# Accepting credit card payments



## greatchimney (Oct 14, 2016)

We sometimes set up a mini shop in events and fairs where we install our photo booth, have a regular photographer and a caricature artist. We've only been accepting cash and PayPal so far but we have some customers who have been asking if they can pay using their credit cards.
Sometimes in fairs, I see other shops using their iPhones to accept credit card payments. They have this thing you attach to the phone and then you can swipe the credit card. What are these called and are these secure? Any advice on getting one?


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## Gary A. (Oct 14, 2016)

I use one for my business.  The company is called 'Square'.

www.squareup.com

They are great, much much cheaper than an account at a bank ... banks charge multiple fees ... it seems they even charge an additional fee for processing their fees. Square just charges one fee and it's done, fini.  Square is huge and per my experience, they are bonafide and as secure as a bank.


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## waday (Oct 14, 2016)

While I have never been on the receiving end of Square, I've been a customer of many businesses that use it. You can pick it up from the Apple store, Best Buy, online, etc.

FWIW, here's a testimonial from a paying customer to cash-only businesses: I barely carry cash anymore. When places say, "cash only", I typically move along to the next business that has entered this century. Sorry to give you the harsh reality, at least from my perspective. Unless the business does a really good job at selling me, I will not take the time to go get cash from an ATM where I will be charged multiple fees just to access my own money.


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## tirediron (Oct 14, 2016)

Another vote for Square.  It's what I use, and works flawlessly.


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## SquarePeg (Oct 14, 2016)

waday said:


> While I have never been on the receiving end of Square, I've been a customer of many businesses that use it. You can pick it up from the Apple store, Best Buy, online, etc.
> 
> FWIW, here's a testimonial from a paying customer to cash-only businesses: I barely carry cash anymore. *When places say, "cash only", I typically move along to the next business that has entered this century.* Sorry to give you the harsh reality, at least from my perspective. Unless the business does a really good job at selling me, I will not take the time to go get cash from an ATM where I will be charged multiple fees just to access my own money.



This for sure!  The only time I carry anything more than petty cash is if we're going to an estate sale or flea market.


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## pixmedic (Oct 14, 2016)

we started with square, but then moved to paypal for credit/debit cards when paypal first put out their card readers for phones and tablets. it make it easier because we already had established paypal business accounts and could use our paypal debit cards at ATM machines.

square was great, but at the time it was taking them 2-3 business days to process payments where paypal transferred the funds instantly. 
i dont know how fast the square transactions are nowdays.


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## tirediron (Oct 14, 2016)

waday said:


> ... I will not take the time to go get cash from an ATM where I will be charged multiple fees just to access my own money.


If your bank is charging you fees to withdraw money, you should probably consider a different bank!  Along those same lines, you're paying just as much in fees, if not more for the "privilege" of paying with plastic.


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## waday (Oct 14, 2016)

tirediron said:


> waday said:
> 
> 
> > ... I will not take the time to go get cash from an ATM where I will be charged multiple fees just to access my own money.
> ...


If an ATM is not owned or operated with a particular bank, some banks will charge a fee, in addition to a fee from the owner of that ATM. So, you get hit twice. This is the reason that I tend to only withdraw money from my bank or my bank's ATM, so that I don't incur a fee. I haven't had any major issues with my bank thus far, so I'm ok with the current setup. I'm also not incurring fees by using my debit card as a credit card, so the "privilege of paying with plastic" is that I get to avoid having to carry cash with me.

Very few times has the situation been so serendipitous as to have my bank (or my bank's ATM) be located next to a cash-only store. Probably on the order of once, maybe twice. And, it only happened in major metropolitan areas. Never once at a local fair.

If cash-only businesses want to operate as such, that's their prerogative. The probability that they're going to lose my business is pretty high. Stinks for them; I get to keep my money and give a second thought to my purchase.


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## smoke665 (Oct 14, 2016)

I've used the square before on some charity events, but PayPal has some significant advantages that are worth checking out, plus they are a little cheaper. PayPal Here: Credit Card Reader | Point of Sale and Mobile Credit Card Processing


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## tirediron (Oct 14, 2016)

waday said:


> I'm also not incurring fees by using my debit card as a credit card, so the "privilege of paying with plastic" is that I get to avoid having to carry cash with me.


