Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Steve Weatherley on June 17, 2010, 09:43:24 pm
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Does anyone take payment by credit card? If so who is the card services provider and what are the costs involved?
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I should imagine everyone will want to know this with the demise of cheques being iminiment.
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Since we started taking cards about six months ago and around 85% of people pay that way. I think it also frees people up to have more done because they can put the cost on their credit card. The money goes directly into your bank account so you don't have to keep going to the bank with cheques and card payments can't bounce.. We are paying £25 per month for hire of the machine and the charges. It's a good deal as I have heard of people paying a lot more than that.
Simon
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hi simon,
who supplies this at that cost?
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Since we started taking cards about six months ago and around 85% of people pay that way. I think it also frees people up to have more done because they can put the cost on their credit card. The money goes directly into your bank account so you don't have to keep going to the bank with cheques and card payments can't bounce.. We are paying £25 per month for hire of the machine and the charges. It's a good deal as I have heard of people paying a lot more than that.
Simon
simon
any chance you could let me know who does that for you as i have been looking around and cant find anything at that price.
regards
Richard
info@pt-cleaningservices.co.uk
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We do card payments and pay £19 a month for the terminal + % charges of each payment (standard stuff).
It was £25 but we haggled them down ;)
Mark
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I use Send 123. Best rates when I got it about a year ago.
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That's who we are using 123Send. £25 per month plus card charges but the charges are a lot lower than than banks charge if you get their machines.
Simon
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That's who we are using 123Send. £25 per month plus card charges but the charges are a lot lower than than banks charge if you get their machines.
Simon
And.... "Do you get more work as a result?"
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I am gonna get one of these. had 2 cheques bounce this week so will not be taking cheques from now on. these not a very nice persons need flogged for expecting you to do the work then stopping cheque.
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£19/25 plus % is a little high though for small businesses. can't imagine the machine would cost more then £150 to buy so i'd rather do that so i can forget the monthly fee and then pay % on all transactions.
are the prices people are paying through fsb as i know you can get it much cheaper with them
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Sounds like you can easily make the £25 up though. Mention it on your advertising, tell them when you start talking add ons. And then there's the convenience for you.
Will look into this.
I've had a few pay by paypal in advance, I think you can also set up your iphone to do this on the day.
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true but still £25 is a lot when you may not need it for a while. last week only one customer paid by cheque, all others cash and the cheque was no problem for me as it was a trusted customer. so that's one week with no use, could easily be the same for the next which is the only reason i haven't got one.
as you say though it's more convenience for me and for the customer if they'd like to pay that way.
do you get tied into a 12 month contract with these machines?
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Simon.... Do you get more work as a result of using a machine?
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true but still £25 is a lot when you may not need it for a while. last week only one customer paid by cheque, all others cash and the cheque was no problem for me as it was a trusted customer. so that's one week with no use, could easily be the same for the next which is the only reason i haven't got one.
as you say though it's more convenience for me and for the customer if they'd like to pay that way.
do you get tied into a 12 month contract with these machines?
Let's just suppose.
You get a few extra customers from your adverts because you mention paying by card and they want something done now but pay day is a week off.
You go in to do a lounge and upsell them on HSL but despite the fact they want it they only have the cash for the lounge in the house.
You meet the 1 in 10 who will buy anything so long as they can pay for it tomorrow.
If £25 is a lot of money to risk then fair enough but I can't help feeling it's a better return than a crappy advert in a local rag.
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Nice reply wynne ;D
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I've just had a look on the site and I can't help feeling it's going to cost a lot more than £25 :(
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How many days does it take for the money to go into your account ? also if its a stolen card you do'nt get paid ! have fun :o
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Colin,
Yes, I think you do get more work as a result, you certainly get a lot more bookings because of it.
Anyone thinking of buying a unit to save the £25 rental cost - forget it. It would be a false economy because if you drop it or break it you have to pay to have it repaired. If you've got your own and just want a merchant account with a bank then you'll be paying more in transaction charges too.
This is a legitimate business expenses, why filly-faddle around trying to save a few pence. ???We searched out the best deal and went with it and for what it costs per month we get so much more in return - that's business, guy's
Simon
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Thank you Simon, seems like a no brainer. :)
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Colin,
I think it the best thing we have done for our business in a long time. Like you say, a no brainer!
Simon
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Barclays are offering to take cards not sure how it works £10 per month 3% transacton fees
Steve
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Have a look at what the FSB deal involves, although I havent done it I am being asked more and more if I take cards.
I see that most of the Franchises take it, my local Safeclean has been doing it for years now.
And regarding a stolen card I think that Jonny scum bag is hardly going to have his carpets cleaned and if you cleaned them in a certain house even I can work out where they might live. Derrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
I take cash only from EOT carpet cleans, having been bounced in the past, so card would be the way to go.
I think I am talking myself into this now.
As Simon said its a legit business expense and something to put in mind when you look to get extra work or certainly a percentage of it.
Murky
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i suppose you're all right. all it takes is one person not to pay and you could lose say on average £150. that's half the year already paid for.
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I have just been in touch with 123 and as I am a FSB member I get "preferential" rates..... Hmmmmm
For long term contract - that is 36 months - the cost is £25 per month. (no doubt plus VAT at whatever rate it will be after the budget tomorrow).
I can purchase at £450 and then £9.95 pm (a saving of £92 over the 36 months).
Debit cards are 30p per transaction
Credit cards 1.95%
All handled by NAT West so to get to my business bank with A&L will take 3 days.
You can hire for seasonal use (busy periods) say up to 3 months
or for shows etc their are short term rates.
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didn't realise you needed to be in such a long contract to get it at £25 plus vat which makes it quite expensive if it's rarely used.
that's a saving of £92 over the 36 months and then a saving the rest of the time you have it.
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Just phoned them.
I'm not a FSB member and my charges would be.
£25 + the dreaded per month.
Debit cards 27p per transaction.
Credit cards 1.7%.
36 month contract.
For a short term try out period £80 per month / 3 months.
Can't decide.
Do the banks run their own, cutting out the middleman.
My business account is with Barclays think I will go see them.
John
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I use pay pal , if anybody wishes to pay by card . I simply email a pay pal invoice and they can pay there and then ,, pay pal is about 3% charges.
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J&S
John
Your offer as a non FSB member is better then my offer as a FSB member. Interesting.
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Actually little mistake it's £26 per month but
am going to see what Barclays offer.
John
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When we were looking into this the banks wanted big set up fees and much higher charges. 123send was the best deal by far.
Simon
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I know cheques are ending soon but Ive been asked fewer than 5 times in 10 years to pay by card.
Mark
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Mark,
Same here. But when you mention you take cards most people take that option and the money is in your account a couple of days later so no need to go to the bank as often, plus once the payment is authorised there's no chance of it bouncing as with cheques.
Simon
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I honestly cant remember ever having a cheque bounce on me.
Getting them, that's another story.
Funnily enough, I got asked today if I took Switch.
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Have accepted cards for many years but I don't particularly push them.
Most payments are by debit card or cheque & going into a bank once a week is no great problem for me
Some claim that credit card payers spend more - but without trying to sound arrogant - with the clients I have, it doesn't make a blind bit of difference.