Merchant Link SecurityCents

SILVER SPRING, MD (April 23, 2012) – Merchant Link, a leading provider of payment gateway and data security solutions, today announced it has been designated by AmericInn International, LLC as the preferred provider of payment and data security services for its franchisees. AmericInn® is one of the fastest growing limited service lodging chains with over 260 locations in 27 states. Locations utilizing an integrated property management system for payments are now required to install the Merchant Link solution.

“As credit card data breaches continue to make headlines, and as we continue to grow our business, we knew we had to do everything possible to secure the personal data of our guests,” shared Mark Nicpon, CIO, of AmericInn International, LLC. “Merchant Link’s hosted solution secures cardholder data from the moment of capture and ensures data is not stored anywhere on premise. The solution also helps ease PCI compliance effort and cost for our franchisees.”

The comprehensive solution incorporates the Merchant Link Payment Gateway, TransactionVault tokenization and TransactionShield point-to-point encryption technology. The Merchant Link Payment Gateway provides connectivity to all major processors and sends payments quickly, while detecting and correcting errors along the way. TransactionVault removes guest credit card data from hoteliers’ systems and stores it in a secure, hosted “vault” – away from the business and safe from hackers. TransactionShield encrypts data at the point of interaction and protects it as it travels through the hotel’s IT environment. Decryption occurs within Merchant Link’s cloud-based payment gateway, reducing the risk of comprise.

“AmericInn understands the importance of processing payment transactions securely as well as the value of the support services we provide their franchisees to access information and immediately remediate problems,” said Dan Lane, Merchant Link’s President and CEO. “We are proud that AmericInn has selected Merchant Link as the brand standard for its franchisees and we look forward to working with them.”

Installations are already underway and adoption across the entire chain is expected to be complete over the next 12 months.

About AmericInn
AmericInn® is a leading mid-scale lodging chain with over 260 locations currently open or under development in 27 states. The brand is dedicated to providing an exceptional lodging value for its guests by offering great rates and amenities such as free, hot, home-style AmericInn Perk breakfast, free hotel-wide wireless high-speed Internet, inviting swimming pools and Easy Rewards. AmericInn is part of Northcott Hospitality, owner and developer of successful franchised hospitality brands for more than 50 years. For more information on AmericInn development opportunities visit www.AmericInnDREAM.com or call 1-866-220-7140. For AmericInn reservations visit www.AmericInn.com or call 1-800-634-3444.

Options to include hosted payment page and encryption

SILVER SPRING, MD (April 16, 2012) – Merchant Link, a leading provider of payment gateway and data security solutions, today announced that it is developing an innovative e-commerce solution for merchants to process payments securely in card-not-present environments.

Working closely with industry-leading partners, Merchant Link will offer two options to secure
e-commerce transactions and online payments:

• Hosted Solution: This option will enable a secure process to route sensitive cardholder data directly from the checkout page to the Merchant Link gateway while preserving the look and feel of the merchant website, enabling a seamless user experience.
• Encrypted Solution: This option will encrypt sensitive cardholder data at the moment of capture and prevent such data from being available to the e-commerce application or merchant.

Both options will significantly improve data security while reducing PCI scope and costs by blocking merchant access to cardholder data, the encryption and decryption environments, and to key management operations.

“This offering reflects our ongoing commitment to expand the breadth and depth of our services to provide merchants with all the options, security, support and flexibility they need when it comes to payments,” said Dan Lane, Merchant Link’s President and CEO.

The new solution is expected to be available by the end of the year.

Webcast #4 in our payments education series is up!

In this video, we take a look at merchant services, pricing, and what you can do to better manage your processing costs.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

Motion Computing, a leading global provider of tablet PCs and supporting mobility solutions, recently announced the availability of the Motion® CL900 SlateMate™ – the first tablet PC with an integrated magnetic stripe reader and barcode scanner. The tablet integrates Merchant Link’s TransactionShield solution to ensure cardholder data is never vulnerable while it’s being processed.
 
Following is an exclusive podcast with Mike Stinson, VP of Marketing at Motion Computing, who discusses trends in mobile point-of-sale solutions and the tablet form factor in retail environments.

Combined gateway, tokenization and point-to-point encryption solution to be integrated into another major point-of-sale system

SILVER SPRING, MD (March 26, 2012) – Merchant Link, a leading provider of payment gateway and data security solutions, and XPIENT Solutions, a leading provider of point-of-sale, back office, and enterprise management technologies for restaurants, today announced a partnership that allows restaurant operators to increase the security of their payment transactions and cardholder data and benefit from the flexibility and support of a payment gateway service.
 
“We know restaurateurs are looking for ways to address the ongoing threat of theft and fraud, and we were impressed with Merchant Link’s solution that secures both data in-flight and at rest,” said Christopher Sebes, XPIENT’s President and CEO. “Our customers will also value the flexibility of Merchant Link’s processor-neutral gateway as well as the ability to bolster loyalty programs using Merchant Link’s card-based tokens.”
 
