Cash vs. Credit

C

Coastal

New member
Lately, I have been bombarded with credit card merchant solicitations. Although I never have had many accounts, especially commercial, that wanted to pay with credit cards, I still wonder if others have found success with accepting them.

One credit card salesman gave a pretty good response to my explaination above. "It simple is because you do not offer it to your customers." They do have a pretty cool remote unit which could be useful in the field but it also is expensive.

My question(s) to all of you is,

Do you accept credit cards?

Is there a Benifit vs. Cost?

Any recommended vendors?

Thanks!
 
We recently started accepting Visa and MasterCard. It has definitely been a boost on the residential side. We use a merchant access through Quickbooks, so there was no terminal to lease or buy. It is very simple, and you get your money quickly. If you use Quickbooks, just use their tutorial.
 
I have often thought about it, but I have never taken that step. I think alot of people would just use them for their conveience, then I'm out 2.whatever percent for no reason!

I get very few requests from customers for ccards.

If I did do it, I would do it though Quickbooks like Warren did.......thats the way to go in my opinion.
 
Thanks guys,

Quickbooks was my first option since I already use it as my accounting software. That will probably be the simplest way to go. (Thanks Mike)

The other part I was interested in was the amount of sales that are generated just by customers seeing "VISA/MASTERCARD ACCEPTED" in your ad.

Possibly that type of data may never be known. But there must be some number of customers (Impulse Buyers) that react just on that phrase alone. Have any of you determined that the job was purchased simple because you accepted CC's?

And of course that you do quality work? ;)
 
I hope you will understand my reluctance to discuss specific sales numbers on the bbs. I can say, however, that the customers that use the credit cards are much less price sensitive than those paying cash. It just doesn't seem like "real money" to them. Best of luck.
 
As for the discount fee , it is just the cost of doing business and it is a deduction anyway. You will have more sales by taking the cards. I pay less than 2% through Discover/Novus network. That is over 98% more than not having the sale so it is well worth the effort.
 
Has anybody tried using on-line services like "PayPal" ? Perhaps you could tell your customer to log on and pay you if they have a computer or are already used to shopping on sites like "eBay"

Just a thought from a newbie........
 
I definitely agree with Steve on this one for sure. Taking credit cards is a good thing because most people now days are cash poor and credit rich. They might not have the money to immediately pay you but they will drag out the plastic in a minute . So, go-ahead start taking plastic.........Dan
 
We have been taking CC for almost 4 years. When decks are costing $3000 to refinish a CC customer may have not been my customer if I only took cash. I agree with steve, cc are great for ease of use.
 
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