See that's just it... you are!  You're paying them in a different manner, but you're paying them.  In fact, we're all paying to some degree for the current fascination with plastic.  Retailers know that the majority of customers want to use credit, and the banks charge a fee for that, which the store passes on to the consumer.  Additionally, your bank is charging you, 'though probably not overtly.


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## table1349 (Oct 14, 2016)

That is why I like my Credit Union.  Credit Unions now have Co-op.  Same services as a bank, but I don't have to go to my credit union to get money or use the ATM, and no charges.

Call Me a dinosaur I suppose.  I have seen places that don't take checks, places that don't take plastic or a certain brand of plastic, but I have yet to see any business that doesn't take cold hard cash.  Depending where or what you are shopping for you sometimes even get a discount for purchasing with cash.


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## tirediron (Oct 14, 2016)

gryphonslair99 said:


> That is why I like my Credit Union.  Credit Unions now have Co-op.  Same services as a bank, but I don't have to go to my credit union to get money or use the ATM, and no charges.
> 
> Call Me a dinosaur I suppose.  I have seen places that don't take checks, places that don't take plastic or a certain brand of plastic, but I have yet to see any business that doesn't take cold hard cash.  Depending where or what you are shopping for you sometimes even get a discount for purchasing with cash.


Yep!  I do 99% of my spending in cash.


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## SquarePeg (Oct 14, 2016)

tirediron said:


> Yep! I do 99% of my spending in cash.



I'm the exact opposite.  I pay everything possible with a credit card including monthly bills like cell phone and utilities.  I always pay the full balance before it's due so no interest charges.  I earn hotel points or airline miles or cash back on almost every purchase I make.  It takes some organization to make it pay off but it's well worth the time and effort.  I haven't paid for a flight or a hotel in several years.


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## smoke665 (Oct 14, 2016)

SquarePeg said:


> I'm the exact opposite



I'm with you!!! Very rarely carry more than $20 cash unless we're on the road in which case I might keep $200-$300 for emergency. Probably 99.5% of purchases in store are one of two cards (which offer cash back of anywhere from 1-5%), Online of course is by credit card. Balances paid in full at the end of every month. Monthly bills paid by uploading transactions to bank which prints the check and mails (free), plus guarantees to pay any late charge if the check doesn't make it in time. I use Quicken for personal and Quick Books for business. All credit cards and bank accounts are linked to either Quicken or Quick Books, transactions up and down go straight into the appropriate category so that at the end of the year everything is done and ready to print out for  the accountant.


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## PersistentNomad (Oct 14, 2016)

Not only do you get a reader when you sign up for PayPal Here, but it also enable you to manually enter in the cc info if the reader is on the fritz, or you want more than one device to process payments.


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## waday (Oct 14, 2016)

tirediron said:


> waday said:
> 
> 
> > I'm also not incurring fees by using my debit card as a credit card, so the "privilege of paying with plastic" is that I get to avoid having to carry cash with me.
> ...


Retailers/companies push all costs onto consumers. Photographers do it, too. 

Until I get told I have to pay one price for cash and another for credit*, I'm assuming all consumers are paying the same amount for overhead charges, despite the payment method.

I take a look at my bank statements pretty regularly. I have a "no fee" checking account, with some conditions. I meet those conditions, thus, no fees. If you're talking about potential, unknown, convoluted methods that banks use to charge customers, I'll respectfully bow out of the conversation, because I don't know enough to discuss. If they're not giving me enough interest/etc, I'd much rather have my money be insured at a bank than uninsured under my mattress.

Also, an important note, I'm not saying that paying in cash is bad. I'd much rather do that more often. The problem is that I don't want to carry large sums of cash on my person, nor do I want to have to go to the bank on a daily basis. It's easier for me to simply use my debit card, or as @SquarePeg does, use a credit card for the perks.

*Yes, there are some places that have two different prices (most of the places I've seen are gas stations), but I have yet to see this in major retailers. If they start doing that, yes, I will likely start carrying cash with me.


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## greatchimney (Oct 17, 2016)

Okay, got that. I'll look into Square and TSys which was recommended by my friend who uses their credit card machines.
And will look into PayPal as well.
So many tips and suggestions! Thanks guys.


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