Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Do I Need to Accept Credit Cards for My Small Business?

If you run a small business, you know what a headache it can be to know that you have a sale on the line but your customer doesn't have the cash with them for the purchase. What can you do? Take plastic!

In today's competitive market, it has become a real necessity to offer a variety of payment options, but that is no reason to have credit card processing services take a huge chunk of the first slice of the pie leaving you with the left overs.

Where can you begin? Compare!

The best services will not charge application or setup fees. They will not set monthly minimums and will not charge you an annual fee. They will also offer you a number of options for purchasing, leasing or renting a credit card machine.

It's a buyer's market. There is a lot of competition for your account, so shop around for good rates on the percentage the company charges on your sale. In the end, you are your own best advocate, so ask a lot of questions of as many companies as you can.

Often, services are so streamlined that you can begin the very day you contract with your credit card service. Others may require a bit more set up time. After all, credit card processors know they are bidding against the competition for your business. If you negotiate with them, they can often hurry your application and get you started within a day or two of finalizing your agreement.

Be sure to ask about customer service hours. If they are not doing business when you do business, they are not a good fit. If customer service isn't available when you need it, you've not only lost potential sales, you risk offending friends. The larger companies all offer 24/7 customer service hours that will guarantee you a speedy resolution to problems that arise.

Remember that you are the customer when choosing a credit card processing service. Be sure to let the company you want to use know that you have other options. You can sometimes negotiate a better rate and lower fees simply by reminding them that they are business should know the value of keeping the client happy.

When it comes to signing on with a credit card process service, do your homework before you sign on the dotted line. It will keep your customers happy and spare you some awful headaches!



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