Accepting Credit Cards

[mnapuran]

Oh... FYI: Intuit's GoPayment is a very similar service and claims to be fully PCI compliant: http://gopayment.com/

I haven't tried it myself, so take it for what it's worth.

 

[tsgstl]

I'm not sure what technology you are talking about but Square uses a small white square device that plugs into your phone's headphone jack to swipe credit cards. There are no photos taken.

As popular as Square is I doubt many will find it so objectionable. In fact my experience most people want to know how they can get one for their garage sale...

The info is still going in to a phone that is easily lost or stolen. If the info doesn't stay on the phone is irrelivent because the customer doesn't know this and shouldn't be expected to learn. But then again I'm not in the garage sale business.
Making it easier for a customer to use a credit card out of the office is not my goal. Cash or a check is just as nice if they don't want to call my office with their info. And fumbling around with some doo dad that plugs in my phone when someone picks something up in my office seems hokey. Maybe I am misunderstanding the process completely and for that I apologize.

 

[David Wright]

I use Square for now but honestly I don't feel I come off looking very professional doing it.

 

[binki]

We use Sam's Club (First Data) but Costco and Global are comparable. First Data matched Global for pricing after our first year of service. We have never had a problem with First Data.

The biggest part of doing CC's is most of the merchant processors are scum and will rip you off. Also, be prepared to get a lot of phone calls from merchant processors pretending to be your processor and getting you to agree to a change in terms. This is a scam.

 

[401Graphics]

I use GoPayment with quickbooks. works great

 

[Bill43mx]

Call me crazy if you want but I'm not letting somebody swipe my credit card info through a cell phone. I know, I know, paranoia.....I'm just not doing it. Just seems really sketchy to me, like retail businesses that don't have a land line and business cards with no physical address on them.

But that's just me.

Pat,
While I understand what you are saying I think it's just a matter of what we are familiar with. Smart phones are opening up possibilities that didn't exist just a few years ago, on site credit card processing being just one of them. In a couple of years I believe it will be so commonplace that no one will think twice about it. I can remember just a couple of years ago making purchases from race track vendors who had a regular CC swipe terminal routed through a cell phone and no one refused to purchase from them. Isn't that basically the same thing? And how many people dine at out of town restaurants, hand their CC to a server they know nothing about, watch that person disappear for a few minutes with the card, and think nothing of it? To me that is much riskier than handing my CC to someone I have a business relationship with and seeing them swipe it with their phone right in front of me.

And no, the phone doesn't store the CC info. At least not in a way that I, a person with "average" tech knowledge, can see. It just transmits it to the processing center just like the terminal in a store does.

 

[suwanneerivergraphic]

I use Square.
I for one will tell you that it's as professional as you exhibit yourself using it in front of a customer. My customers are amazed by it and none have minded that I use it. They love the instant email receipt.

 

[thewvsignguy]

Intuit here, great rates and never an issue. Have been with them for over two years now.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

I use Square for now but honestly I don't feel I come off looking very professional doing it.

Let me guess. IPhone right?

 

[David Wright]

Let me guess. IPhone right?

Ipad. Maybe it is because I used to a swiper and terminal.
I think I will go payment a try, I already use Quickbooks.

 

[CheapVehicleWrap]

For optimum professionalism, a high-end Droid must be used.

 

[saktrnch]

I use GoPayment. I also use their eCheck stuff, which they claim, they will go after any bad checks for me, and I won't have to deal with it.

 

[Tigertron]

Interesting that some people feel their card maybe compromised when they swipe it themselves on a mobile device but are completely ok with handing it to some twenty-something at a resturant to take away an ring up.

I rarely use cash or check. It's just to risky for me. I have no recourse if I get scammed. I have had my cards compromised over the years. Once was through Office Depot website. Once was at a major hotel in Las Vegas and another was at Mimi's Cafe. There have been other times but I could never really trace back to where it was compromised.

You are only lible for $50 and I have never paid on cent for anything I have not bought. The biggest inconvenience was getting a new card. But that's why I carry a mc and Amex.

I was in the local yogurt shop and noticed they were ringing folks up with an iPad. I dont know what sysytem they are using but I expect it is something similar to GoPayment or Square. Well there are always some who resist technology. But like online dating. It's the new norm and everyone will get on board sooner or later.

 

[tsgstl]

Interesting that some people feel their card maybe compromised when they swipe it themselves on a mobile device but are completely ok with handing it to some twenty-something at a resturant to take away an ring up.

I rarely use cash or check. It's just to risky for me. I have no recourse if I get scammed. I have had my cards compromised over the years. Once was through Office Depot website. Once was at a major hotel in Las Vegas and another was at Mimi's Cafe. There have been other times but I could never really trace back to where it was compromised.

You are only lible for $50 and I have never paid on cent for anything I have not bought. The biggest inconvenience was getting a new card. But that's why I carry a mc and Amex.

I was in the local yogurt shop and noticed they were ringing folks up with an iPad. I dont know what sysytem they are using but I expect it is something similar to GoPayment or Square. Well there are always some who resist technology. But like online dating. It's the new norm and everyone will get on board sooner or later.

Speaking for myself, I don't hand my card to a twenty something that I don't trust. I carry cash. I have never used it online (except for my playstation account) I have never been mugged. I have never had my info stolen. And I have never dated online. I possibly resemble one of your customers so I thought you might be interested in what I thought. Don't kid yourself that you didn't pay for those fraudulent charges. You most likely have paid over 400% of those losses over the years in your rates. And I pay for them everytime a customer uses a card at my business. I am far from resisting technology, I just resist having others pay for my carelessness.

 

[VINYLIMAGEZ]

square is 2.75% per swipe, that is ridiculous fee's + looks unprofessional, no way I'm letting NO ONE swipe my CC on a cell phone. We make over 250 swipes per month, no way I will be considering a 2.75% fee

 

[binki]

wow, i thought i was old school. you are not responsible for anything over 50 bux on credit card fraud and even at that most, if not all, issuing banks waive that and make it $0. what am i missing here? cash is king but living off opm (other people's money) is priceless.

 

[Pat Whatley]

My problem has nothing to do with fear of my credit card number being swiped. Heck, i email the number all the time, I'm not worried about it. It's just the perception I have of businesses with no land line, cell phone based credit card processing, homemade paper business cards, VistaPrint magnetics, most any business with LLC at the end of their name and salespeople who pull up in $60,000 pickups. I'm just not trusting their work to be in my best interest.

I know, it's judgemental as hell and admittedly there are always exceptions but anything that gives me the impression a person is only minimally invested in their business just screams to me that they're going to shut it down and disappear as soon as things get a little rocky and won't be there to stand behind their previous work.

Again, that's just me and I know there are exceptions.

 

[Tigertron]

I'll have to see how unprofessional it comes across. I find it as just another tool to make it easier for customers to pay.

@tsg I'm certain someone pays for fraud but it's not me. I don't carry a balance. I just rack up airline miles. It works for me.

 

[David Wright]

Vinylimagez, with that many swipes the interest rate is everything. No way would it worrk for you.
Pat, the points you made are good examples of my concerns regarding how we are perceived professionally.

 

[signswi]

It only comes off as unprofessional to old arse codgers who don't know what professionalism looks like now.