What really is the VISA problem?
 

After my initial panic and after reading many comments and infos over the last days I actually sat back and thought if there really is a business threat.

65-70% are VISA charges but how many of the customers only have 1 VISA card? Most people will have different cards like Mastercard. Now when you don't want to pay the 750 or can't (non US corporation) you will loose your rebills but you know those peoples email addresses. You send those an email explaining the new VISA rules and ask them to sign up again using a different card or using another payment method. If you have not tricked your customer and he is satisfied you will get him back. He can use check or WEB900 or a fair dialer to do so even if he doesn't have another credit card.
Sure if you run a shitty site you will loose the customer but well thats not VISA's fault is it?

The only customers we will really loose are the dumb ones that forget that they ever had a subscription with you. Those hurt a bit ( I still have 3 subscriptions for a site that changed the password method in 1998) but this can be survived easily. it might be a little bumpy in November or December but in January it should start to look better again.

Ok now if VISA banns your niche site the same I described above will still be true even better because niche customers are the best customers and stay longer than mainstream customers due to the little competition. And guess what the term 'Banned by VISA' will do for those sites. (I already registered that domain so don't look)

So basically we will loose some money but doing stupid things without thinking might close you down completely. Changing billers and other moves need to be thought over carefully and I am actually thinking if I will use any VISA options in the future with chargeback and refunds treated the same and 1% allowed rates for both.

:Graucho You agitaiting against em "Whose tried of VISA threads?"

If you are in Germany and not using CCBill,IBill,Epoch you got no problems... If you are, then their solution is you open a US Corp and get a Tax Code. Else you will lose your recurring rev.

All this shit, as far as is known, is only a US VISA problem and does not apply to any other global banking regions. Hence, you can signup with a processor outside the VISA US region and trade as normal.

Wendy I am billing with ibill and CCBill and not registered in the US.

YOu only use the convenience of the rebill. You still have the advantage of the contact email over your competition. So contact them explain the stuff and ask them to sign up again using either your new biller or another payment method. If your site sucks you have a problem but if not you get to keep most of them.

Do something like 50% off the first month you resubscribe and you will just loose some money you keep your customer. That's business it requires some work every now and then :winkwink:

Yea.. got that one planned!! Just waiting for some response from any of the three before acting - but doubt they got a solution unless miracles happen:glugglug