Replies

1. 
   Bengst | Mar 17, 2004 11:53pm | #1

   I have my credit card services through NOVA which I got through Costco. I had to get a business membership at Costco and then the set up cost were $180 for some fancy software to enter transactions online and then $30 for the knuckebuster imprinter. I do plenty of craft shows throughout the year and I didn't want to go for the $1100 wireless model and then pay monthly cell serive on top of that. I do risk getting a bad card but in two years I've only been screwed out of $60 from one shady charachter.

   Jeffrey

    

2. 
   workingwoods | Mar 18, 2004 06:33am | #2

   Hey, I'm doing the same thing right now too!! I am leaning towards express merchant processing solutions http://www.fdms.com  They seem to have really good rates and no monthly fees. You can buy a reader and printer from almost any office supply store, and they will program it for free.

   As far as craft shows, I used to do car shows for a company a while ago, and you can do what is called a preautorization, you just use a cell phone, call the merch center, give them all the #s and they give you an authorization #, when you get back to your shop, you just enter the transactions in as a postauthorization, with the # they gave you.  Its a pretty safe way to make sure you are getting a good card, cause once you get the auth #, the money is yours. (just make sure you get a signed manual slip to fight the dreaded chargeback.)

   This way, all you really have to pay is the cell phone charge, and you dont have to buy a $1200 wireless zahn.

   Hope this helps

   John

3. 
   dirtstirrer | Mar 18, 2004 04:44pm | #3

   Might want to check if Paypal merchant services would work for you.  Their fees are low, and if you've got a laptop and internet access you could use it anywere I'd think.  I've checked into accepting credit cards at my resturant, and the fees are absolutly ridiculous IMHO. 

   The banks offer the service, and that say that it will increase your business a bunch.  I'm sceptical myself, what's everybodys opinion on that?

   Steve
4. 
   AlbionWood | Mar 18, 2004 11:45pm | #4

   I also use NOVUS through Costco and it meets my needs.  We shopped around a lot, and this was definitely the lowest-cost way to go.  We were a young business and did not know how much CCs would really help, so we didn't want to get stuck paying a lot of capital up front.  My advice is to shop around and keep your initial cost as low as possible, and also watch out for monthly fees.  Once you are in business for a while you will be able to tell if you need more sophisticated systems, like the wireless card readers.

   We did find that CCs increased sales at events.  More sales, and the CC sales averaged larger amounts.

   I also do PayPal and highly recommend that.  I get a lot of business from the Web site and most of those customers use PayPal.  It's quick, easy, and cheap.

   "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but no simpler."  A. Einstein

   http://www.albionworks.net