Taking credit card payments

[boosta]

Hi all, i have recently decided that I really need a credit card machine for attending shows and events.

Does anyone have any recommendations regarding which company to use? Ideally I would like a company that sorts the merchant bank account out for me too.

Cheers :-)

[Kimkie]

I'm interested in this too. I am loosing customers by not having that facility.

[caroleallen]

I only have experience with Adelante. What I like about them is that when you ring, you get to talk to an actual person with a name. You don't end up with some automated message. I've been with them for about 5 years and if I get a problem (like I did this week) they sort it out quickly. I don't know if they're the cheapest but I don't think I'd change.

[pearlescence]

I use streamline...have done for years. The machine works well most of the time (sometimes no signal either due to remoteness of location or overloaded station) and my hand machine needs a new battery but I've never had a problem with transfer of money
And, again, when you ring you get a person
You are right, you will be losing sales. Most people carry a bit of cash these days and their cards.

[Patstone]

Yes, I have noticed that, a lot of people at the last craft fair asked if I had a card machine and I dont. I think that a lot of people wouldnt have enough cash on them to purchase jewellery apart from the cheaper things, I know I dont carry much cash and these days you expect people to have machines when you buy something. I will have to get one soon I think, thanks for the info.

[ps_bond]

I rarely carry much cash, so I'd tend to assume potential customers don't - I feel that being able to take CC payments is pretty much essential now. Cheques aren't something I'm happy with without suitable guarantee cards, although additional (addressed) ID like a driving licence can probably cover that (in the event of it being bounced).

One caveat... At the Romsey show, someone I know hired a CC machine to use for the day. It processed 2 transactions before refusing to play ball due to network traffic; the provider was, I'm told, completely uninterested in the problem. Make sure you've got a) backup and b) a clear idea of what happens when it goes FUBAR! In this particular case they were lucky - they have a fixed terminal at their shop, so were able to phone in payments and send out the receipts by post.