-
Credit Card Merchant Account
Anybody taking credit cards through a merchant account? We’ve been using PayPal, but have run into several instances where PayPal has not worked for some clients.
Figuring it’s a good business strategy to make it easy for people to pay us, we’re looking at merchant accounts like through Costco, or Merchant warehouse. However there are so many complaints about these companies that’s it’s scary!
Does anyone here have a recommendation? Thanks.
-
10 Replies
-
I have been using PayPal’s virtual terminal for a few years now
and have never had an issue. You don’t even have to swipe the card or even be in your office, Just somewhere with an internet connection.
All you need is the card info and name and address.
I chose them because you only need one account for
MC,Visa,Discover and Amex
I bit pricey though at 30.00 bucks a month plus the percentage fee
Fairly good reporting too. -
We use https://www.squareup.com
Takes VISA, AMEX, MasterCard and Discover…. Simple, take CC with your iPhone, iPad, Android, with or without card. (Swiping and manual number entry) they only charge, if memory serves correctly, 2.75% per transaction. I Have even used this with an international client (London based) over the phone with no problems.
Deposits (each transaction) the next day.No monthly fees and/or hidden charges, and the card reader and iOS software are FREE.
Hope this helps!
Richard Cooper
FrostLine Productions, LLC
Anchorage, Alaska
http://www.frostlineproductions.com -
We’ve had a merchant account for many years and have been with two companies.
The low rate they advertise to get you in is only part of it and they get a fee for ea. transaction and a fee for the fun of it and more fees.
Shop the best rate.
We use totalmerchantservices.
Chris Tompkins
Video Atlanta LLC -
We’d used Elavon for about 10 year, but they kept jacking up their rates until we’d finally had enough. We switched to Prodigy (https://www.prodigypay.com) about a month ago.
Mark Landman
PM Productions
Champaign, IL -
I use both PayPal and Square for amounts under $500 or so.
For most “right now” transactions I think Square has the best solution. For “virtual invoicing” I like PayPal better.
Used with restraint, the charges for each are insignificant verses the value of fast collections and avoiding “corporate float” of net-30 systems that turn out to be “collect in 60 or so after internal processing.
If you get into amounts over a few thousand bucks, talk to your payees about direct ACH payments. I remember the strain of waiting for and handling physical checks of mid five to six figures and it’s just dumb in the electronic banking era, IMO.
FWIW.
“Before speaking out ask yourself whether your words are true, whether they are respectful and whether they are needed in our civil discussions.”-Justice O’Connor
-
Thanks for your suggestions. You guys rock!
-
In addition to the above good info, I’ll that the other thing to look at is to use a physical terminal whenever possible. The fee is generally lower when a card is swiped vs the use of a virtual terminal. The idea is that they’re lest chance of fraud when the card is actually swiped and thus less risk to the bank.
When using a virtual terminal, make sure you have the client complete address, security code properly entered into the transaction for the best possible rate.
Good luck!
Production is fun – but lets not forget: Nobody ever died on the video table!
-
+1 for Square. Easy and affordable.
Mick Haensler
Higher Ground Media
http://www.highergroundmediainc.com -
-
Hey guys why you don’t try square. It is such a trendy, stylish and secure ways of processing.charges are very low.
___________________________________
credit card online processing
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up