Discuss taking credit card payments in the Business Related area at ElectriciansForums.net

Welcome to ElectriciansForums.net - The American Electrical Advice Forum
Head straight to the main forums to chat by click here:   American Electrical Advice Forum

P

partp

I have been looking at getting kitted up to be able to take card payments on-site directly from customers, there are few options to do this.. I found a company called 'Cardsave'.. they supply the machine and get you linked up, there is no initial set-up fee. They then take a percentage of each card payment that you process through their machine as their fee. Does anyone know a better way of doing it or does this arrangement sound OK?.. Ive got no idea as I've not done it before..
Apparently the percentage that they take from each card payment you process depends on what service you want from them, whether its a fully mobile service where you keep the unit with you in your van, or a wireless handset linked to a unit on-site, or just the hard wired version installed at your office/ premises etc. so the customer would need to visit you to pay there.. Obviously the only useful one would be one that you keep in the van. Does anyone have any ideas on this?? Is there another way to do it?
 
Thanks Cirrus, Ive only ever used paypal to pay for stuff off ebay.. I didnt realise you can use it to take payments.. How does it work ... how do you take a payment for a job you've done from a customer at their house using paypal? is it done over the fone?
 
Some people are wary of paypal, I like google checkout, phone, website or email payments, if you use adwords no charge. If no adwords I think they charge 3%, people tend to trust google more than paypal. I use both but most times customers choose google.
 
Yeah.. I know what you mean PaulM... thats definately a 'best option'.. but its for those times when you finish a job earlier than expected and you get the ... "Ive not had time to go to the cash machine" .... or .... "..Oooh I thought I had more cash with me but I havnt, sorry can I pay you tomorow.." etc. then when you call back for payment.. surprise surprise.. no-one home!.. I reckon a card payment system that gives you oinstant clearance of the funds from their a/c\into yours has got to be worth-while thinking about.

cheers Wattsup!.. I realise Im being a bit dim about this.. but how does it work with google or paypal, does the customer make the payment on-line while you are there or do they have a system where you fone through with the customers card details and get immediate clearance for the payment into your ac there and then?.. bare with me.. Im still a bit lost with this.. Ive never used paypal or google payments for anything except when I buy stuff on ebay..
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have been looking at getting kitted up to be able to take card payments on-site directly from customers, there are few options to do this.. I found a company called 'Cardsave'.. they supply the machine and get you linked up, there is no initial set-up fee. They then take a percentage of each card payment that you process through their machine as their fee. Does anyone know a better way of doing it or does this arrangement sound OK?.. Ive got no idea as I've not done it before..
Apparently the percentage that they take from each card payment you process depends on what service you want from them, whether its a fully mobile service where you keep the unit with you in your van, or a wireless handset linked to a unit on-site, or just the hard wired version installed at your office/ premises etc. so the customer would need to visit you to pay there.. Obviously the only useful one would be one that you keep in the van. Does anyone have any ideas on this?? Is there another way to do it?

I think this (highlighted in bold) is pretty much standard practice. Obviously you'll want to see what % they're charging.
 
Cheers Cirrus, I had a look.. still cant see how you can completely process a customers card payment there and then, on the completion of the job before you leave the site. From what I can gather from that website info, you still need to get back to base, log into your paypal a/c, authorise the transaction before it can be taken from the customer, and how do you get the customer to give their card details away on the fone to a third party who.. unless they have got a paypal a/c themselves .. they may not even have heard of Paypal... and even if they do give their details over the fone, what if they've given wrong details, you wont know untill you get back to base, log in to your paypal a/c and find out... then its back to visit the customer again..
Isnt it better to get one of the portable card swipe machines and do the payment in front of them on that and issue a receipt straitaway?.. job done... The machines check the cards details immediately, then if cosher, they take the payment, and immediately send the same amount into your a/c so you're guaranteed to recieve the money while your still with the customer. Then if there is a prob later with customers card payment.. its the company who own the swipe machine that loose-out.. not you, your payment is guaranteed immediately as soon as they clear the card on the swipe machine.
...Either way.. now that my brain is completely fried with all this.. Im goin for a beer! and I'LL BE PAYING WITH CASH!!!!!!!!!
 
Cheers Cirrus, I had a look.. still cant see how you can completely process a customers card payment there and then, on the completion of the job before you leave the site. From what I can gather from that website info, you still need to get back to base, log into your paypal a/c, authorise the transaction before it can be taken from the customer, and how do you get the customer to give their card details away on the fone to a third party who.. unless they have got a paypal a/c themselves .. they may not even have heard of Paypal... and even if they do give their details over the fone, what if they've given wrong details, you wont know untill you get back to base, log in to your paypal a/c and find out... then its back to visit the customer again..
Isnt it better to get one of the portable card swipe machines and do the payment in front of them on that and issue a receipt straitaway?.. job done... The machines check the cards details immediately, then if cosher, they take the payment, and immediately send the same amount into your a/c so you're guaranteed to recieve the money while your still with the customer. Then if there is a prob later with customers card payment.. its the company who own the swipe machine that loose-out.. not you, your payment is guaranteed immediately as soon as they clear the card on the swipe machine.
...Either way.. now that my brain is completely fried with all this.. Im goin for a beer! and I'LL BE PAYING WITH CASH!!!!!!!!!

Laptop? Mobile internet? Blackberry? IPhone?
 
i take it the mobile one is more expensive than the hard wired version, how about the mobile broadband plug-ins for laptops could you not get the cheaper option hook it up to a lap top and process it that way.
but seeing as i have never even looked into this method of payment i could be talking out my ---:confused:

or get the mobile version give the customer a price with the %age built in then if they pay by cash give them a discount, people like to think they are getting a bargin.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Try taking at look at this.
Accept Credit Cards Over the Phone
It's about taking credit cards over the phone.
last week orange gave me a call about this and am looking into to it myself.
May not be worth my while as i mostly work for the older generation who pay by Cq or cash.

try this.
Merchant Accounts | Credit Card Processing
I also had a call from orange about a new service the are starting to take credit cards using their mobile service.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
We have had several business's and the charges vary alot

From minimum usage charges to % and fees (these were fixed swipe mc's)

Also some cards (american express) cost alot more to proccess so i dont have these (a lot of companies dont take AMEX).

Seen market stalls using these mobile card machines - perhaps ask on the market who uses them -and speak to them for advice.

When i did markets the card mc's were advertised in the 'journals for market traders' (dont ask me cant remember)- 'worlds fair' was one of them.

Last advice would be - ive met lots of salesmen who sell these portable mc's -they are on commission - so dont take there first price - play them off against each other. - I remember prices coming down as pressed them on charges.

Its all a cost to be added on, but probably better than a cheque....

Google - for price comparisons
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Reply to taking credit card payments in the Business Related area at ElectriciansForums.net

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Electrician Courses Green Electrical Goods PCB Way Electrical Goods - Electrical Tools - Brand Names Pushfit Wire Connectors Electric Underfloor Heating Electrician Courses
These Official Forum Sponsors May Provide Discounts to Regular Forum Members - If you would like to sponsor us then CLICK HERE and post a thread with who you are, and we'll send you some stats etc
This website was designed, optimised and is hosted by Untold Media. Operating under the name Untold Media since 2001.
Back
Top
AdBlock Detected

We get it, advertisements are annoying!

Sure, ad-blocking software does a great job at blocking ads, but it also blocks useful features of our website. For the best site experience please disable your AdBlocker.

I've Disabled AdBlock