Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i was wondering what is the best way to get setup to accept credit cards? We are looking to start possibly doing shows in the future and we would need to be able to accept credit cards. anybody got any info as to how we could get that started and who is the best company to go thru as far as best customer service and equipment.

thanks

Get in touch with your bank........

Jason
-----
jason.trott78@yahoo.com

I think this is all done through your bank. Typically there will be a fee...I don't know if its a monthly fee or a fee for each transaction or maybe even both. You many also need to purchase or rent the equipment as well. For shows a hand held wireless card scanner would be best. These are fairly new and I have seen them in the shows once or twice up in Canada...as well as being used by various fast food places which provide frequent delivery (ie pizza places).

If you don't already have one, banks may also require you to have a business license and be registered for Federal and state/province so you can collect appropriate taxes. For small vendors...it isn't always necessary to collect and pay taxes (basically you have to send the appropriate amount of taxes based on your total sales taken in per year. Otherwise, if you end up getting audited, could be in trouble for not sending these sales taxes, not to mention if you don't claim income from reptile sales on your yearly taxes). In Canada there is a minimum amount of money you are allowed from sales before you need to charge sales tax and send that to the government.

IF you are already set up as a business and send taxes etc then all this you will be familiar with already and its just a matter of you talking with your bank about setting up for Visa/American Express transactions with a portable scanner/card reader. There may be a 'three in one' package or already included...depending on the bank and options you take...which will include two or more major credit cards (ie Visa, American Express etc) and debit cards.
-----
PHLdyPayne

Forum Princess

Paypal has a credit card processing program. It costs $30 a month plus a percentage of each sale and a tranactions charge (all typical for merchant services). Of course, you would need to have a laptop or netbook with an air card to take to shows to access this service.

No to the first response
no to the second resonse
kinda to the third

If you have a paypal account and a laptop that is all you need at the shows....
You can accept credit cards through paypal and the only expense is the 3% paypal charges. You dont need a card reader or any othe equiptment.
For example if you are on my website there is a tab on my available page that states "make a donation" which is a link directly to paypal and the buyer enters their info and you have the money right away. You dont have to have the "make a donation" tab which I found digging around on paypal...just a paypal account and you are accepting credit cards right away.
Hope this helps,

Travis
-----

LAIR OF DRAGONS

For a small seller the bank is NOT the way to go. Look up 'iphone credit card merchant' or 'android credit card merchant'. There IS an app for that!
-----
You might be a ball python fanatic if you subconsciously convert the price of virtually everything in to units of piebald ball pythons