how important do you find it is to accept credit cards at a booth at an art festival? I don't have the ability to right now, but is it worth the $200 or whatever to get a merchant account so that I can at shows in the future? I can take CC through my website (PayPal) - should I tell people who want to pay with CC to just order through that?
One thing with using Paypal, if the buyer isn't "confirmed" by Paypal, then you run some risk. Paypal will not offer their usual protection if the buyer decides to reverse the charge or if a fraudulent card is used. Plus the Paypal fees can be high.
If you are doing festivals on a regular basis, then yes, you really should have the merchant accounts. $200 is a lot up front, but I have found that people are not going to be carrying a lot of cash. In the long run, you will lose far more than the $200 in sales a year.
If you are only doing a couple of shows (2-4) a year, then maybe not.
Posted by Nelcha Cross on July 11, 2007 at 5:16 AM
The bank I use does not even require a minimum deposit for a Business account.
And YES, the ability to accept a card IS definitely worth it!
And YES, most folks do NOT carry that much cash or even want to...
So you are limiting the size of image they would purchase!!
They will put MORE on a Credit card...
As is having a cell phone and calling in the charge and getting the auth. right then!
Most folks w/o stolen cards understand you are simply doing just as a brick & mortar store would.
I have found that if I go THRU Discover to get the account, then they will get me access to accept
the Visa and M/C and I was charged cheaper rates....
I still use this account for my website or when doing an exhibit.
I prefer to have the customer contact me so I talk to them and then take their card #
and can call it in on another phone while I have them on the other line...
and they do NOT have to email their card # to me.....
There is a monthly fee with the company that takes the charges tho....
So as stated, the more shows or faires you do the More it is worth it.
I also, personally do NOT like Paypal as they do not insure over a certain amount...
Good Luck!!
Posted by John W. Wall on July 11, 2007 at 6:54 PM
Unless you're willing to accept personal checks, you're definitely going to need to accept Visa/MC....
Crucial!! You need to accept credit cards, unless your stuff is under $20 no one carries a lot of cash anymore. If you have not settled on a merchant service provider then please let me suggest www.merchantanywhere.com. They use your cell phone and a internet connection via the cell phone to transmit the data wirelessly. It works everywhere your phone works. Best service I have ever used. No, I am not affiliated with them except that I am a very satisfied customer - I get no kickbacks for recommending them either - just good karma I suppose.
thanks all for the info. i figured it was probably pretty important. I'm meeting with my bank today to get setup. the rep told me that to use their virtual terminal, I do not need a merchant account, and it's only $9/mo (and right now they're having a promotion where they wave the $150 setup fee). I hope he wasn't misspeaking, cause I've never heard of such a deal. My bank is CharterOne by the way, if anyone wants to look for the same sort of deal in their locale.
Kier -
My bank is Bank Atlantic (in Ft Lauderdale, FL). They offer a service called "DialPay." You call a phone number, enter the relevant data, and get approval. Set-up fees for this service are $75, with no monthly fee. VISA and MC are standard, with a 2.69% chare and .75 cents per transaction. That's about $2.25 for a $50 sale, and $3.50 for a $100 sale.
Many purchases, in my experience, are made on the spot. Special ordering takes time and effort - more effort than walking to the next booth and buying something there instead! So ask yourself this question: Is paying 2 to 5 dollars per sale worth more than making no sale at all?
PS: A colleague advised me today that he just makes imprints of the customer's card with a "knuckle buster" then phones them in at night when he has the time - a good thing to do when you have more than one customer at a time. I asked him if he'd ever gotten burned, and he said once, but that's all.
Posted by Kier Selinsky on July 12, 2007 at 11:22 PM
thanks for thet info - yeah the "knuckle buster" lol - is the way i'm going to go. my bank, charterone, got me set up today (i walked in at noon, got the call that i was ready at 6) for a virtual terminal. It's basically a web interface where i can enter the info and charge the card right there. So this first show (tomorrow) I'll be writing them down, and then for the next one i'll have my own official knuckle buster to use. i agree that the 2 to 5 per sale is worth it. with all this stuff, i look at it in terms of "if i were selling this through a gallery, i'd pay 40% commission", so $5 is chump change for the sale. thanks again for the additional info! time to finish getting my stuff together for tomorrow's show!
Posted by Alain Briot on July 17, 2007 at 10:10 PM
"how important do you find it is to accept credit cards...."
