Guest post is provided by Charge.com Payment Solutions, Inc. Charge offers internet merchant accounts for business owners at affordable rates. Visit their website for more information.

Online merchant accounts for credit card processing online are an instrument that greatly affects the success of an online-based business, but they also apply to businesses located at physical locations as well. Starting a new business is a great way to earn some extra income on the side.

Many people start off small, perhaps freelancing in conjunction with their day job, until they have a client base strong enough to lift themselves off the ground. Taking that first leap into starting a new business can be challenging and exciting. All it takes is the right attitude and the right tools, like merchant credit card processing.

Think about it, everyone is shopping online these days. With the emerging technology of the smart phone, easy-to-use store apps are the way to get your customer’s attention. People are using their mobile devices to shop online like never before.

Without some kind of electronic payment gateway and an account with merchant services for credit card processing online, you’ll only be left with archaic means to do business. More and more people are shopping online as the data shows. According to the Forrester Online Retail Forecast, internet retail sales reached a whole of $231 billion.

By 2017, it reports that internet sales will reach $370 billion, a 37.5% increase in just five years. With increased word of mouth marketing through social media platforms such as Facebook, Twiter, Linked-in and review sites like Google Reviews and Yelp, business is going to be ever more virtualized.

Merchant credit card processing is the best way to connect to your customers online. With a no-contract plan and instant approval from a trusted payment solutions company, you have a flexible means to being accepting credit card payments online. Some companies will try and charge you early termination fees.

A good merchant account service knows that if they offer the best services possible, the right customers will stay. This is why a no-contract option for merchant credit card processing is best for fledgling business owners.

Committing to anything more than a month-long contract jeopardizes the new company due the resistance to change. New business owners know that the first decisions they make aren’t always the right ones for them, so opting for a no-contract feature is the best thing you can do for credit card processing online.