Dial Pay Credit Card Processing?

[JS22]

I'm looking to get into the credit card accepting business. Most items I sell are high dollar Cowboy rigs $400+. I'm usually approached at local shooting matches and asked to do work. When I get it done, usually meet them at the next scheduled match to collect. It would be nice to be able to offer credit card processing on the spot. I have run accross several 3rd part companies that will process by calling in with a touch tone or cell phone and entering in the purchasers info by key type. No contracts, no upfront cost, no equipment to buy, no cancellation fee, no business checking needed. I've seen from $5 to $10 a month and anywhere from 2.69% +.30 up to highs of 4% or so. I don't have a smart phone as work provides a non feature phone free of charge and cant see the extra expense at this time. So free smart phone options are out at this time. Any one used these services?

Edited June 22, 2011 by JS22

[THein]

I'm looking to get into the credit card accepting business. Most items I sell are high dollar Cowboy rigs $400+. I'm usually approached at local shooting matches and asked to do work. When I get it done, usually meet them at the next scheduled match to collect. It would be nice to be able to offer credit card processing on the spot. I have run accross several 3rd part companies that will process by calling in with a touch tone or cell phone and entering in the purchasers info by key type. No contracts, no upfront cost, no equipment to buy, no cancellation fee, no business checking needed. I've seen from $5 to $10 a month and anywhere from 2.69% +.30 up to highs of 4% or so. I don't have a smart phone as work provides a non feature phone free of charge and cant see the extra expense at this time. So free smart phone options are out at this time. Any one used these services?

John,

That sounds like a sweet deal compared to what I have for options here in Canada. Basic, I have to have business registered and a seperate checking account ( even though I report the income and collect sales taxes and remit them on what they call a casual basis right now ) the costs for a merchant account with the credit card co.s START at 35.00 per month paypal or other, whether I turn a tap or not. Give it a try, bump your costs by the percentage of discount and see if it impacts your sales. If you're not tied into a contract, you can't lose. I think???? I should add that this would be calling in by phone, each sale as that is what I gather you're talking about.

Terry

[speedbuggy]

Take a look at www.squareup.com You have to have a smartphone for it to work. I haven't tried it personally, but it got good reviews. I am thinking about using it for craftshows.

I wonder if anyone else has tried it before. 2.75% per swipe and no monthly fees is what is advertised on their website. There was a big write up on it someplace, but i can't seem to find it. Maybe consumers reports or some other legit tech website.

Kris

[Mijo]

Take a look at www.squareup.com You have to have a smartphone for it to work. I haven't tried it personally, but it got good reviews. I am thinking about using it for craftshows.

I wonder if anyone else has tried it before. 2.75% per swipe and no monthly fees is what is advertised on their website. There was a big write up on it someplace, but i can't seem to find it. Maybe consumers reports or some other legit tech website.

Kris

Kris - There's another thread posted about square. my wife's been using it a while for our business and it works great, if you are in an area that has good cell reception. It definately helps streamline the transaction process, as you can email or text reciepts to customers instead of handwriting an invoice / reciept. I know that the credit card swiper that attachs to your smart phone used to be free but i heard recently that they started selling them at the apple store so they might be charging people for it now. Square is definately gaining ground as I'm seeing even roach coachs in different states using this system. If you already have a smart phone than square is definately the way to go.

Thein - what you described sounds like a smoking deal. before we starting using square we were using a different iphone app that had higher charges than what you described.

[whinewine]

Take a look at www.squareup.com You have to have a smartphone for it to work. I haven't tried it personally, but it got good reviews. I am thinking about using it for craftshows.

I wonder if anyone else has tried it before. 2.75% per swipe and no monthly fees is what is advertised on their website. There was a big write up on it someplace, but i can't seem to find it. Maybe consumers reports or some other legit tech website.

Kris

My son uses it at the shows we do. He's got the smartphone (I have a tracfone so it won't work for me). It's great- no contracts, no commitments & only 2.7% deducted!

Apple is now selling the reader for $10, BUT, there is a $10 rebate (or gift card- I can't remember what he told me)- but either way, it's still free.

He needs to show me how to use the smartphone and the reader before our last show of the season, since he isn't able to be there, though.

[pacopoe]

We have credit card processing capabilities at the store but haven't had much success with signing up for mobile services or getting that darn Square to work (plus it takes over a week until you see the money, at least that's what I gather).

