I just found out that we're paying $20 a month to the company that we run the cards through. They also get a percentage of what we do. We own the machine, and some months never use it and we don't use it frequently. What alternatives are you using? It's not worth twenty a month to me.
Posted by Jerry Starpoli (Member # 1559) on :
We use Square, the one you see advertised on TV and all over the internet. No monthly fee and a small fee for the transaction. I had a service a while back that had monthly fees and percentage charges that cost much more than we ever took in.
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
I use both Square and now PayPal has a reader- it came in very handy a few weeks ago- I was at the school where my wife works and just happened to have my phone and card reader with me: I was doing a t-shirt project for the school and they are sometimes kinda slow about getting payment out... The administrator that placed the order asked if she could just go ahead and pay for the project with the school credit card- a few seconds later I had $875.00 in my Paypal account, which I used to pay for the product thru PayPal as well. They charge a percentage on the transaction, but no monthly fees or anything
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
I've used NPC for the past 12 or 13 years. I own the machine No statement fee (if you opt to check them online) 25 cents per swipe 1.3% for debits 1.9% standard credit card or double that for corporate or rewards cards.
The best part is no machine rent and no statement fees....but the rates are pretty good too.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Is Square something that requires one of those internet phones? Do you need an Apple product to work it?
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
Square requires a smart phone but it doesn not have to be an Apple. I've been using one for a year and a half and it's been great.
Posted by Don Hulsey (Member # 128) on :
With Square, do you HAVE TO swipe the card, or can it also be "keyed" in over the phone?
Posted by David Wright (Member # 111) on :
You can key in information also Don.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Where I live cell phones are very iffy. Sometimes they work and if you turn your head the connection is gone. Internet is slow. No cables and slow satellite is all we have, so the smart phones don't make sense for us. I'll check out that NPC company. One of my friends uses Costco, but I see they re sell it to Elavon who does it for much less. I'd like to not dump the service to our customers, but for how seldom we use it, the current expense isn't justifiable.
Posted by PatRaap (Member # 4290) on :
I had that same issue of unaffordable charges connected to the CC Com....I have used the square for almost 2 years. We had a sprint phone for a while- had horrible connection - but I never had a an issue when entering a CC. But I guess that would be a question to raise to someone. I will say that my money is deposited almost twice as fast as my old CC company. I did a transaction at 7:30 thursday night, and by Friday, 9:30 am I had an email stating that it was deposited. I Highly recommend it.
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Don, if you key it in, the fee is slightly higher.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
We spent some time yesterday comparing a few of these companies and found not too much difference between a few of the best prospects price wise. One company would re program the old machine that we own and another would sell us a USB device and the third uses a program on the computer without any device. How would you compare those options? Simplicity, security, longevity, value of investment? They want $160 for the set up charges or for the USB thingy.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
also, we seldom swipe a card, most always someone giving info over the phone
Posted by Michael Clanton (Member # 2419) on :
you might also talk to your bank- sometimes they offer solutions as well- a few years ago my bank processed a large credit card payment for me and offered me several services for future transactions, but I didn't have much need for them at the time.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
I like Elevon a bit better than NPC. NPC wants $159 to get me set up and the other is free but has a .03 % higher rate. Seems the way this is going eliminates me needing to use my Hypercom machine any more and it all happens from a website. Is it really that easy?
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
RixRax I frequently use CBH ... thats Cash on the Barrell Head. Some customers are allowed to write me checks too. lol
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
..... wish my income posted double .....
[ December 12, 2013, 07:22 PM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by Wayne Webb (Member # 1124) on :
quote:Originally posted by Rick Sacks: I like Elevon a bit better than NPC. NPC wants $159 to get me set up and the other is free but has a .03 % higher rate. Seems the way this is going eliminates me needing to use my Hypercom machine any more and it all happens from a website. Is it really that easy?
Wow! I guess NPC has changed. I don't remember any charges to get set up. They even sent me a free terminal...but that was about 12 or 13 years ago. Tell them the other company's is free and they might wave it.
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
I'm going with square now that I finally have a smart phone. I was using PayPal but discovered some of my corporate accounts don't allow their corp. cards to use PayPal.
Posted by John Arnott (Member # 215) on :
I just changed all my phone lines to digital. Saves a ton of money. I had to change my credit card machine to the Square devise on the smart phone. It really is the simpleist and easiest way to go. They take 2.75%
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
I use the Square & I love it. I usually explain it to customers, but I had a guy over 70 years old not even blink when I grabbed it - he already knew all about it. Fee is a little higher than banks but there is no monthly fee, no dealing with the "compliance" crap & I can use it anywhere. CC numbers can be keyed in rather than swiping but for a little higher rate, the same as traditional cc processing. I'm thinking their cut-off is around 5 pm California time to be deposited the next day.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Some of what I found...the company we've been dealing with said that a month after my three year contract with them expired it is automatically renewed if I don't say stop, and I need to buy my way out of contract. They also offered me a program with a 2.2 rate and a monthly fee of $8. Looks kinda nice.
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
I Highly recommend it.