b'what your business is being charged, while simultaneously allowingSome software providers have enabled their platforms to allow FOGHORN FOCUS the opportunity to manage those fees and detect any upcharges thatany payment acceptance provider to perform the payment com-may have otherwise been hiddenponentiftheirprocessing using publicly available card net- platform is certified to work work fee data.Most businesses find theirwiththesoftwaresystem. Thisopenstructureisideal Still other providers will segregatemerchant services statementfor the business, as it allows cardnetworkfeesandotherex- competitivepricingandthe penses into two or three differentto be complicated and crypticability to work with a provid-ratesthisiscalledatiereddis- er of choice. countratemethodandsaleswilland I couldnt agree more.typically be identified as qualified,When choosing a new soft-mid-qualifiedandnon-qualified.ware system, this should be a In this model, the provider is taking potentially hundreds of differ- consideration, but it may not outweigh other functionality. All entfeesandplacingthemintooneofthesethreebuckets.Whilethings being equal, its best to choose a system that allows you thisiseasierforthebusinesstounderstand,itofteninflates flexibility and choice in payment acceptance.costs unnecessarily. STATEMENTSPROPRIETARY SOFTWARE SYSTEM PROCESSINGMost businesses find their merchant services statement to be VS. OPEN PROCESSINGcomplicated and crypticand I couldnt agree more. Part of the Ifyouhaveapoint-of-saleorbusinessmanagementsystem,complexity is the necessary disclosure of transaction information which usually provides a wide range of software options forand pricing. Providers that pass through card network fees have managing the business such as inventory and ticketing, the soft- more complex statements with a lot of data. However, that is an ware vendor may have an exclusive arrangement with a paymentopportunity for your bookkeeping or finance team to drill down acceptance provider and thus, can lock you into set costs whichinto the expenses and perhaps find opportunities to better man-are typically higher than market rate. age them. A good provider will spend the time reviewing your DOCK TO DOCK EFFICIENCYEachyear,thousandsofpreventablemaritime accidents are caused by operator inattention, cited twice as frequently as the next leading factor. The Furuno BR500 Bridge Navigational Watch Alarm System (BNWAS) helps to prevent these accidents.Scan this code with your smart phone for a Guided Tour of Our waterjets represent the pinnacle of all-roundthe BR500.operational efficiency, agile manoeuvrability, for swift turnarounds, and durability.www.hamiltonjet.com www.FurunoUSA.comFOGHORN 22'