Yes, on-line sales the sale goes through an authorization company. They verify if the card number, expiration date, security code, address, and zip code match the issuing card. They also check to see if the card has been flagged (fraud, lost, etc.). If it's been flagged, they won't authorize. But if it hasn't been flagged yet, they are not responsible. It's play by our rules or you don't get instant authorization on-line. They charge a small fee for this service, which I suspect I will lose.

But the thieves work fast and charge as much as they can before anyone notices and flags the account.

After authorization the computer sends a signal back to my shopping cart, and the cart software redirects the customer to the page where he/she can download the software and assigns a username and a password from the group I provide (and frequently change).

Meanwhile it goes to my Visa/MC merchant's account provider. They do nothing but charge another percentage and then deposit it into my account. Since the percentage goes by monthly sales, I suppose this will even out.

They are not responsible either. Again, if you want a Visa/MC merchant's account, you will have to play by their rules.

And the bank isn't responsible either. But after so many deposits per month, they start charging me to put money in the bank.

After the charges, the shopping cart rental, the magazine ads, the hiked up insurance because I'm running a business from my home, the county taxing my computers, musical instruments, business furniture, and everything else I use to make a living with, it's a wonder I make any money at this at all. And the money I do make, I pay 15% unemployment tax on and then my income taxes on top of that (I'm definitely in the 99% <grin>). I call all these leeches, my silent partners.

And the bank I use made billions of dollars in profits, but thanks to the generous tax cuts provided to them they haven't paid any federal tax in years, not one cent, not one penny. They are obviously in the 1%

As Mayer Amschel Rothschild once said, "Give me control of a nation's money and I care not who makes the laws." No matter who gets elected, the banks are running the show. They even financed both sides of most wars. The victor pays all the interest.

Fortunately I didn't purchase any products for resale and spend money on shipping. If I had purchased music books at wholesale and paid to ship them I would have lost out-of-pocket money on the deal. Instead, if the software is shared or sold to other people who would have bought it from me, I'm only out future revenue, which isn't good, but not as bad.

Notes

Bob "Notes" Norton smile Norton Music
https://www.nortonmusic.com

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