Know what we do at events? Old fashioned carbon copy, handwritten forms that you use with the sliding machine (like this: http://support.shopkeep.com/attachments/token/07nnzpaxerw8org/?name=imprinter.jpg). You can even use a pen to make the card imprint like the pizza boy. We're pretty technology savvy but we found this is the easiest way to make custom notes about orders and keep track of stuff. Granted, you still need a way to process credit cards since you have to enter them into a machine at some point, but this is how we currently deal with mobile sales and it's worked fine for years. Just make sure you get a phone number and email just in case the card doesn't go through when you get home (though, if your customers are like ours, they're really not in it to rip you off and are more than happy to offer alternative payment should that card not work).

[Woolenwears]

I know I am posting late on this, but I just found this site!!! If you have an Iphone you might want to look at square up.. Here is the link

square up I do art fairs etc. and love it. What makes it so nice is that you do not pay a monthly service fee as you do with other credit card processing companies. The transactions fees are about the same, but saving that monthly fee is huge, especially if your work is seasonal like mine..Hope this helps

I'm looking to get into the credit card accepting business. Most items I sell are high dollar Cowboy rigs $400+. I'm usually approached at local shooting matches and asked to do work. When I get it done, usually meet them at the next scheduled match to collect. It would be nice to be able to offer credit card processing on the spot. I have run accross several 3rd part companies that will process by calling in with a touch tone or cell phone and entering in the purchasers info by key type. No contracts, no upfront cost, no equipment to buy, no cancellation fee, no business checking needed. I've seen from $5 to $10 a month and anywhere from 2.69% +.30 up to highs of 4% or so. I don't have a smart phone as work provides a non feature phone free of charge and cant see the extra expense at this time. So free smart phone options are out at this time. Any one used these services?

[Spinner]

Take a look at www.squareup.com You have to have a smartphone for it to work. I haven't tried it personally, but it got good reviews. I am thinking about using it for craftshows.

I wonder if anyone else has tried it before. 2.75% per swipe and no monthly fees is what is advertised on their website. There was a big write up on it someplace, but i can't seem to find it. Maybe consumers reports or some other legit tech website.

Kris

Square (http://www.squareup.com) works very nicely. I started using it as an option for those clients that don't like Paypal and haven't adopted Dwolla yet. The Fee is 2.75% for swiped transactions. You also have the option of inputting the number, exp. date, etc. in manually and they charge an extra 1% for those types of payments simply due to the increased fraud liability. Makes it nice when folks want to fax or call an order in though, no more "I'll send you an invoice" and hoping they don't change their mind in the meantime.

Apple is now selling the reader for $10, BUT, there is a $10 rebate (or gift card- I can't remember what he told me)- but either way, it's still free.

Forget the Apple store or RadioShack, etc. that are charging for the swipers. Go directly to Square's website and they send you one for free when you sign up.

(plus it takes over a week until you see the money, at least that's what I gather).

Actually, the longest I have waited for money to go from Square to my bank account is 22 hours so far even on transactions of a couple hundred dollars. Their transfer system initiates transfers from Square to your bank every evening, the delay is how long it takes your bank to claim it from the Banking ACH system. For most banks that is every 24-48 hours but some small local only banks may go 72.

Edited December 28, 2011 by Spinner

[bruce johnson]

The $1000 limit on non-swiped transactions within a 7 day period and holding anything over for 30 days raises a question for me. There is a place on their site where you can email them about raising the limit. Has anyone done that and what were the results?

[Spinner]

The $1000 limit on non-swiped transactions within a 7 day period and holding anything over for 30 days raises a question for me. There is a place on their site where you can email them about raising the limit. Has anyone done that and what were the results?

Yeah, it did for me at first as well. Part of their issue is simply the fraud protection. It's a lot harder for them to verify transactions that are manually entered versus swiped so the limit/hold is to protect them and the consumer since "anyone" can get an account and swiper. I raised my limit pretty easliy, simply sent the email to raise and they asked a few questions asking me to explaining my business model, average transaction, how often I plan to use it and if I had any business credentials like wholesale number, business license, website, etc. Once I answered the questions the limit was raised in 24 hours. Not sure how high they will go, but getting it raised to $3000 wasn't that difficult.