There are two ways to do this, install your own switch or purchase cards from someone who can issue them.
Cards that can be used at any merchant and run through their credit card machines are issued by the major credit card companies and banks. The reason they are the only ones that can actually issue such cards is because they are the only ones who can put the cards into the network. They have to identify to the credit card networks that this card is a gift card.
That means in order to sell those cards, you need to purchase those cards from such an issuer. You can not buy some software and buy cards from your blank cards supplier and issue your own cards. For most individual businesses, your economical choice is to go with such a supplier.
For those who want to do more, there are two more options:
develop a portal that delivers transactions into an issuer or
get your own switch on the debit or credit network.
For most individual businesses or small chains, there are a couple of companies that we can refer you to and we can be a consultant in the process of getting signed up with them. Give us a call and we can talk over your needs and how to solve them. (1-800-618-4199)
If you are wanting to have your own portal, you can get a system to gather the transactions from your stores and route them into a bank web portal that actually issues the cards. We have worked with situations like that and can help you.
If you have sufficient capital to play with folks like Visa, First Data, Pulse, etc. and want to have your own system, we have access to a switch that can be certified with those folks.
Ever so often, we have someone ask what it would take to install their own switch. (How much capital is required? Typical installation of a switch will cost anywhere from $500,000 to $1,000,000. Most of that is spent in the customization and certification parts of the project. Remember that if you have a data breach when you have a switch, the fines are on the order of $50,000 per day.)
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