Taking Credit Cards? You owe it to yourself!

Labster

Labster

New member
Hey guys. Just thought I would pass along this little bit or information. I've been detailing as a side business for the last 7 years and have had customers ask me if I took credit cards for the last 3-4 on a pretty regular basis. Many of them feel more comfortable paying with a CC as a secure form of payment, others just like to get the points. Anyway, I also work full time as a sales rep for a cell phone company and we just got a new toy from Intuit that allows you to take credit card payments. It's pretty sweet and I just tested it myself today with a customer and it worked great! Customer was thrilled because they got their points on their CC and had a receipt emailed to them in minutes!



The only requirement is that you have a newer smart phone (iPhone, Droid or Blackberry and even iPads) in order to operate the equipment. I highly suggest it. If you want any further information feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer. I don't make any money supporting this company but when I saw it in my store's inventory I thought it was worth a shot.
 
How are the transaction/merchant fees? I've been using Square for quite a while and I'm really happy with it so I'm curious to hear how this compares.
 
I've been curious about the cost of the adapter and app for that intuit thing, definitely a mobile Detailer's must-have if it's reasonable.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
How are the transaction/merchant fees? I've been using Square for quite a while and I'm really happy with it so I'm curious to hear how this compares.
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2.70% if you're doing less than $1250 per week, 1.70% if over that amount. However, over the $1250 threshold and you pay $12.50 per month I believe.
 
SpoolinNoMore said:
I've been curious about the cost of the adapter and app for that intuit thing, definitely a mobile Detailer's must-have if it's reasonable.
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The device itself runs ~$30 but once they validate your merchant account they send you a $30 rebate so you basically only pay taxes on the $30 device. Heck of a deal if you ask me.
 
toyotaguy said:
CASH is King!!!!!!



I have square, and paypal that I can take payment through!
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Couldn't agree more about cash being king however, I think that those who can't accept CC will lose out on some valuable clients. I have a client who pays for everything with his business Visa, well over $1mil a year including his business expenses and just stock piles his miles. So why not allow him to use it for this?
 
Labster said:
2.70% if you're doing less than $1250 per week, 1.70% if over that amount. However, over the $1250 threshold and you pay $12.50 per month I believe.
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Hmm... that's actually pretty decent. Square's fee is a flat 2.75% with no threshold. I might just have to take a closer look at the Intuit offering.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
Hmm... that's actually pretty decent. Square's fee is a flat 2.75% with no threshold. I might just have to take a closer look at the Intuit offering.
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Yea, like I said, I was pretty intrigued by it with the price etc. Great product if you ask me. That and nights where friends conveniently forget cash to help pay the tab, no problem, swipe their card and charge em 3% for being "forgetful" haha
 
No doubt the new apps make taking CC cards much easier these days...................however in the 90's I had so many problems with my batch totals not lining up with the authorizations also taking into account the merchant fees and the fact I do biz in Kalifornia I refuse to go that route anymore. Not saying it does not make sense for others but for me.........."How would you like that check made out....well my best friends call me CASH" also another insidious ploy "Cheapsters will utilize" is doing a chargeback for no reason as they know a stop payment on a check can cause big problems and the CC card companies ALWAYS side with the consumer regardless of the facts.
 
I don't know if its the market I'm in or not, but I have had very few people even ask me to take a credit card. Between checks and cash I don't see a reason to take cards. The last thing I need is another monthly fee to pay.
 
mini1 said:
The last thing I need is another monthly fee to pay.
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That's the beauty of the programs we're talking about here -- neither one requires you to pay a monthly fee for the service, just the Intuit one is optional.



The way I see it is that it's free to create an account and have it available... and it's better to have and not need than to need and not have.
 
Shiny Lil Detlr said:
That's the beauty of the programs we're talking about here -- neither one requires you to pay a monthly fee for the service, just the Intuit one is optional.



The way I see it is that it's free to create an account and have it available... and it's better to have and not need than to need and not have.
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That was my thinking. Whatever makes the client's life easier is easier for me. I've had a few instances where the wife took the checkbook and the husband had to run out with their freshly detailed car to the ATM. The less hassel the better in my book. Not something I'll really promote but another option to possibly close new customer accounts.
 
:crazy:I've been at this for eight years. Full time and well into 6 figures annually. We have never accepted charge cards. (FYI, In a previous life I owned multiple nightclubs, so I'm very familiar with merchant accounts.) I like the amount of checks and cash we generate, and have a great deal of trouble accepting the fees associated with card processing. I think Square is cool and innovative, but 2.75% (plus .15 per) equals $8.40 per average sale. Weekly that's probably ~$135. Annually that's $6750. Literally money that would be in my pocket/bottom line/profit.



I'll just bet that, in the next six months or so, Square will have a more competitive rate, and additional apps will become available, driving the rates down to to the more prevalent 1.3 to 1.6%. That would cut my annual expense in half, and make it an easier pill to swallow.



Times are changing, and I will as well, eventually... :crazy:
 
I've been using Square for a while now too. I think they like that the reciept is emailed or texted to them and you can even attach a picture of the car for reference. ;)



I always tell them cash is preferred but that I can take CC. Most still seem to pay with cash though. While I don't like paying the fees, I DO like not having to sit at the busy bank every week depositing checks....so it does have it's advantages.
 
RaskyR1 said:
I've been using Square for a while now too. I think they like that the reciept is emailed or texted to them and you can even attach a picture of the car for reference. ;)



I always tell them cash is preferred but that I can take CC. Most still seem to pay with cash though. While I don't like paying the fees, I DO like not having to sit at the busy bank every week depositing checks....so it does have it's advantages.
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Just switch to a bank that lets you deposit checks from your smart phone (via 'scanning' it with the camera on the phone). State farm, USAA (if you're eligible), and I think bank of America has this service as well.
 
just charge the fee to the client



"the listed price is a 3% discounted cash price, if you would like to use a credit card, you will pay full retail"



done!
 
toyotaguy said:
just charge the fee to the client



"the listed price is a 3% discounted cash price, if you would like to use a credit card, you will pay full retail"



done!
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I don't really agree with that; to me if you're going to offer credit card payment you should figure that into your administrative costs across the board. That way if someone does pay with a card, you aren't negatively impacting your bottom line and at the same time, every cash sale means you're getting 3% above the rate of margin you originally set out to make. The customer never even has to know that's happening behind the scenes.
 
toyotaguy said:
just charge the fee to the client



"the listed price is a 3% discounted cash price, if you would like to use a credit card, you will pay full retail"



done!
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Can't do that actually. If you read the merchant account agreement (and I assume they're ALL the same), it specifically prohibits you from doing this. My merchant agreement actually has a fine for it, $2500 per offense. And these guys WILL file suit, they have an "integrity" image to protect.
 
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