Look at it from the perspective of your customers, rather than your own management. Here are the facts of life that run the credit card industry:
People tend buy more spontaneously with a card (i.e., impulse buying).
People tend to spend more with a card (i.e., the pay later syndrome).
Paying with a card is quick and convenient.
Not a criticism of card industry so much as a recognition of the way people use them. Why shouldn't you take advantage of those facts?
We accept cards for everything, going so far as to carry forms and a swiper everywhere, even on location and assigment shoots.
The most extreme example I can cite was an overnight industrial shoot with lots of other visiting photographers also shooting. I was the only one prepared for the wind and rain that erupted. Everyone else's gear failed or their skills fell short, so I was the only one who got the shots. The contract with my client was +/- $2k for the night's work.
Early the following morning I was in company headquarters reviewing images with my client while the six other companies who had hired photographers watched on glumly. The six photographers who had failed were noticeably absent.
When one of the companies asked my client to share photos, she piped up that she was paying me for my work, and if they wanted photos they could pay the same.
Credit cards and a loyal client turned a $2k night into a $14k night. I shoulda given her a big kiss right on the spot, but my wife beat me to it. Yeah, I took them both out for a belated breakfast!
Discussion
10 repliesIf you are only doing a couple of shows (2-4) a year, then maybe not.
And YES, the ability to accept a card IS definitely worth it!
And YES, most folks do NOT carry that much cash or even want to...
So you are limiting the size of image they would purchase!!
They will put MORE on a Credit card...
As is having a cell phone and calling in the charge and getting the auth. right then!
Most folks w/o stolen cards understand you are simply doing just as a brick & mortar store would.
I have found that if I go THRU Discover to get the account, then they will get me access to accept
the Visa and M/C and I was charged cheaper rates....
I still use this account for my website or when doing an exhibit.
I prefer to have the customer contact me so I talk to them and then take their card #
and can call it in on another phone while I have them on the other line...
and they do NOT have to email their card # to me.....
There is a monthly fee with the company that takes the charges tho....
So as stated, the more shows or faires you do the More it is worth it.
I also, personally do NOT like Paypal as they do not insure over a certain amount...
Good Luck!!
Crucial!! You need to accept credit cards, unless your stuff is under $20 no one carries a lot of cash anymore. If you have not settled on a merchant service provider then please let me suggest www.merchantanywhere.com. They use your cell phone and a internet connection via the cell phone to transmit the data wirelessly. It works everywhere your phone works. Best service I have ever used. No, I am not affiliated with them except that I am a very satisfied customer - I get no kickbacks for recommending them either - just good karma I suppose.
My bank is Bank Atlantic (in Ft Lauderdale, FL). They offer a service called "DialPay." You call a phone number, enter the relevant data, and get approval. Set-up fees for this service are $75, with no monthly fee. VISA and MC are standard, with a 2.69% chare and .75 cents per transaction. That's about $2.25 for a $50 sale, and $3.50 for a $100 sale.
Many purchases, in my experience, are made on the spot. Special ordering takes time and effort - more effort than walking to the next booth and buying something there instead! So ask yourself this question: Is paying 2 to 5 dollars per sale worth more than making no sale at all?
PS: A colleague advised me today that he just makes imprints of the customer's card with a "knuckle buster" then phones them in at night when he has the time - a good thing to do when you have more than one customer at a time. I asked him if he'd ever gotten burned, and he said once, but that's all.
Very important.
People tend buy more spontaneously with a card (i.e., impulse buying).
People tend to spend more with a card (i.e., the pay later syndrome).
Paying with a card is quick and convenient.
Not a criticism of card industry so much as a recognition of the way people use them. Why shouldn't you take advantage of those facts?
We accept cards for everything, going so far as to carry forms and a swiper everywhere, even on location and assigment shoots.
The most extreme example I can cite was an overnight industrial shoot with lots of other visiting photographers also shooting. I was the only one prepared for the wind and rain that erupted. Everyone else's gear failed or their skills fell short, so I was the only one who got the shots. The contract with my client was +/- $2k for the night's work.
Early the following morning I was in company headquarters reviewing images with my client while the six other companies who had hired photographers watched on glumly. The six photographers who had failed were noticeably absent.
When one of the companies asked my client to share photos, she piped up that she was paying me for my work, and if they wanted photos they could pay the same.
Count them: Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. Swipe. Swipe.
Credit cards and a loyal client turned a $2k night into a $14k night. I shoulda given her a big kiss right on the spot, but my wife beat me to it. Yeah, I took them both out for a belated breakfast!