Credit Card Processing

[Joe Pelonio]

I'm getting real close to moving from the business park to the house. My credit card processing provider frowns upon payments without swiping the card (higher fees and limits), which will no longer be possible. I am looking into using PayPal with a payment button on my website, and virtual terminal for people that might prefer to pay by phone. Already I know that it would save me a bit of money in fees and I could offer other payment methods that I can't now. Most of my good regulars pay by mailed check net 30 days, but those that pay in person now often use plastic and I'll now be shipping or delivering to them.

Does anyone have any experience with this? I have had a PayPal merchant account for a long time and never a problem with their security,
but am looking for people that use the credit card services, not just PayPal payments by e-mail.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I use Authorize.net. Thier virtual terminal is just fine for phone orders, and the integration with my shopping cart site is seamless. No-card-present transactions will always carry a premium fee.

Some processors are awful. Linkpoint for one, couldn't get them to work on my website at all.

Check out paypalsucks.com. Too many horror stories for me. Maybe OK on ebay...

Mitch

[Joe Pelonio]

My problem is I can't do a "shopping cart" since I have no stock items.
I may have time to add some of that eventually, but for now every sign or laser job sale is custom. All I need is a place where the customer can go to pay using their credit card and a virtual terminal for those that either have no internet access or prefer to do it by phone.

Then since I will never have the card present anymore I want to find a place (like PayPal) that doesn't charge more for that. My biggest customers always pay net 30 by check from the corporate office, but I have to accomodate my current an new customers with less frequent
orders that I'll be shipping to them. Most will be by e-mail, fax, or phone,
not coming through the website.

I will look at authorize.net.

[Dave Jones]

I have a merchant account through my bank on my business account. I only do phone orders, though not small ones (average is around $900). I'm probably paying a higher rate than certain retail stores because it's phone orders only, but it's still a fair amount cheaper than PayPal charges.

I use a Verifone CC machine to type the numbers into.

[Mitchell Andrus]

I got rid of my keypad/swipe machine years ago. I go to a secure portal and enter the info as if I were placing a web order - same process only I don't see my website, I see the processor's.

Some people call me and place thier order over the phone cause they don't want to do it 'over the internet'. I have to do use the internet in order to enter the information.... When an order is placed directly by the customer at my website, I don't even see thier credit card info, so it's really safer to order on-line than over the phone.

Mitch

[Bob Keyes]

Joe,

I have used PayPal for 8 years on my site and have used the VT for the past 2 years. It has served me well and I would recommend it to anyone. All you do is fill in the info on the VT page and the credit card is taken and the money deposited into your PayPal account.

As you probably know you can transfer your money to your bank account free anytime you want.

If I can provide more info I will be glad to.

[Joe Pelonio]

Thanks Bob. I checked out the others and compared to what I pay now for my bank storefront system (Verifone) and PayPal is considerably less than all of the others for what I'll need. I wanted to find someone that's had good luck. I do a fair amount of PayPal payments via e-mail already. Their transfer to my bank account is already half the time it takes for the swiped card money to get to me, and they say the funds go to the PayPal acount immediately when the customer or I via VT enter the info.

Still have more to digest and check before deciding.

Dave, you must get a better rate by working with your own bank, which
must be giving you a good deal, or maybe because you have a high sales amount going through it.

I spoke to mine (I have it thru Sam's Club now) and their rate for me is higher than PayPal or Sam's even though I've banked with them for 14 years. May be because my sales by plastic are not that much, my big
invoices are paid by check.

[Dave Jones]

I only do a few charges a month, but they're usually in the $500-$1500 range. That probably makes a difference. Plus my bank is a major business bank.

[Mike Null]

I've been using my bank and just a telephone authorization process. I pay $15 per month or 3.4% which ever is greater plus $.35 per transaction. I was just "forced" to add American Express this week due to a large order. I will have to pay about $12 per month for that service. Again with phone authorization.

Most of my customers prefer to give me their card info by phone rather than email for security purposes. All of my commercial accounts pay by check except the new Amex acct.

I've looked at PayPal but it is so difficult to talk to somebody there I've been reluctant to move.

[Frank Corker]

Boy I wish I was getting paid, I'd settle for anything

[Joe Pelonio]

I've been using my bank and just a telephone authorization process. I pay $15 per month or 3.4% which ever is greater plus $.35 per transaction. I was just "forced" to add American Express this week due to a large order. I will have to pay about $12 per month for that service. Again with phone authorization.

Most of my customers prefer to give me their card info by phone rather than email for security purposes. All of my commercial accounts pay by check except the new Amex acct.

I've looked at PayPal but it is so difficult to talk to somebody there I've been reluctant to move.
I finally decided to call them and talk to a human, and was surprised it only took 3 minutes on hold, and I asked a lot of questions for 15 minutes wthout him trying to get rid of me. And, he spoke English!

Frank,

You're retired, you are not supposed to work too hard.

[Tom Caudle]

If you jump through all their hoops and do the bank verification thing (PITA) and get a Merchant account PayPal has some advantages. Customers like the fact you never see their CC numbers and your liability goes down. My orders have increased over the "call and order over the phone". Also I found a intermediary company that offers a way to get on-line (HTML based interface) ordering up in minutes once you have the paypal account. It front ends the Paypal Shopping Cart and allows things like putting in shipping by weight tables (to multiple countries if needed), discount coupons, tax tables, volume discounts by product and lots of other features.

