Princess Charlotte's Commemorative Baptism Coin

A Commemorative coin is to be issued for the Baptism of United Kingdom's Princess Charlotte. She was born on May 2nd and her Baptism took place on July 5th.

The coin is decorated with lily and two angels playing the harp, are reminiscent of Princess Charlotte and her 2 year old brother, Prince George.

The center of the coin is imprinted with the words, "To celebrate the Christening of Princess Charlotte Elizabeth Diana of Cambridge 2015"

If you would like to order this coin, you can do so from the link below. 

http://www.royalmint.com/our-coins/events/royal-christening

But really,the Prince and Princess are so adorable

The Figure on the American Express Card

This logo and design that we have all come to recognize as American Express made a debut back in 1958.

Back then, the description of this design was "Gladiator on a shield"
The last time American Express mentioned anything about it's logo was back in 1989 when there was a law suite against Vibra Approved Laboratories over its trademark design. 

However we don't hear much about this  individual so I thought I'd share some interesting facts about him today. This is a design of a gladiator and not a viking  Many people will also confuse the portrait as a centurion solider; most likely because AMEX issues the Centurion Card through its American Express Centurion Bank; but he is not. 

A centurion is an army commander from ancient Rome. Gladiators were present during the same time period, however they had a very different role in society. Gladiators were mostly slaves and prisoners who were forced to battle to the death as a form of entertainment for the rich. They fought against wild animals as well each other, either to win their freedom, or just to survive.  
There are critics who say that the head gear on the American Express logo resembles that of a Centurion rather than a Gladiator's. You can tell that a Centurion's headpiece is significantly more luxurious than one of a Gladiators. 

　　　　　　　　　

Centurion

Gladiator

Many times, movies and TV shows like to exaggerate costumes and props and do not accurately portray historical facts (which are less dramatized.) Perhaps the person who first drew the picture was influenced by these images and thought the logo he drew was an accurate representation of a Roman Gladiator. 

Regardless, the image does not seem to be any specific person of importance from history, rather a simple drawing of a confused, historically inaccurate artist.  

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(866) 953-1766

What does it mean to be a High Risk Merchant?

Have you ever wondered what kind of business would be considered as high risk to merchant service providers? 

Regardless of the type of business, be it restaurants or retail, if the charge back proportion (the amount of payments denied) exceeds 1%, the business would normally be categorized has a high risk merchant and the deal may even be considered as impossible to make 
Even if the business receives telephone solicitation, door-to-door sales, MLM, or is reached out from an order processing agency, once the account is viewed, the business would still be considered as high risk

On the other hand, if the owner of a regular restaurant or small retail store has bad credit history, there is also a possibility the business would be deemed as high risk  
Businesses dealing with high ticket items, or if the volume of transaction is significantly higher than normal, they may also be considered as high risk. 

Here are a few industries that are often treated as high risk: electronic cigarette, medical marijuana, adult store industries, collection agencies, dietary supplement, weapons dealer, tourism, foreign exchange trading, sports information industry and online education. 

It is important to remember that services or commodity stores who charge the customers earlier than when the service or product is delivered have higher charge backs than normal
This would also apply to subscriptions and online memberships.

Of course illegal services, or anything close to it is automatically high risk and may not even be considered for merchant services 

However, remember that just because corresponds to the about mentioned business type, it does not mean that establishing a merchant account is impossible. By changing the payment method, or eliminating some products handled, you may be able to resolve some of the issues that would cause your business to be high risk.

Sometimes, a merchant is willing to allow transaction if you agree to a make a deposit, keep a reserve, or agree to a monthly limit. Through this, you are able to build a trust relationship with the processor and makes it possible for the merchant to help you later on. Having a continuous relationship with a merchant can be an advantage for your business.  

For more information, please contact us 

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Treasury Announces Change on $10 Bill

On June 17th, the US treasury announced that they will be replacing the portrait on the $10 bill from Alexander Hamilton to one of a woman. 
Although they have yet to decided who will be on the note; the bill will be issued on 2020, which corresponds to the 100th anniversary of women's suffrage in America.

There has not been an official list of women to take Hamilton's place on the $10 bill, but some possible candidates such as Harriet Tubman, Eleanor Roosevelt, Rosa Parks, and Wilma Mankira have been sighted often. Treasury Secretary Jaques Roux stated in an interview that it is important to recognize the significant roles women  have played in people's lives and Amrican history.
They plan to announce who would take Hamilton's place by the end of this year. 

 Earlier this year, the "Women on 20's" campaign had launched a petition to replace not Hamilton on the $10 note, but Andrew Jackson on the $20 with Harriet Tubman. The petition did reach President Obama at the White House and in the same year, we are able to see significant steps towards this change.  

One reason why  these changes are happening may have to do with the timing. The federal government is trying to incorporate a new touch feature on the bill for the visually impaired. Although Jackson seemed like a better candidate to replace, the monetary authorities have announced that the $10 bill is more widely used in commerce, and would be a better place to start the redesign. 

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However, soon after this announcement, there has been a rapid growth in opposition since Hamilton is the father of the Treasury and United States. 

No matter who the treasury decided to replace, I think there would always people who would go against the change. 

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Can the world become Cashless?

This week I wanted to continue writing about how other parts of the world are doing in terms of becoming a cashless society.

Sweden has announced its goal to become a classless country by the year 2030.
Already 80% of payments made in stores are either by debit card, credit card, or though mobile payments, so I believe it is safe to say Sweden will reach their goal in the next 15 years. 
However there are both pros and cons for becoming a fully cashless society. In Sweden, although robbery has dropped significantly, fraud has increased; and how to deal with these new challenges are still an ongoing topic of debate.

Besides Sweden, Canada and Australia have also expressed their interest in becoming a cashless society. In Australia, a new debit system called EFTPOS is being widely used and hope to make that the primary payment method. Canada estimated that 90% of purchases are already done though cashless means. They have also changed their bank notes from paper to plastic to increase security as well as longevity. And, 2012 was the last year the Canadian penny was minted. 

America on the other hand, will not be cashless for a while. The data in 2012 shows that 40% of monthly purchases are still made with cash. There are many people who either choose not to, or are not able to have credit cards or bank accounts in this country. Seeing that cash is still needed to ride a bus or buy drinks from the vending machines, we will have a long way to go to become fully cashless.

There may be risks and costs to becoming a cashless society, but personally I believe it is safer than having cash on hand. I am certain that sooner or later the world will be cashless. But, until those who have favored and used cash for many years are gone, it is difficult for the world to be 100% cashless


I feel that newspapers will be going though the same road.  

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Cashless Denmark

Denmark has been slowly shifting its country to become a cashless society. In a recent NPR segment, when the reporter asked customers of a busy pub to raise their hand if they had cash, only two people actually had cash in their wallets. It seems this cashless trend is one the people are pushing for rather than the government forcing upon them. This week the government has announced that in the near future, they plan allow restaurants and retail stores to reject the option of banknotes and coins.  


Starting next year, boutiques, restaurants, gas stations, and electronic stores are not required by law to continue taking cash as a form of payment. Grocery stores, post offices, pharmacy, doctors, and dentists are not qualified for this change and must still allow banknotes as a form of payment.  

The government is strongly in favor of this change; stating once this program is in effect, it will be a burden for both retailer and the financial management. A member of the Chamber of Commerce said, "If all stores chose to receive payments electronically, though card or mobile phone, it will prove to be cheaper and efficient for companies across the country." 

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