Sales-driven technology for agents, merchants

Founded in 1992 on the philosophy of "helping American businesses prosper," North American Bancard LLC has grown from a one-employee operation into a 600-employee enterprise with a network of more than 4,000 sales partners and ISOs, and over 250,000 merchants who process about $13 billion in annual transaction volume.

In building an infrastructure to support its growth over the past two decades, NAB has emphasized the engineering of proprietary technologies. "I think the differential we bring from a total ecosystem perspective is that we lead with technology," said Marc Gardner, President and Chief Executive Officer of NAB. "We look for the opportunity to leverage our proprietary technology to aid in the efficiency of our overall operations for our agents and ISOs."

NAB has also advanced its mobile initiatives with the recent rollout of the NAB Phone Swipe Free Tablet Placement Program, comprising an iPad, POS stand and card reader offered for free to merchants, who are charged a flat transaction fee regardless of card type. They also receive next day funding. Initially via its PayAnywhere mobile card processing program and now through its free tablet program, NAB has made inroads into the mobile world - directly and through major retailers.

All systems go

NAB also employs a joint venture approach with all sales channels through its National Sales Group. The company recently introduced a "Freedom Program," enabling agents to set pricing, place free equipment, eliminate cancellation fees and earn full bonuses. This includes an initial $3,000 signing bonus and up to $1,000 per merchant signed thereafter, the company stated.

NAB's Registered ISO Program provides tools and support for promoting business expansion. "We offer unlimited capital to build their brand, hire staff and assist with registration fees that add up to thousands of dollars," Gardner said. "We provide the back-office infrastructure including sub-agent payments and reporting, free merchant statement analysis, and full in-house sales partner support, including access to third-party solutions experts."

Sales partners in the Midwest also can place Micros Systems Inc. POS systems - free of charge - to restaurant and hospitality merchants. In addition, NAB has developed business solutions for all major industry segments, including retail, petroleum/convenience, grocery, business-to-business, service, financial and e-commerce businesses.

To facilitate conversion of government and public sector agencies from paper-based processing to automated electronic payment and remittance, NAB acquired Point & Pay LLC in 2010. "With our Point & Pay technology, we provide fully integrated payment solutions for local and state governments, courts, law enforcement agencies, utility companies, learning institutions, rental properties, healthcare providers and more," Gardner said.

Maintaining the edge

Staying ahead of the technology curve is an ongoing process for NAB, which continually upgrades its agent and merchant portals by integrating advanced features. "We actually have a new release coming out with an enhanced reporting solution and enhanced dashboard solution," Gardner said. "As technology improves, we're working to put a fresh face on these customer-facing sites."

For example, at NAB's transactional activity portal, agents can apply a variety of data sets to their compensation reporting. Gardner noted that an agent can select merchant categories or standard industry codes, or even geographies based on revenue generated, and use that data to target certain types of businesses or locations that show promise.

To monitor merchant portfolio activity, NAB instituted an email alert system, which notifies agents via email or text message when a predetermined event occurs, such as when a new account accepts its first transaction, account volume falls below or rises above a certain threshold, or an account stops processing or is closed.

Each new agent who enrolls in the NAB University online program can access video training, resources and webinars supported by a New Agent Relationship Trainer. NAB also provides a healthcare program. "We allow you to select whatever health plan works for you," NAB reported on its website. "Then we'll reimburse half of your premium every month."

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