The credit card is boon to individuals and business in that they offer a line of credit when essential. However, as with any financial transaction, the lending of credit comes with a price tag, and in the world of credit card processing, the processors charge different types of fees. Here are some basic guidelines towards deciphering the various kinds of fees levied by credit card processing companies.

Types of fees charged by credit card processing agencies fall into the following categories: flat fees, incidental fees, transactional fees and volume based fees.

The various kinds of flat fees levied include:

• Terminal fees which apply to merchants with a point of sale swipe
• Payment gateway fees that are applicable to e-commerce sites that revolve around online transactions
• Payment Card Industry fees that are levied to ensure compliance with the stated credit card norms or as penalty for noncompliance
• Annual fees that are charged by many card providers to renew card membership
• Monthly fees that are charged by the processor to cover the customer helpline costs
• Statement charges that are levied by some processors for proving a hard copy of the monthly statement
• Non-negotiable card network fees

The various kinds of incidental fees include:

• Address verification service fee levied on e-commerce businesses
• Voice authorization fee when you are required to call a toll free number for some requisite verification
• Batch fee for every batch of transactions submitted
• Retrieval request fee which is levied when a customer initiates a request for a charge reversal
• NSF fee or the nonsufficient fund’s fee which is collected when you have a negative account balance

The transactional fees levied by credit card processing agencies include the interchange fees and the assessment fees.

Where flat fees are charged regardless of the volume of business or nature of the transaction, volume based fees are dependent on the amount of business raised by your organization. If you opt for interchange plus pricing, the volume based fee will be a fixed percentage. If you opt for a tiered pricing model, the fees will go into one of three pricing tiers – qualified, mid-qualified and non-qualified.

Now produced by Nike, Converse Chuck Taylors have been around for almost a century. These shoes were typically made to play basketball. But the comfort they provide has made them popular with people across all age groups.

Here are 10 reasons why you should buy a pair now.

• The history is really big on these converse. They were born out of the constant innovation required for footwear in the basketball community.
• They were the first shoes made specifically to play basketball. At a point, 80% of the converse sold were Chuck Taylor’s.
• The Chuck Taylor’s converse you are buying today is the model that was introduced in 1948. So it can be considered a collector’s item.
• Each part of the shoe is intricately designed. The sole is made of brown rubber while the front part is made of white rubber. It is meant to help the person keep their grip. They were the first non-skid shoes ever invented.
• You cannot bruise in these converse shoes. These were made to withstand basketball games. The shoe is made of canvas cotton to help move the feet easily and avoid blisters.
• The logo on the ankle serves as a padding to avoid injury to the player. Ventilation eyelets are small circular metallic rings placed on the sides of shoes. They were added to allow air to circulate inside the shoe.
• The original model was an all white converse. Later came the all black model. Blue and red lines were later added to the trim. They had toe guards, laces and the outer wrap was white. These are the classics and the first of the Converse Chuck Taylor collection.
• Converse are also available in a variety of colors styles, prints, and materials.
• The maker of these shoes went to great lengths to improve the game and popularize it all over the world.
• He changed the ball that was used in the game to a more uniform and grip-worthy design.
• They are unisex and can be worn with any casual outfit.

Converse have become so popular that they have been featured in multiple movies. Even Dennis from Dennis the Menace wore them. Records were set in basketball while athletes played wearing these Converse. They were even used in training by American soldiers in the second World War.

They have several accolades to their name and have sustained through the years simply because of their excellent design and uniqueness. There’s a pair of Chuck Taylor converse being purchased every 43 seconds. When do you plan on getting yours?

It is a fact that many types bacteria live in our intestines. While most of these are beneficial for the human body, others may cause infections. One of the common types of infection-causing bacteria is the E. coli O157: H7.

Some of the most common early symptoms of e coli infection include diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. In many advanced cases, you may also find the presence of e coli in urine that may account for severe UTI problems and other kidney infections. In severe cases, e coli in urine or the intestine may cause problems like dehydration, bloody diarrhea, and even kidney failure. To prevent the infection from developing, it is, important that we identify the leading causes of e coli in urine. E coli bacteria that cause infection can enter the system in many ways. Most of the common causes of e coli infection have been listed below.

Unhygienic food handling
Often, improper preparation, processing, and handling of food make it contaminated and inappropriate to consume. The contamination in food may begin due to unwashed hands, dirty utensils, infected cutting boards, and the like. Often, food that is not stored at the right temperature may also cause food poisoning along with e coli infection. Consuming raw, expired, and unfit food may also increase the risk of developing e coli in the intestine.

Contaminated water
E coli in urine can be caused by poor sanitation and contaminated water. Since poor hygiene causes water to contain bacteria from animal and human waste that increases the risk of developing e coli toxins. The infection can either be caught due to drinking contaminated water or swimming in it.

Person to person contact
Another common cause of e coli in urine stems from poor personal hygiene. E coli is likely to spread from one person to another if the infected person doesn’t wash his hands after a bowel movement. When an infected person with poor sanitation habits comes in contact with another person or with food, e coli infection is likely to spread. For this very reason places like schools, child care centers, and nursing homes are more vulnerable to spreading the infection through human contact.

Other possible reasons
Often, people who are likely to work with animals like goats, sheep, cows, and the like are at a greater risk of contracting the e coli infection. It is, therefore, necessary for people who work with animals to wash their hands compulsorily post work. While it is a fact that contaminated food and drink are the biggest reasons behind the infection, often some people are at a higher risk of contracting e coli than others. The risk of e coli in urine is particularly high in young children and older adults, people with a weak immune system, in hotter months of summer, and due to low stomach acid levels.

