Taking credit card payments

[Gerry24]

I don't currently take credit card payments but I get asked quite often by customers if I do. I know there are quite a few options out there for taking mobile credit card and debit card payments and that you need a merchant bank account etc but I would be grateful for any views on the cheapest option for a low volume mobile trader. I was even thinking that, given the fact that i probably would only take card payments a couple of times a week, then it might be cheaper to try to find one of the old imprinter machines, if they are still allowed.

Any advice?

 

[acat]

Imprint machines are still in use, check with your bank you will probably need a merchant acct added to business acct and I think its costs another £50/60 a month.


Chris

 

[SirKit Breaker]

I don't currently take credit card payments but I get asked quite often by customers if I do. I know there are quite a few options out there for taking mobile credit card and debit card payments and that you need a merchant bank account etc but I would be grateful for any views on the cheapest option for a low volume mobile trader. I was even thinking that, given the fact that i probably would only take card payments a couple of times a week, then it might be cheaper to try to find one of the old imprinter machines, if they are still allowed.

Any advice?

Open a Paypal account.

 

[Spudnik]

It wont be long before we all have to take cards as a form of payment, once cheques are done away with.

 

[acat]

Thanks for the reminder

Chris

 

[Gerry24]

Open a Paypal account.

Wouldn't I need to be on-line to take payments with a Paypal account? I don't have an ineternet mobile phone so how would I take payments when i am out and about? Or would I need to buy an internet phone?

 

[Phil]

with a pay pal account you would not need to be on-line to accept it. i could send you money now then when you got home you log into your account and make the bank transfer to your acc have a look at there charges. how about a bank transfer from their acc to yours

 

[wattsup]

try google checkout, its a bit on the high side for large volumes but it is trusted. (about 3/5% I think) I've used all, when I offer a choice google checkout is the prefered option by most customers. If i'm there in person and it comes to pay time (ie call outs) loads of people like 5% discount for cash -;

 

[eskimo39]

I can take card payments, bought a cheap Samsung Netbook for £210 and pay £10 a month for a mobile internet "Dongle" from O2. I got stung a few times when I had finished jobs and the customer pulled the old "I don't have the cash on me, can I send you a cheque".....only for the cheque not to arrive. This way I can just tell them not to worry, they can pay via card and it saves me time chasing up payments.

I have a PayPal merchant account and just log into my page at the customers house and then pass them the laptop to enter their card details. PayPal do take a percentage for taking payments for you but it is nothing like the £50-£60 a month some banks charge for the service. Also the laptop and dongle pay for themselves with not having to chase up money.

Also comes in great for checking my emails when on the move, getting instructions/installer noted from manufacturers websites, and I also get to surf the internet on my lunch

 

[Spudnik]

I can take card payments, bought a cheap Samsung Netbook for £210 and pay £10 a month for a mobile internet "Dongle" from O2. I got stung a few times when I had finished jobs and the customer pulled the old "I don't have the cash on me, can I send you a cheque".....only for the cheque not to arrive. This way I can just tell them not to worry, they can pay via card and it saves me time chasing up payments.

I have a PayPal merchant account and just log into my page at the customers house and then pass them the laptop to enter their card details. PayPal do take a percentage for taking payments for you but it is nothing like the £50-£60 a month some banks charge for the service. Also the laptop and dongle pay for themselves with not having to chase up money.

Also comes in great for checking my emails when on the move, getting instructions/installer noted from manufacturers websites, and I also get to surf the internet on my lunch

I have to say this does seem the best method at the moment, although, like you say, the charges can hurt a little.

Im sure when the time comes, the banks will no doubt offer similar.

 

[Gerry24]

I can take card payments, bought a cheap Samsung Netbook for £210 and pay £10 a month for a mobile internet "Dongle" from O2. I got stung a few times when I had finished jobs and the customer pulled the old "I don't have the cash on me, can I send you a cheque".....only for the cheque not to arrive. This way I can just tell them not to worry, they can pay via card and it saves me time chasing up payments.

I have a PayPal merchant account and just log into my page at the customers house and then pass them the laptop to enter their card details. PayPal do take a percentage for taking payments for you but it is nothing like the £50-£60 a month some banks charge for the service. Also the laptop and dongle pay for themselves with not having to chase up money.

Also comes in great for checking my emails when on the move, getting instructions/installer noted from manufacturers websites, and I also get to surf the internet on my lunch

Thanks for that Eskimo. Do you have to pay a monthly fee to Paypal for your merchant account or is it just a percentage of the total cost? Also, I have an ebay account that I have used a couple of times to sell stuff on ebay but that means the customer has to log into the ebay site or their own paypal account to pay. So I'm a bit confused as to how you get them to pay when logged into your account. Do you set up some sort of invoice that they then pay? Sorry, but I'm not too clued up on the virtual shop thing!