Tannen & Associates Comparative Summary

San Jose’s Tannen & Associates is a merchant bankcard services company that offers support to small and mid-size businesses in Santa Clara County. According to owner Mark Tannen, his company’s biggest asset is its ability to talk to its clients. “They know to call us first,” he says. “We offer local support, so our clients don’t have to deal with toll-free numbers and people who are 3,000 miles away. We’ll be there to solve their problems.” To further serve its customers, Tannen & Associates provides 24/7 emergency contact services.

Mr. Tannen says Tannen & Associates provides guidance that relieves much of the stress that comes with owning a business, like worrying about credit card rates and processing services. “We can do an analysis of a client’s business and see what they might be able to do better,” he says. “We can make suggestions and recommendations to optimize the rates they’re paying and make sure they’re on the best possible program.” Tannen & Associates can also help clients avoid financial penalties and fines in the event of a data breach.

Tannen & Associates specializes in making sure clients are compliant with PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards)—important rules and regulations put in place by Visa and MasterCard. “If you’re non-compliant and suffer a data breach, you’ll be fined and could actually lose your ability to process credit cards,” explains Mr. Tannen. “We make sure our clients are PCI-compliant and can even provide them with breach insurance through a special program.” If credit card data is compromised, electronically or otherwise, the aforementioned insurance can cover that loss along with any fine connected to it. “None of our competitors will do that on an individual basis. It’s very unique to the program and the industry,” says Mr. Tannen.

In addition to compliance concerns, Tannen & Associates can educate clients about FACTA rules and regulations. FACTA is a federal law that requires all businesses to have a written identity theft plan in place. “These are the policies, forms and procedures that business owners must have in writing,” explains Mr. Tannen. “We can help our clients comply with FACTA.”

As an additional service, Mr. Tannen is an independent agent for United Bank Card (UBC), an increasingly-popular credit card processing company. He also works independently with a few other companies to help businesses find the best processors to fit their products and services.