A conversion van is an automobile customized to suit different driving needs and purposes. The custom design allows for modifications to be made to the engine and the chassis. The modifications can be done to vans manufactured across brands. However, there are certain factors that should be taken into account before you venture out to buy new or used Chevy conversion vans.

Size matters
When you are planning to buy conversion vans, size makes all the difference. Size is also one of the reasons why many people buy a conversion van instead of a minivan. Minivans come in standard sizes and variants while conversion vans can be customized to maximize its potential in terms of payload and performance.

Seating capacity
Chevy conversion vans can be modified to seat more than 8 passengers comfortably without compromising the safety of the vehicle.

Safety
Conversion vans are capable of transporting a large group of people in a single trip. These vans also have the highest safety rating in comparison to minivans and other large vehicles. Conversion vans are also economical and efficient.

Accessibility
Accessibility is one of the most important factors that make Chevy conversion vans a popular choice among people who are looking to buy a vehicle that can seat a large group. More than seating capacity, conversion vans can be modified to accommodate people with ease. There is very little scope for maximizing the space and utility in other larger vehicles when compared to conversion vans. It is also possible to design a side entry or rear entry in a conversion van to provide easy wheelchair access for people who are differently abled.

Cargo space
Chevy conversion vans, in particular, can be customized to maximize cargo space. Removable or fold away seats in the back of the van will increase cargo space without compromising the safety or payload capacity of the van. Most Chevy conversion vans feature a powerful engine and drivetrain to suit the modifications without affecting performance. In many conversion vans, the roof height can also be modified for long distance travel. It is not possible to sit and travel in the same position for hours together which is why you must consider buying conversion vans that have a raised roof. This feature is important when you buy a conversion van for camping.

Price
Customization majorly affects the price of any vehicle, especially when you purchase a conversion van. However, the investment will be worth it at the end of the day as Chevy conversion vans offer more in terms of performance, space, and vehicle utility.

Whether a business is big or small, choosing a phone plan for a business can be a tricky situation. One has to identify certain things before jumping into a plan. One of the best ways is to grab the previous cell phone bills and verify what kind of calls are being made. Does the business involve making local or national calls? Or even International? Does the business involve the utilization of text messages and data usage? Depending on the size of the business one can limit the number of connections to minimize loss. It is always best to get the data sheets from all the shortlisted carriers and comparing them. Telecom companies provide plenty of discounts and bundles for business plans and one can compare business phone plans which perfectly suit their usage. Some of the best business phone contract deals and business phone plan services are as follows:

• Sprint Unlimited
  Sprint offers many quality business phone plan. It offers unlimited talk time and texting to and from Canada, USA and Mexico. The plan lets the user stream HD videos at 1080p with no overage charges. User gets 10GB of 4G LTE mobile hotspot and 23GB of 4G LTE data with speed capping post 23GB usage. The plan costs around $60 for a single line.
• Teltik Business
  Teltik utilizes T-Mobile 4G LTE network and is known for its 24hrs customer service. The plan supports mobile hotspot and tethering. The plan offers free minutes and texts within the country and 2GB of 4g data and it costs $20 a month for a single connection. This phone plan works great for a small business. For users who need 6GB, they can upgrade the plan which costs around $30 a month. Their $40 a month plan offers unlimited data with speed capping after 50GB of usage. The lower versions of phone plans are the best for small business.
• AT&T
  This service provider has a very superior network and they do offer some real good plan for small business phone systems and is one of the best options to choose among others. The plan costs around $50 a month and offers unlimited minutes. They offer free texting to any country and offer 2GB of data which can be rolled to next month if not used.
• T-Mobile
  T-Mobile offers unlimited calling and texting to 140 plus countries. The plan offers unlimited mobile hotspot at 3G speed and offers 50GB of 4G LTE data with speed capping post 50GB usage. The plan costs around $70 per month for a single connection.

When it comes to choosing a plan for a small business, there is no obvious winner but knowing our needs can help choose the best available plan.

A piece of jewelry does not merely match the outfit it is worn with; it also often symbolizes the taste and style of the wearer. When it comes to an engagement ring, it reflects the deep and ever-lasting emotion of love. This is why a partner would spend so much time and effort in choosing nothing but the best for their beloved.

If you want to pop the question soon, you, too, are probably searching for the best shops to buy customized engagement rings. To help you out, here are three top places to consider:

Brilliance
Based out of Boynton Beach, Florida, Brilliance caters to the US, Canada, and even the UK. Buyers can truly design and buy customized engagement rings by choosing from a wide array of diamonds and stones like ruby, sapphire, emerald, and yellow diamond solitaire. If you need help with the design, you can contact an expert at the number listed on the website or even chat live. There is even a quick and handy diamond buying guide that helps educate you on the various aspects of a diamond if you’re a first-time buyer. Attractive features of Brilliance include free shipping, 30-day returns, and a lifetime warranty on your purchase.

James Allen
If you’re looking to buy customized engagement rings, James Allen is a name you must consider. Their team works with you to bring your ideas to life in the form of a truly unique ring. A 3D rendering is created for your approval before the final product is actually made. You can choose from a variety of settings including solitaire, channel, and side stone and opt for a range of metals including white gold, yellow gold, and platinum in 14K and 18K variants. Apart from brilliant designing, James Allen offers a variety of benefits like free shipping, free resizing for one year, and a lifetime warranty for the purchased product.

The Diamond Gallery of Naperville
Offering custom design rings, The Diamond Gallery of Naperville has experts who guide you through the process of getting an engagement ring custom made exactly as you want. The final design is then presented to you as a CAD image or a wax mold for your approval. Once you like what you see the engagement ring is crafted to perfection. You can even bring along a stone that you have and that you would like to be included in your creation.