk. If your dealership has not experienced a recent uptick in consumer fraud, you are about to, so you might want to read this.

If you are a merchant, there cannot be too many things that are more aggravating than getting a notice from your bank that you are not going to get paid because a customer put a stop payment on a check written to you. Your first reaction would probably be surprise, then disappointment, and then anger. “How could they do this to me? … I gave them a good product at a good price and I provided good customer service too.” As detailed below, there are legitimate reasons for requesting stop payments. On the other hand, writing a check and then stopping payment to avoid getting charged can be considered check fraud, which is a crime actionable at law. Before we get into all that, let’s look at how a merchant-customer relationship is supposed to work.

Recently Facebook made a big announcement. They are launching their own currency, hoping to go live in the first half of 2020. Actually, it is a cryptocurrency called Libra. They are developing a digital wallet to take the currency, called Calibra. Facebook says that their goal is to bring a new type of digital payment to anyone with a smartphone, which some people say is the functional equivalent of an online digital bank. You buy or cash out your Libra online or at a local exchange point, like a grocery store. You spend it using interoperable third-party wallet apps, or the Calibra wallet that is built into WhatsApp, Messenger, and its own app. The idea is that sending money to friends or paying for something at a merchant is just as easy as sending them a Facebook message.

Returned checks have been a domestic problem ever since checks were introduced in the U.S. by Boston businessmen circa 1681. Solutions vary, including pitches for “free online check verification” or “how to verify funds on a check before it bounces.” The bottom line, however, is that free check verification is as much of a myth as the proverbial free lunch or snake-oil elixirs. The cure, of course, is to contract a check verification and guarantee service provider. Acknowledging this fact, there are four general types of merchants who have or need check processing services: Merchants with check verification or guarantee. Merchants who don’t have check processing services. Merchants who want to accept check payments. Merchants with a returned check problem. Each of their stories is compelling, and each category has valid reasons for functioning with or without check processing services. The variables and outcomes are explored here.

Businesses that accept checks as a form of payment without a check guarantee service should certainly concern themselves with the question, “Who writes bad checks?” These merchants want to avoid accepting bad checks, and they can decrease the likelihood of doing so by better understanding who’s writing them and which check writer characteristics should be monitored.

Buying a house or condo is the most important financial decision that most of us will ever make. It takes a special degree of commitment, dedication, savings, financial expertise … and luck … to reach that level of achievement. Unfortunately, only about 64 percent of American families currently own homes. First-time home owners have a whole new list of things to deal with — mortgage payments, property taxes, home insurance, yard work, and who knows what else! Owning a home is not for everyone, but for many people, it is a lifelong dream. When people buy their first house, they are typically starting with a blank interior canvas. Their goal is to “make a house a home.”

One of the largest events for home furnishings dealers is just around the corner. The Summer Las Vegas Market (LVM) is scheduled for July 28 – August 1 at the World Market Center. This year’s market will showcase a bounty of products, services and educational opportunities for attendees. This is the perfect event for home furnishing professionals such as buyers, retailers and interior designers who want to learn business practices, network with other professionals and see new products on the market.

Cox Automotive’s “Dealership Staffing Study” addresses the dealership staffing challenges that plague auto dealers every day. This study randomly sampled 50 dealerships executives (owners, principals, and GMs), 343 dealership employees, and 834 people from the general U.S. population. Below is a synopsis of the challenges and solutions presented.

“Today is the slowest technology will be in our lifetime,” said Xerox President and COO Steve Bandrowczak in a Corporate Board Member article. “The pace of change will accelerate and leadership skills and leading through change are going to create a tremendous amount of winners and losers.” His observation about speed should hold true in places where electricity and internet connections are commonplace while his insights on leadership sound like a corporate application of natural selection.

Did you ever wonder what happens when you use your credit card at a merchant to buy goods or services? If you’re like most people, you probably never give these type of electronic payments a second thought. You just know that everything happens magically and instantly as you insert your chip in the reader or swipe the card, or enter the card information into the merchant’s online payment gateway. The next time you see it is when you get the bill from your card issuing bank a few weeks later. There is a lot going on behind the scenes, and it is pretty interesting how it all works. Here is a high level view of that process, but first a little background.