Accept Echecks to Get More Orders 

The more payment options travel merchants offer customers, the more sales will be made.

When you accept checks online, sales increase up to 30%.  You capture sales from customers who do not have cards, are maxed out on cards, or who simply prefer to pay you with an electronic check.

Echecks are the most popular alternative payment for US buyers.  If you don't offer echecks, you are losing sales to your competitors who do.  

eChecks Benefits Compared to Cards

These days most travel reservations are made online. Yet, card processing is expensive and risky.  And travel merchant accounts are difficult to obtain and maintain.  

Travel businesses are considered high risk merchants for card processors due to the risk of chargebacks.  Travelers can chargeback a transaction for up to 180 days after the purchase is made.  

A chargeback can occur for actual fraud or for what is known as “friendly fraud".  Friendly fraud is a greater risk for travel merchant credit card processing than actual fraud.

With friendly fraud, a legitimate transaction is disputed by the customer based on spurious reasons. Usually, the main reason behind the dishonest behavior is the intention of obtaining a refund for payments that cannot be refunded on request, such as a hotel reservation for which the customer never showed up. 

How E Checks Reduce Chargeback Risks

Echecks give you proven payment method to substantially decrease your risk for credit card chargebacks.  The more transactions you can process with electonic checks instead of cards, the fewer chargebacks will impact your card processing account.  

The chargeback period for echecks is 40-60 days (depending upon the method of processing the echeck).  Card transactions can be charged back for up to 180 days.  Therefore, your risk for contingent liabilities are significantly shorter with electronic check processing.  

And it is much more difficult for travelers to chargeback an electronic check transaction.  Travelers must contact their bank to dispute the transaction. Documents must be presented to prove the case.  Some banks require travelers to sign an affidavit.  

It takes a great deal of time and effort to dispute an electronic check transaction.  Far more than it takes to dispute a card payment where the traveler simply needs to call their issuing bank.  

Growth in Travel Industry

Whether it is a matter of entertainment, self-discovery, exploration, or relaxation, people love to travel.  In addition to leisure travel, many customers travel for business.  Travel is among the fastest growing industries in the world.

 The US Travel Association points out that the traveling industry is one of the biggest employers and the largest exporter of services.  In 2014 alone, the travel sector produced an economic output of $2.1 trillion, and its volume is expected to rise by 4.3 percent annually until 2020.

Travel  trends of 2015 show increasing use of mobile technology and social media. Other emerging trends will make long-haul traveling more tempting, and will improve customers’ experience through faster boarding and more comfortable plane seats.  

Conclusion

The key for any industry to achieve maximum profits is to meet customer demands.  American travelers expect to be offered different payment methods when booking online.  If you offer only cards, you are leaving money on the table. 

Electronic checks are a familiar and trusted alternative payment method. Millions of American travelers regularly pay for goods & services with echecks.

Accept checks online.  Accept check by phone, mail, and fax orders.   

Echecks are convenient for your customers.  And profitable for you.

Interested in finding out more about increasing your sales with echecks?

Contact info@nationalach.com today.