Credit Card Services

[printslicker]

I am thinking of getting a credit card machine for my specialty shop and I’ve been studying the advantages and disadvantages of having one. For all the store/shop owners here can anyone suggest something as to where I can get credit card machine services. I’m also on a budget btw

http://www.360financialliteracy.org/...f-Credit-Cards

[ToomuchStuff]

Years back, I used to be able to buy the machines from a couple that I could get inexpensive or used computer parts from, so my knowledge is dated.
You might start with your bank. They tend to charge a fee, and I am not sure if they or it was someone else that rented the units. My experience was buying the machines was harder.
Now we have been targeted, and their is a little local dinner that I am 85% sure uses the Square. (works through the smart phone) If not they went for something I have only seen offered through Sam's club (but I haven't looked for it elsewhere). Neither owner is computer literate (I am the go between), none of the three of us have a smart phone, or the need or desire for one (one owner doesn't have a cell phone).
There have been some Etsy posts here, where I believe someone takes them with the Square (there are other brands, that is just the one I am more familiar with)
We have and still choose not to take plastic. In fact, several local little stores have gone that way. (not worth the costs to us) We do NOT have the credit card stickers on the door, but do have Checks and cash only, no credit or debit cards, on the door and at least two other places. There will be people who still don't pay attention (we say checks and cash on the phone now).
Our reasons for not taking them:
We do not take internet orders.
We do not need the extra expense of a dedicated line for the phone machines, and are too busy for the wait for the line to clear to use the machine, like a local friend/mechanic does.
Didn't have to raise our prices to cover the fee's, and the extra percent both owners would want, beside the CC company taking.
While I have read the average spent goes up with CC use, it could easily cause us to get to the point where business suffers, from being able to sell way more then we could produce in any kind of timely manner. (there was an episode of the Big Bang theory that a relative shown me, as an example/question).
There are other disadvantages in my/our view, so our negative list is:
Contributes to peoples debts.
They overspend.
The TOS can and do change with the CC companies and that can be hard to stay on top of. (friends company received a chargeback because the receipts didn't have a statement on them that had recently been added, after his new receipts were ordered)
We believe that things that are used up before, the bill comes, should not be charged. A couple reasons:
If there is some kind of problem, there is nothing to check to determine where the problem originated.
Also allows for fraudulent charge backs.

PS, you should read your link. Your link is as a CC user, NOT as a CC acceptor.

[rodeosweetheart]

A friend of mine who is a therapist went to the bank and got the square, and uses it with her smartphone.

[jp1]

I realize that my view is possibly skewed because of what I do for a living (sell cyber security insurance to businesses) but assuming that it's not markedly more expensive, and that you don't do a whole lot of transactions I'd recommend Square. I've read their TOS and as long as you don't violate their TOS they manage PCI DSS (payment card industry data security standards) compliance for you. Getting accused by a credit card brand of being breached is an expensive situation for any business that accepts credit cards, even if it turns out that the business didn't get breached.

[pinkytoe]

My friend uses Square.