Eyeing Europe for an Offshore Merchant Account

Choosing the country where you want to set your offshore merchant account can be at most, tricky and confusing. With a lot of countries lining up at your doorstep, picking the “one” means closely examining their attributes and what they have to offer.

So, let me give you a good headstart on knowing the best possible choice to set up an offshore merchant account. Banks across Europe have the edge in accommodating merchant accounts, especially those who operate high risk businesses. We can categorize adult, travel, online pharmacy, online gambling, telemarketing, multilevel marketing, high volume, escort service, and dating service under the the high risk nature. Why Europe, you may ask. Europe boasts of their flexible terms applied with strict confidentiality yet bounded by law.

Best places in Europe

Now that you have a specific continent in mind, Europe, that is, it is more prudent to select from the countries in this continent to which you will have a fruitful business dealing with. Recommended are Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Sweden, and Cyprus. Tax jurisdictions in these countries range from 10-31%.

Multi-currency capability

Europe banks empowers merchants to settle and transact in multiple currencies which includes US Dollar, British Pound, Euro, Swedish Kroner and Swiss Francs to a direct merchant account. Also, aspiring offshore merchant account holders can have the luxury of using a payer authentication solution for Verified by Visa and MasterCard® SecureCode™ provided by merchant account providers setting up in Europe. You'll be able to enjoy this feature with these benefits:

* protection from fraudulent transactions

* safeguard from unauthorized payments

* offers a chargeback liability shift

Read the whole article for the criteria merchants need to fulfill:

Eyeing Europe for an Offshore Merchant Account

Why Panama is an Offshore Merchant Account Haven

You need to go the distance for a reliable offshore merchant account. Going the extra mile can't be that faraway though, you have Panama to go to.

When offshore merchant account is the hot topic of the moment, we talk about a merchant account set up outside of US shores. Generally, this type of merchant account caters to high risk businesses such as adult, travel, telemarketing, online pharmacy, high volume, lottery,and multilevel marketing. This businesses are considered a few notches higher in terms of risk and therefore have encountered hard and unfortunately, unsuccessful times in getting merchant accounts in their local banks.

There are many countries that are also friendly and most willing to accommodate offshore merchant accounts, but what makes Panama so special? Here's the reasons why:

* Secrecy and anonymity is protected by the statute

* Zero requirements in revealing beneficial owners

* Zero requirements in filing financial statements

* Zero requirements on holding shareholders' or directors' meetings.

* 100% tax exemption of businesses having merchant accounts in Panama but actual operation on foreign country.

* Merchant-friendly and flexible charging of fees.

* Zero capital requirements

* Registration fees on capital are to a minimal rate.

* Businesses can issue bearer or registered shares.

* All nationalities are eligible to be shareholders, director and officer

But you don't have to go the distance in getting relevant information on offshore merchant accounts set up in Panama, read the whole article for more:

Why Panama is an Offshore Merchant Account Haven

Offshore Merchant Account Revelations on Credit Card Terminal Scams

In order to have a smooth processing of your credit card payments for your offshore merchant account, you need a reliable and up-to-date credit card terminal. Now, with all the terminals being introduced almost every month, heck, every week, how would you know what to grab?

How it works

Credit card terminals are commonly seen in restaurant and retail businesses. Terminals appear in three versions; the traditional terminal, wireless credit card terminal, and the virtual terminal. The traditional terminal has a magnetic stripe reader, a keypad to enter prices and other information, and a small display. The displays are usually measured line lines and columns: an 8 x 20 display has 8 lines of text, 20 columns wide.

Wireless credit card terminals have built-in printers that enable you to carry it around. The factors you need to seriously consider are battery life, range, weight, and shock-resistance since it is going to be at arm's length during business hours.

When you talk about virtual terminals, it is a software that handles the credit card transaction, you simply type in the credit card number and the software handles the authorization.

Read for more details:

Offshore Merchant Account Revelations on Credit Card Terminal Scams

Online Pharmacy Guidelines that Every Pharmacy Merchant Account Holder Should Know

Opening up an online pharmacy business is considered high risk. Many are called but only a few take the plunge. Operating this business means abiding to a set of guidelines that pharmacy merchant account holders should have knowledge of.


Avoid pulling a Stallone

A lot of people turn to online pharmacies for non-commercial medicines and body supplements. It is important to know the rules in order to avoid any run-ins with the law. Strict guidelines are being imposed so that You don't want your customer to experience a Sylvester-Stallone-arrested-in-Australia kick, right?

Go with the FDA

What you must remember is to, as much as possible, side with the guardian of public health, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Quoting from their mission statement, “The FDA is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA is also responsible for advancing the public health by helping to speed innovations that make medicines and foods more effective, safer, and more affordable; and helping the public get the accurate, science-based information they need to use medicines and foods to improve their health.”

Know their scope and the importation and shipping guidelines by reading the whole article:

Online Pharmacy Guidelines that Every Pharmacy Merchant Account Holder Should Know

Get Out of the Dark: Know the Hidden Offshore Merchant Account Fees

When it comes to money matters, follow the golden rule: verify. The same goes with offshore merchant account fees , verify before you say yes and sign your name into any contract given to you.

Knowing if the fees can be really tricky. There are charges that go unnoticed or are deliberately hidden to lure you into a false sense of security. Knowledge of these “kept” fees is an effective way to spare you the shock of a high offshore merchant account monthly statement.

Dare to ask

When you're face to face with your offshore merchant account provider, never be afraid to throw in questions about the charges included in the contract. Don't let the meeting end if you still have bugs circling in your stomach, so to speak. Ask the four W's:

● What are these fees?
● When are they going to be charged?
● Why are they being charged?
● Where are they going to be put?

Asking will never hurt, better to have asked than knowing nothing at all. Check out the whole article for more information:

Get Out of the Dark: Know the Hidden Offshore Merchant Account Fees

Sources of Migraines of High Risk Businesses

Owners of high risk businesses, such as adult website, online pharmacy, online gambling, travel, telemarketing, dating service, escort service, lottery ticket, and multilevel marketing, have more reasons to endure more hours of pouring over business challenges. Staying positive, they say is what makes a business survive longer. But, I see no reason on why we can't dwell on what we are actually having difficulties with.

Problems are inevitable in a high risk business' setting. You could see below what are the businesses that are considered high risk:


●High volume
●Online Pharmacy
●Online Gambling
●Travel
●Adult Website
●Telemarketing
●Dating Service
●Escort Service
●Lottery Ticket
●Multilevel marketing


They are labeled as high risk because of their reputation of having high returns of chargebacks and as fly-by night businesses. The owners encounters dark and difficult times just to get merchant accounts to be able to accept payments that will keep the business blood flowing. In the long run, they either end up with a high risk merchant account or an offshore merchant account.

Read the whole article to be enlightened:

Common Headaches of High Risk Businesses

What an Address Verification Service Can Do for your Offshore Merchant Account

Accepting credit card payments has always involved risks. Be it in a physical storefront, Mail Order-Telephone Order (MOTO), or in what we are discussing, in an online setting, the possibility of encountering fraud and other scrupulous doings are waiting to happen but nevertheless can be avoided. Remember, credit card transactions will only have names and information, you just have the power to verify.

What AVS basically does is to verify the personal address information, plus the billing information given by the customer during the online credit card transaction, with the information filed on the credit card issuer. Sounds like a long process, considering if you have unlimited transactions on a daily basis.

That's why you need to get the Address Verification Service (AVS) to guard your offshore merchant account that will handle your credit card transactions.

Never will it hurt for you to read the whole article:

What an Address Verification Service Can Do for your Offshore Merchant Account