The integration pairs XPIENT’s innovative point-of-sale (POS) system with Merchant Link’s Payment Gateway, TransactionVault tokenization and TransactionShield point-to-point encryption solutions. Certification is complete and the first beta site is expected to be live within a few weeks.
 
“XPIENT is a recognized leader in the industry, working with some of the biggest brands and specializing in the quick service restaurant (QSR) segment where we are expanding,” said Dan Lane, Merchant Link’s President and CEO. “This partnership makes sense for both companies to be able to offer more options in the increasingly complex and varied world of payments today.”

Webcast #3 in our payments education series is up!

In this video, we take a closer look at interchange and at the various ways you can keep costs as low as possible.

Check it out and let us know what you think.

The 2012 Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference (MURTEC) show starts today, otherwise known as the “The Gold Standard Restaurant Technology Event,” bringing together more than 225 restaurant technology, finance and operations professionals for three days of peer-to-peer exchange of ideas and best practices. Merchant Link will be there and reporting back on all the tech talk and trends.

One of the many things people will be buzzing about is Hospitality Technology’s 2012 Restaurant Technology Study. Among this year’s results, in the area of PCI compliance/security, restaurant operators are moving away from the belief that:

• PCI compliance is the responsibility of the vendor (48% agreed in 2011, 38% agreed in 2012).
• PCI compliance guarantees there will be no breach (22.8% agreed in 2011, 13.8% agreed in 2012).

These trends indicate that the message about PCI as best practice, not a guarantee – is finally getting through, and that businesses are taking greater ownership when it comes to compliance.

In our own business, we see evidence of these trends, as more and more merchants are asking us to help them get rid of sensitive cardholder data on their networks altogether. Restaurant chains like Silver Diner, are taking a layered approach to prevent a data breach. Using tokenization and point-to-point encryption, Silver Diner not only enhanced their security, they were able to achieve significant reductions in PCI scope and costs. Check out the case study we just posted to learn more.

And let us know your thoughts on compliance by leaving a comment below.

Last week, we introduced a unique educational series focused on the fundamentals of credit card processing.

Today, we bring you webcast #2!  “Understanding Transaction Fees” provides insight on the different types of transactions fees and how are they calculated and collected.

Check it out and let us know what you think by leaving a comment below.

New Partnership Allows Ski Resorts to Manage All Payment Transactions from Any Point-of-Sale Across the Resort

SILVER SPRING, MD (February 28, 2012) — Merchant Link, a leading provider of payment gateway and data security solutions, and Transaction Resources, Inc. (TRI), a provider of innovative payment processing solutions, have announced a partnership that allows ski resorts and other hospitality providers to obtain enhanced security and support for their payment transactions – from lift ticket sales, to food and beverage transactions, to hotel bookings, spa services and more.

Eight ski resorts throughout the U.S. have already implemented this integrated solution, which includes the Merchant Link Payment Gateway™ and TransactionVault™, Merchant Link’s tokenization solution that replaces each card number with tokens. TRI and their clients will have the ability to add TransactionShield™, Merchant Link’s point-to-point encryption solution. Four additional implementations are expected to be complete by Q2.

“We are very pleased with how smoothly all of the accounts are being boarded and with all the positive feedback we are receiving about the Merchant Link service,” said David Frick, President TRI. “Thanks to this partnership, we can offer a solution that streamlines and secures payments across multiple channels, easing the administrative burden for our hospitality customers. We looked at other solutions and partners, and did not find the same level of flexibility and personalized support offered by Merchant Link.”

Merchant Link’s Payment Gateway provides significant advantages over premised-based or direct connect systems. These benefits include better reliability, flexibility and control, as well as real-time reporting and easy implementation. From a security perspective, the cloud-based gateway solution and added tokenization technology removes all cardholder data from the merchant’s IT environment – dramatically reducing the risk of a data breach while reducing PCI scope.

“TRI is an ideal partner for Merchant Link,” said Dan Lane, CEO of Merchant Link. “We both have a   passion for customer service and innovation. Together, we hope to help ski resorts and other untapped markets realize the benefits a robust payment gateway and security solution can provide in the ever-evolving, complex world of payments today.”

About Transaction Resources, Inc.

Transaction Resources, Inc. (TRI) offers innovative payment processing solutions by combining the latest technologies and a passion for customer service. Since 1993, the company’s key markets have grown to include retail, restaurant, lodging and resort industries. Its employees bring years of experience from hardware & software providers, network processors, banks and merchants. CardDog, a dynamic gift and loyalty system, is the latest product in the company’s committed growth as a leading payments provider. For more information on TRI and CardDog, visit www.transactionresources.com and www.carddog.com.

With 2011 and the “Year of the Data Breach” behind us, the hospitality sector still faces a world of challenges when it comes to payment security.  As such, many in the industry are wondering what’s next when it comes to payment technology and security best practices.  The SecurityCents blog aims to answer this question and much more in a series of podcasts with experts who will shine a light on trends for the next 12 months.

Today, we are speaking with Abby Lorden, the editor-in-chief of Hospitality Technology Magazine, who provides key insights into the latest issues and product innovations hospitality providers will be focused on in 2012.