Pat, I take both credit cards and personal checks. I just use a manual imprinter for the credit cards and make sure I get a phone number for both. I've never had an issue with either a bad check or a declined card. I run the cards when I get home from the show. FWIW, credit card sales account for about 35% of my total sales.
I do not take credit cards at the shows I do because they are fairly small. I will take checks and good old green paper. With the checks get all the info you can especially tele.# Usually people have custom checks. As far as credit cards go you need to establish with a company and they rent the machine or you can buy it I guess. At the end of the show you have to call in all your receipts and there is a charge. That is about all I know Some one who does it will be able to answer better on the cards thing. I know people rely on cards for everything today but if they are going to a show they should realize not everyone has the ability to accept cards. Now do you loose sales because of it that is debatable. I have never lost a sales because of it. I will deliver and they can send a check. When check clears the item is shipped. That is the understanding. A little like EBAY.
Merry Christmas! After I applied for my Texas Sales Tax ID I started getting zillions of offers from those people that set you up to take credit cards. I didn't even look at most of them and I don't take credit cards at the few shows I do each year. I will take checks and have never had a bad one so far. But I would be an easy target for a con artist I bet I even let a few people take the stuff with their promise to pay me later. They paid and I didn't know them. Dumb but it "felt" ok, And I will even put an item back to hold till they come back later with the money. I figure that the fun is in making the stuff and meeting the people and selling something is wonderful too but I don't look to get rich scrolling anyway. But if I do that will be ok too. Yee Haw! gw
Hiya JT, The costs vary. Typically, there's a per transaction charge of around 25ish cents, and rates vary wildly with companies. My charges are 1.79% per transaction. I also have a $10 per month statement fee (most have this). I can put a seasonal hold on mine so I don't have the monthly charges ($10) when I'm not doing shows. As far as setting one up, shop around!!!! You will need a merchant account and a means of processing the cards. I use a manual imprinter (aka "knucklebuster") at shows and have a regular CC Terminal at home that I punch the sales in at the end of the day. There are many merchant account providers with all different options, you can find some with no monthly minimums but will charge you 300ish dollars for the terminal or software, others will have a monthly minimum but will give you the terminal or software for free. Paypal even offers full-blown merchant account services now. Your best bet is to do a search for Merchant Account services (and check with your local bank as well about setting one up).
Thanks Kevin. I may have to do just that and look into it and see if it will improve sales a bit. At the shows I do I have not been asked too many times if I take credit cards though. My stuff does have a higher price than alot of things at the shows I do so it maybe wise.
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