ASSOCIATION MERCHANT ACCOUNTS

Attract new members and streamline operations by obtaining an NDMS merchant account. Approximately 9 in 10 U.S. consumers carry at least one payment card for convenience, flexibility or to earn benefits from a loyalty card program. Many associations accept payment cards as an attractive alternative to cash and checks for initial and recurring dues.

Credit card acceptance offers some important benefits to nonprofit associations and societies including:

  • Faster Payments. With fewer payment problems and delays, card acceptance can mean that your organization receives donations more quickly.
  • Reduced Solicitations. NDMS can help facilitate recurring payments from your contributors.

Membership Retention

Considering administrative costs, meeting the challenge of retaining membership is never easy. Credit card acceptance can help reach your retention goals by enabling your membership to automatically renew while reducing your overhead. Keep card account data current with the NDMS Automatic Billing Updater. If you maintain card-on-file data for your customers’ automatic recurring bill payments, you face the challenge of card payments that decline due to account changes that have not been communicated to you with each billing period. Declines compromise revenue flow and are inconvenient to customers as well. They also increase your direct and indirect expenses by forcing you to contact customers for either updated account information or alternate payment arrangements.  NDMS Automatic Billing Updater helps to ensure uninterrupted payments for you and uninterrupted service for your customers by seamlessly updating card-on-file account information. This also helps maintain and build customer satisfaction.

Recurring Payments

Today, many businesses, as well as consumers, are looking for ways to make paying bills more convenient. And, chances are, many of them are your customers. Recurring payments – when your customer authorizes you to bill a payment card account monthly, quarterly or annually – can give them the convenience they want.  Payment amounts can be fixed or fluctuate and payment agreements can exist indefinitely, providing the easiest way to ensure timely payment. This also brings a host of benefits for you, including a significant competitive advantage.

In fact, automatic bill payment has become a leading method for paying recurring bills. Consumer research reveals that 46% of consumers with recurring bills would switch service providers if a competitor offered a recurring payment option by credit or debit card with all other equal factors.

Benefits to Merchants

  • Satisfy demand for payment card options
  • Reduce payment-related customer service calls
  • Improve cash flow and reduce exposure to lost payments and bad checks
  • Reduce delinquencies
  • Improve collections
  • Increase customer retention

Benefits to Cardholders

  • Convenience of setting up account payments once
  • Time-savings by writing fewer checks
  • Relief from stress by knowing bills are paid on time
  • Cost savings on postage
  • Earning points/frequent flyer miles in eligible rewards programs