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James & Zelma Litzmann
07-18-2011, 10:53 AM
Do any of you have a credit card company you would recommend? We have a small gift shop, lasering business.

My company told me I had to purchase or rent a new machine. They said the one I was using would not accept the downloads they would be doing. So we purchased a new machine, I liked my old machine, the new one I do not like and just wanted to exchange it. I called 4 times last week to try and get someone to talk to me about this, and on the 6 day (today), I called them for the 5th time and finally got to talk to the person I needed to speak with, and he informs me the machine like I had previously would cost almost $250.00 more or almost $60.00 a month. I can't afford either!

I am looking a paypal virtual terminal, does anyone know anything about it?

I am pretty sure this is not where I should post this but you guys are the ones I communicate with the most, so please forgive me if I am stepping out of bounds.

Zelma

Mike Null
07-18-2011, 11:28 AM
Go to your bank and ask them about a dial in service. That's what I use and I pay no PCI fees. I may pay a point more in fees but it's well worth it.

James & Zelma Litzmann
07-18-2011, 11:33 AM
Go to your bank and ask them about a dial in service. That's what I use and I pay no PCI fees. I may pay a point more in fees but it's well worth it.

My bank is the one I am not happy with :(

Scott T Smith
07-18-2011, 11:49 AM
Search the archives here - there was at least one great thread about accepting credit cards in the past year or so.

Mike Null
07-18-2011, 12:15 PM
Zelma

I don't use any machines just the telephone.

Dan Hintz
07-18-2011, 12:24 PM
I still prefer my virtual terminal... costs me around $200/yr, and I can use it anywhere I have internet access.

James & Zelma Litzmann
07-18-2011, 12:27 PM
I still prefer my virtual terminal... costs me around $200/yr, and I can use it anywhere I have internet access.

Dan is this with PayPal?

David G Baker
07-18-2011, 1:01 PM
Check with Costco or Sam's Club. Someone on SMC suggested Costco but I don't have any experience with them.

Dan Hintz
07-18-2011, 2:11 PM
Dan is this with PayPal?
Nope, I accept Visa, MC, Amex, and Discover.

James & Zelma Litzmann
07-18-2011, 2:53 PM
Nope, I accept Visa, MC, Amex, and Discover.

What company is it?

Greg Portland
07-18-2011, 3:04 PM
I've had good luck with https://squareup.com/

The service is good for any of the major credit cards & runs %2.75 per swipe (flat fee). No monthly contracts, no monthly expenses. Note that if you DON'T swipe (i.e. if you manually type in the card number) then the rate is 15c + %3.75 per swipe IIRC.

Bob Perdue
07-18-2011, 4:15 PM
I have to second the square. I have used it since February and have had no concerns what so ever. It has been great.

Craig Matheny
07-18-2011, 7:08 PM
Believe it or not I use a company through Costco and we have had it for 7 years no problems just went wireless

Dan Hintz
07-19-2011, 7:08 AM
What company is it?
I think it's iPayment:
ipaymentinc.com

Robert McGowen
07-19-2011, 9:45 PM
I go through Costco also. The actual company doing the cards is Nova. If you go through Costco, it is 1.9% plus $.20 per transaction. There is no statement fee and this is for telephone orders where I manually key in the transactions. The only problem is that you have to be a Costco member in order to get the rates. I did not renew promptly one year and found out that my credit card rates had gone up. They went back down after I renewed the Costco membership.

Phil Thien
07-20-2011, 8:30 AM
The rates I see quoted above do not include interchange fees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interchange_fee

Make absolutely certain your processor passes the interchange fees on without further markup.

There are about a dozen major players and hundreds, if not thousands, of small resellers. The small resellers will bury you in hidden markups and fees. The majors will, too, but I've really been surprised at what some small resellers will try.

I've found Heartland is very good, but I don't know how small they will go. I'd try contacting both Heartland and Global, if I were you.

The Costco and Sam's deals are better than average, but you can absolutely do better. I put Sam's (which is FirstData) up against Heartland and Heartland was absolutely less expensive.

BTW, when you talk to these outfits you will realize some of them use pretty high pressure sales tactics. That fact alone should open your eyes to the dollars (profits) involved for them, and the extents to which they will go to get your business and then snow you with statements that would require a supercomputer to decrypt.

Jeff Monson
07-20-2011, 8:50 AM
The rates I see quoted above do not include interchange fees.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interchange_fee

Make absolutely certain your processor passes the interchange fees on without further markup.

There are about a dozen major players and hundreds, if not thousands, of small resellers. The small resellers will bury you in hidden markups and fees. The majors will, too, but I've really been surprised at what some small resellers will try.

I've found Heartland is very good, but I don't know how small they will go. I'd try contacting both Heartland and Global, if I were you.

The Costco and Sam's deals are better than average, but you can absolutely do better. I put Sam's (which is FirstData) up against Heartland and Heartland was absolutely less expensive.

BTW, when you talk to these outfits you will realize some of them use pretty high pressure sales tactics. That fact alone should open your eyes to the dollars (profits) involved for them, and the extents to which they will go to get your business and then snow you with statements that would require a supercomputer to decrypt.

Phil has some pretty sound advice, the hidden fee's with these companies are what kill you. I do quite a lot of credit card sales through my business. Some things I've learned, get an exact quote of monthly charges, get a quote on keyed in transactions (some charge alot more than others), time frame of the contract (some will rope you into a 5 year), how soon does the money hit your bank account. Those are the major points.

Cindy Rhoades
07-25-2011, 10:58 PM
I use inuit which is Quickbooks. Very reasonable pricing. Had originally gone through Sams Club and wasn't real happy plus they charge PCI security fees tht the company that does the security compliance for them does not charge a fee. I pay about a third of what I had been paying plus I got a card reader that attched to my cell phone so I could accept cards at shows. They also offer machines