I run a UK based hosting company but need desperate help with Billing my customers.

I wish to accept MasterCard, Visa, Switch, Solo and Amex but the US payment companies such as Revecom do not allow Switch and Solo which are widely used in the UK. I also want to charge in GBP and not USD

Are there any UK based companies that offer online payment processing and don't require you to have a business acount with a Bank.

I know of WorldPay but I am little put off by the application process.

If the answer is no how hard is it to be accpeted onto a Business account with Barclays Bank so I can use EPDQ.

Hi,

The major problem with these payment systems is that UK banks and financial regulations are very tight. Getting a business account with a bank is dead easy. The major problem you'll have is getting an appointment with the w***** commonley known as the Business Banking Advisor - or whatever name they go by this week. If you've been with the bank for a long time as a personal customer they will just tell you what to do and within a few days you will have a business account.

However, if you have any CCJ's or convictions for fraud (I believe these are checked I told you they were tight) then you might get refused. Once you have the business account you can then go and get setup with EPDQ - but this means talking to the w***** down the bank :-( - or you can fill in the paper work on World Pays website. Who should then approve you within a few days. But don't get too excited you cant actually do anything till you have your test system running with their system and they have again approved that.. In total it takes about a week to get going once you've paid. If you are serious don't even think about using these US based services. They can open you up to LOADs of DATA protection issues. Also if your servers are based in the US then you may need to get legal advice.

Gareth Robins

Thank for your excellent help and advice.

I do not have any bad credit or fraud convictions so going by what you said I should'nt have a problem obtaining a business account and thus using EPDQ. Hoever can you expalin further about what you were saying concerning the US servers and legal advice?.

Thanks

Basically if your customers enter their details and they are transfered or stored on servers in the US then that information is exported outside the UK. Sorry I cant be more exact but I cant find the details at the moment.

If you are a UK based company and you store account information (information/data required for core business function) then you do not have to register with the Data Protection Registrar if that data is stored within the UK. However, I understand you MUST register if that data moves outside the UK. This is quite sensible as I understand US data protection legislation is basically non-existant. But as I said I am NO legal expert, pleaes take what I write with a very large PINCH of salt. You need to find a legal brain and ask them your legal position if you servers are located outside UK.


Gareth Robins

For the credit card payment we use worldpay.com.

Not sure if there are any other options really if you want to take switch/solo cards.

They have been great to us for the time we have been with them (over a year)

Thanks

Craig.

We use SecureTrading, excellent UK based company who take all the major cards and have an excellent customer support record with us during our time with them.

Thought I'd give them a pug so to speak as they never get mentioned here.

Do secure trading require a Business Acount with a Bank?

We used EPDQ from barclays but have recently moved to worldpay. (The main reason for this is moving banks to NatWest, who use worldpay).
EPDQ is very similar to worldpay. I actualy prefer worldpay though as EPDQ has just changed there system and is very basic. You cannot change or add to the reciept the customer gets and you are limited in the vairables you can send to the EPDQ server.
That is unless you go for the full set up on your own servers)
I would recommend worldpay over EPDQ.

If you go with EPDQ you could always look at www.securehosting.com to do your transactions. They are very good and you also get full credit card numbers of your customers. If you use the EPDQ terminal you just get the stars.
securehosting, not bad price and are affiliated Barclays EPDQ set up company

Hello

Don't go to a bank for a business account.
They will just get confused.
We have two business accounts, one with Abbey National and one with Bank of Scotland.
Both done through their business telephone banking service.
I have never met the person from the bank and have no intention of.

I am basically a fan of Worldpay but they are starting to behave a bit oddly.
For example they are attempting to change the terms and conditions of their charge back insurance retrospectively and claw back refunds made under the scheme.
We have already instructed our solicitor (attorney) on the matter and he has confirmed that they can't do it retrospectively.
The problem is they can just debit the money from our balance in their system so we will be getting an intermin interdict (temorary restraining order) to prevent them doing it.

I just go off the phone with them and they are starting to back pedal under the threat of action.

This incident has certainly set alarm bells ringing.
Its not ahuge amount of money either but we pay the solicitors enough we might as well give them something to do........

Gordon


The bits in () are for our American friends.

Thank to everyones advice it has been most helpfull. One question though I have gone through the worldpay web-site and have senn that we could stand to lose £50 if our application is turned down what is the likelyhood my application would be turned down. I have no bad credit, CCJ etc.