See the stuff at www.CoolCart.net I pay 20.00 bucks a month for that service to front end the Paypal stuff. My option was to write a bunch of code myself or find a full on-line catalog service at about 50 to 70 bucks per month (been there doing that).


Tom Caudle
CandCNC
FourhillsDesigns
CNC engraver, CNC plasma cutter, 3D CNC router, Corel V12, SheetCAM

[Barbara Buhse]

I have a "store and forward" battery operated machine which I take to craft shows, and also take cc orders by phone. It costs $10/month and 2.6% plus .25 cents per transaction. I mostly do small charges, the larger ones are usually paid by check. It really gives me an advantage at craft shows. (I DO NOT currently have a web site, egads!) so web orders are not an issue with me. (I bought the service and machine from paynet systems, and they've been very good).

Barbara

[Mark Plotkin]

Joe,

here is some details on the system I use.
Mals-e is the cart and basket provider, about $6.00 per month
Central Bankcard is the processing company, $ 7.50 per month plus
$ .50 for each transaction.
Trust Commerce is the virtual terminal, web orders process by themselves, meaning the orders come to me with the card approved, I just go into the terminal when I ship to transfer payment to my account
cost $20.00 per month plus a % varies on amount. I can go to the virtual terminal and put in the information myself for phone, or other orders that do not process over the website.

everything works great. not the least expensive but I have had no problems (or charge backs).

I started with Mals-e and they supplied the info on the others.

good luck!

[Mark Plotkin]

Joe,

here is some details on the system I use.
Mals-e is the cart and basket provider, about $6.00 per month
Central Bankcard is the processing company, $ 7.50 per month plus
$ .50 for each transaction.
Trust Commerce is the virtual terminal, web orders process by themselves, meaning the orders come to me with the card approved, I just go into the terminal when I ship to transfer payment to my account
cost $20.00 per month plus a % varies on amount. I can go to the virtual terminal and put in the information myself for phone, or other orders that do not process over the website.

everything works great. not the least expensive but I have had no problems (or charge backs).

I started with Mals-e and they supplied the info on the others.

good luck!

[Jason Abel]

I have been using Paypal on my website and for all my point of sale transactions and have never had any issues. I don't even use the virtual terminal. I just add the items to the shopping cart and proceed to checkout. I understand that is easier for me because my products/pricing is pretty much pre-defined. I used Authorize.net at one time and I just got tired of the overall expense. I save a considerable emount each month by using Paypal. In a months time I process anywhere from 300-500 transactions and like previously stated I have never had any issues at all. Good luck with your business and your transition :)

Going off memory I think it's $0.35 per transaction and 2.9% of the total sale.

Jason Abel
Battery Builders

[Ed Newbold]

I have been using Paypal on my website and for all my point of sale transactions and have never had any issues. I don't even use the virtual terminal. I just add the items to the shopping cart and proceed to checkout. I understand that is easier for me because my products/pricing is pretty much pre-defined. I used Authorize.net at one time and I just got tired of the overall expense. I save a considerable emount each month by using Paypal. In a months time I process anywhere from 300-500 transactions and like previously stated I have never had any issues at all. Good luck with your business and your transition :)

Going off memory I think it's $0.35 per transaction and 2.9% of the total sale.

Jason Abel
Battery Builders
Well fellas, I sort of "get it" and sort of "don't get it."

I've been using PayPal for a few years for on-line transactions, no problem.

What I want to know is how to use them when out in the field, like at a craft show, where I don't have access to a PC at that time. I don't see how you can accept CC payments AT the craft show without something like a knuckle buster CC swiping machine.

Does PayPal send you a plate to use with the swiping machine?

Also, what is the PayPal telephone you gents use that actually gets you thru to a live person?

Thanks very much for your thoughts,

[Joe Pelonio]

Most large facilities where craft shows are held, like the fairgrounds, will have wireless internet access available. From what I've found out the PayPal "Virtual Terminal" allows you to do credit card sales with a laptop and printer in your booth. Without internet I would think you'd need a more traditional type of provider where you can telephone verify all of them and as you said swipe them on the "knuckle buster".

With PayPal as long as you are online no need for any equipment at all, if a person hands you a card you just enter the information into the PC.

The human I spoke to was at: 1-866-836-1648

[Ed Newbold]

Most large facilities where craft shows are held, like the fairgrounds, will have wireless internet access available. From what I've found out the PayPal "Virtual Terminal" allows you to do credit card sales with a laptop and printer in your booth. Without internet I would think you'd need a more traditional type of provider where you can telephone verify all of them and as you said swipe them on the "knuckle buster".

With PayPal as long as you are online no need for any equipment at all, if a person hands you a card you just enter the information into the PC.

The human I spoke to was at: 1-866-836-1648Thanks very much, Joe. The last show I attended (not as a vendor, but checking it out as a possibility for next year) was at Oglebay, West Va. No, there wasn't any internet access available there, so that's why I was asking.

I really appreciate the telephone number and will call them right away.