Swipe Credit Cards with Your Smartphone

David — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:33:10 +0000

Accepting credit cards using your iPhone, Blackberry or Android phones have been available for a number of years using specific apps. However, not to 2010 did a nifty program and product become available to small businesses: Square. Square is a tiny device that plugs into your phone’s auxiliary port and enables a user to swipe a consumer’s credit card, have them sign their signature and even sends an emailed receipt. The neat thing about Square is there are no monthly fees. So if you are not doing a lot of credit card swipes, Square is definitely worth considering. The software and Square device are completely free. You only pay a $.15 transaction fee plus around 2.7% to your friends at VISA, MasterCard, and so on.

One draw back is the transaction percentage. I use Authorize.net for my credit card transactions and my local bank: PNC. I pay around 2.3% for my fees and have a monthly fee of around $40. I’ve shopped around a bit but am comfortable at this rate for now. By using Square, I’d pay a little more, but again…you don’t want to have to wait for your money too long. If you have something that takes credit cards, chances are you’ll get paid on the spot. So, if you are a small business and need to get paid, use the Square. This can be a great tool for estimators who need to get a deposit right away to secure a contract. Learn more about Square (started by the guy who created Twitter)

Using Your Phone As a Credit Card

David — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:51:14 +0000

I recently purchased a $.99 App for my iPhone called Swipe that makes receiving credit card payments easy while on the go. I am testing this App to see how easy it is to use for mobile users. I thought this would be a great tool for service companies. With a few simple clicks and entering a credit card, a Swipe user can accept payments in seconds and email receipts. So far, I’m very impressed with this new App. For Blackberry users, try this free Credit Card App.

Most paint companies I work with request an up front deposit. Getting the deposit can be difficult if you don’t do it on the spot. If you had a mobile credit card application for your mobile device, the customer has no excuse but to pay right away.

It might look something like this, “Mr. Franklin, I’m really looking forward to working with you. All I need is a signature approving our proposal and what method of payment you wish to use for the deposit?” if they don’t write you a check which would be great then you’d say, “Oh and by the way, we take VISA, MasterCard and American Express, and I can run the card right now and send you a receipt. What card would you like to use?”

The major complaint most folks have with Credit Cards is the transaction fees. The second complaint I hear often is, “I can never collect a deposit in a timely manner.” Well, even though there is a transaction fee, you might want to at least consider pushing the deposits on a credit card. It is easy, and you get your money typically in less than 24 hours.

Oh…and depending on the types of services you perform, Swipe makes it easy to type in a list of services and pricing. So, for Painters, you can have a “Color Consultation” $95 fee or “Painter For a Day (full day) $500 etc.

The setup for Swipe was very easy. The hardest part was looking up my merchant account from Authorize.net.

A David Creation » Accept Credit Cards on Mobile Phones

Swipe Credit Cards with Your Smartphone

Using Your Phone As a Credit Card