You may be surprised to find out that merchants are not always required to ask for your ID when you make a purchase with your credit card. While it’s perfectly okay for a merchant to ask for your ID, you can refuse to provide it and they have no right to refuse the use of your credit card for the purchase of your merchandise.

Cash transactions are becoming rarer every day as consumers make the switch to credit and debit cards. Businesses must offer these payment options to stay competitive. Fortunately, today's credit card systems for small business are more secure than ever, thanks to EMV technology.

Merchant service fees are a tax-deductible cost of running your business. These credit card fees pay the costs associated with authenticating each credit card, maintaining the card processing infrastructure and assuming some liability for credit fraud.

Though US consumers only hold 24 percent of the world's credit cards, they are the most frequent targets of stolen data. In fact, a 2015 reports notes that 47 percent of global credit card fraud happens in the US. Major incidents involving stolen data from retail and restaurant chains made international headlines and caused those companies massive financial losses. One of the primary reasons that US cardholders have historically been easy targets is the country's long delay in adopting smart chip credit card systems.

Whether you're buying gifts online or in store, you're probably going to be using your credit or debit card this holiday season. Here's our best advice for keeping your bank account safe when making a purchase with your credit or debit card:

Traveling and shopping online at stores outside of the country are both great ways to broaden your horizons. And while those pursuits have entirely different goals, they have one very big thing in common -- foreign transaction fees.

With 88 percent of Americans owning and using credit cards, accepting card payments at your business can be a great way to appeal to customers. Fewer people are carrying cash and check payments can take time to clear, hindering cash flow for many small and growing businesses. Let's look at the process for accepting and setting up a credit card machine at your business.

While Apple might call their elimination of the iPhone headphone jack on the forthcoming iPhone 7 a move of "courage,” it's left many Americans irritated over their music attachments becoming obsolete.

Mobile credit card processing lets vendors take payments from almost anywhere and is becoming increasing popular. According to a BI Intelligence report, the amount of businesses taking mobile payments will grow 80% from 2015 to 2020. However, mobile processing brings with it unique challenges and potential weaknesses. By following a few key principles for mobile payment systems, users can ensure a smooth and secure process for both vendors and buyers.

It's easy to overlook the benefits of accepting credit cards at your business. As a line item, credit card processing fees may cause small-business owners frustration. However, credit card processing fees are the cost of doing business and come with their own benefits.

Some adventurous small-business owners are experimenting with accepting bitcoin in payment for their products and services. While this all-digital currency may evolve into a practical payment method sometime in the future, right now it offers little benefit to you or your customers. Here's a quick comparison between bitcoin and credit cards.

As a business owner, you don’t enjoy the same protections against credit card fraud that federal law extends to consumers. If you lose money due to someone making a purchase with a stolen credit card, you have only a 60 percent chance of recouping your loss. In 2014, credit card fraud cost U.S. business owners over $32 billion. Here’s a quick review of basic measures you can take to protect your business from credit card fraud.