Tell us a little bit about EBizCharge:
Based in Irvine, CA, EBizCharge entered the payment industry in 2004 seeking to provide companies with better merchant processing services. Specifically, we believe our customers should have lower rates, enhanced support, and an unmatched user experience.
In pursuit of that goal, we created software to transform the way payments are accepted. With EBizCharge, businesses can offer customers quick, easy, and secure payment options online, in person, or over the phone. Our software integrates seamlessly with popular reservation, ERP, and CRM systems, making the AR process seamless and automated.
Most billing products are designed to optimize functionality but not necessarily cost — EBizCharge does both. We’ve introduced better features and functions, while also reducing how much our clients have to pay to optimize these benefits. Additionally, last year we rolled out an updated procedure for addressing fraud chargebacks called 3D Secure, which effectively shifts the liability away from businesses and back to the banks.
Today we have around 250 employees, the majority of whom work from our headquarters in Irvine. Additionally, our internal development teams are a key aspect of our overall staff structure — creating, maintaining, and consistently innovating our product is something we do entirely in-house, and allows us to stay at the forefront of our own goals, while also remaining sensitive to the ever-changing needs of our clients.
What do you wish more people knew about the company?
We remain a privately-owned company with a dedicated focus on customer experience. If you call EBizCharge, you’ll wait an average of 35 seconds to speak to a human being. You’ll never be automatically funneled into digital support options or a click-through script — if you want to speak with someone from our team, we are right here.
This has a lot to do with the owner, Calvin Lim. He immigrated from Burma in his late teens and then unexpectedly went blind in his early 20s. Despite his failing eyesight, he was a skilled salesperson and worked successfully for a different payment processing company for several years. It was there he came to understand the need for integration and streamlining payment processes. When he and his wife started EBizCharge, he made this his most immediate focus, along with a commitment to maintaining a strong and functional human support network that would always be available to his clients.
The transportation industry has been integral to our success, and we’ve been deeply invested in this community since our inception. Currently, we process roughly $12 billion a year, and a significant portion of those transactions are attributed to transportation.
How did you, personally, end up in the transportation industry?
I knew Calvin for about four years before I worked for him. I was employed at Best Buy as a student, and Calvin was a frequent customer of mine. We developed a rapport during our ongoing sales interactions, and he continued to reach out to me even after I left Best Buy to finish school at the University of Oregon, where I studied Economics. He became a mentor of sorts. Eventually, he convinced me to move back to SoCal and work for EBizCharge after I graduated.
Once I took the job, I just dove in. My first trade show was the Bus and Motorcoach Expo in Orlando, and it’s been nonstop ever since.
What has been your experience as an ILLBA member?
We’ve been members for over a decade, and our Vice President of Sales, Steven Wolfson, has been directly involved in several ILLBA initiatives for years. We are always happy to be a resource for members, whether they’re clients or not.
Having the ILLBA as a platform to reach out to and connect with operators has been great, and they do a great job of maintaining all their relationships — they’d never just sign you up and forget about you.
How are you spending your time outside of the business?
I have two kids, and a lot of my attention goes to them — tee ball, gymnastics, etc. I’m also an avid golfer. I’ve always believed that the balance of an office job is getting out and doing stuff, so we all try to stay active and spend as much quality time together as possible.
Any predictions, hopes, or ambitions for the future of our industry?
Adapting to industry changes will always enhance the client experience, which is why EBizCharge’s agility to meet new demands is such a powerful asset. We will continue to innovate to make sharing payment information faster and more secure, reducing the risk for everyone and making money transactions as seamless as possible no matter how things potentially shift. As a stable, longstanding company with the expertise and consistency to carry our clients in the future, we’re looking forward to whatever comes next.
You can reach Matt at [email protected] , +1 888 500 7798 ext. 261, or on LinkedIn.
Learn more about EBizCharge on their website and connect with them on Facebook.