As you know, I try to dig up special deals for my subscribers. Here's one that some of you may find worthwhile.

Quite a few people have asked me for info on getting merchant accounts, accepting credit cards online, etc. It's an important part of business, and can help boost sales by as much as 400%.

The problem for some people is that they either have poor (or no) credit, haven't been in business long enough, or don't have a retail store front. Not a problem any longer.

Here's the offer.

First, the lease is $39.95 per month, as opposed to fees as high as $69.95 through many service providers. The lease is transferable.

Covers the 5 major credit cards.

This is lease-to-own. If you want to skip the lease payments, you can buy it out up front for $1195. While most will prefer the month-to-month arrangement, this option is good for our friends in Canada. Yes, you can get a merchant account through this company (Ecommerce Exchange) if you live in Canada.

The discount rate (the percentage the credit card company charges to process the charge) is 2.25%. The per transaction fee is 30 cents. These are very competitive.

This account includes the merchant account itself, online processing (real time) via a secure web page, and the ability to take checks online. The web pages are housed on the companies server, and you can link to them from your site. They can handle orders from most popular shopping cart software. Web pages can be customised with your logo and web site style. There is no extra charge for this service.

Processing takes, usually, 5 seconds. When the sale is approved, you are sent an email telling the customers name, address, what they ordered, and the address to ship the product to.

Funds are deposited in your business or personal checking account within 48 hours of approval.

If you're looking for a merchant account for an offline business, you can also get the software to process charges, or even a terminal for slightly more.

In most cases, approval and activation of the account is done within a week or less. The only ones who won't be approved are those currently in bankruptcy or who have previous convictions for bank fraud or similar offenses.

Application is by phone. You won't need to supply tax records, employment verification, or a business checking account. No home inspection or reserve account necessary.

This is the most convenient system I have seen, and easily the most friendly to small businesses that are based at home or online. It's not something you want to do on a lark, but if you have been looking at merchant accounts, you'll know these are great terms.

Note: Mention that you want the offer for TalkBiz subscribers, and they'll waive the application fee and setup fee. Your only cost to get started will be your first month's lease payment.