I need to take a payment via credit card somehow. My client ordered the project and drives a truck all week out of town. While he was gone, his wife discovered a low water pressure in their home and called a handyman... Handyman found a catastrophe basically, so he's a little cash strapped from that repair bill... I get it. He wants to pay when the project is finished and drafted (I totally appreciate that), but he wants/needs to pay with a credit card. The bank I use for my business account can't facilitate just one CC transaction, so I need to find an alternative. I don't really want to have him make a cash withdrawal off his CC because of the higher interest rate, but I want to get paid of course...
Suggestions? Set up a pay pal situation? I had a little trouble understanding the parameters, but I can read through them again when I'm not exhausted.
Any help is appreciated!!
Carl
I would say go with PayPal. You'll eat the fee, but it's really no worse than any other credit card fee. The problem is that you'll likely have to walk him through a credit card payment, because PayPal nails you with the direct PayPal payment option and puts the link to pay without credit card (and without a PayPal account) in tiny print on the payment page.
You'd need to setup an invoice in PayPal and send it to him and hope that he follows the proper directions to pay with the credit card.
Also, I think you have to have a Business or Premier PayPal account.
Yes, my wife, who has been handling the business end of my little business, set up a paypal account for credit cards. I'm not sure how it was set-up, but I know she creates and emails an invoice to the client with a link that they can enter the credit card info ... seems to work fine. I think they charge about 3%.
Hmmm, it seems they have made the credit card payment (without a PayPal account) more obvious than it used to be:
> I would say go with PayPal. You'll eat the fee, but it's really no worse than any other credit card fee. The problem is that you'll likely have to walk him through a credit card payment, because PayPal nails you with the direct PayPal payment option and puts the link to pay without credit card (and without a PayPal account) in tiny print on the payment page.
>
> You'd need to setup an invoice in PayPal and send it to him and hope that he follows the proper directions to pay with the credit card.
>
> Also, I think you have to have a Business or Premier PayPal account.
Dang,
He's not a computer user either. I was either going to have to do it at my computer with him entering his info in, and it ending up in my account. I may have to think this through a little more...
> Hmmm, it seems they have made the credit card payment (without a PayPal account) more obvious than it used to be:
>
Roger that. I'm going to look into it more tomorrow or this weekend.
Thanks!!
If you have an iPhone or Android phone, you might want to check out https://squareup.com/
I have an account there, but haven't received any payments with it yet. I have a friend in Oklahoma who has used it with a client before though.
Part of the deal is that you get a swiper for your phone. However, you don't have to wait for it to arrive -- you can enter the credit card info into your phone's app manually, although I think the fee is a little higher.
> If you have an iPhone or Android phone, you might want to check out https://squareup.com/
>
> I have an account there, but haven't received any payments with it yet. I have a friend in Oklahoma who has used it with a client before though.
>
> Part of the deal is that you get a swiper for your phone. However, you don't have to wait for it to arrive -- you can enter the credit card info into your phone's app manually, although I think the fee is a little higher.
Nopie... I'm just a crackberry holder. dang.
thanks though.
PayPal provides you with some of the fewest protections for receiving payment for services compared to, say, a credit card merchant account. If you trust this person completely, go ahead with PayPal.
But many credit card accounts provide checks which can be used to pay you. You are far better off getting one of those checks- no fee, no potential charge-back months later.
Carl,
PayPal is fine, but if he is not computer literate, how about he hits the local bank or ATM, takes a cash withdrawal against his card, and pay you with greenbacks? Also, many banks (like BankAmerica who does it seemingly weekly) sends cardholder's convenience checks. He can write the check and it debit's his card.
So simple a caveman can do it.
Wendell, That squareup looks awesome.
The last couple of years in my business I applied for credit card services. I had to buy a machine for about $125 and I get hit with a monthly charge per card, like about $7 or $10/month per card. Than they take out a certain per cent at time of purchase but I look at it as the cost of doing business. It works slick and I advertise the service on my website and yellow pages. I look at it as an advertising cost.
Here in OZ we have postal notes. Where people pay cash into Post Office ( the client having used credit card to obtain cash from bank) who then issue postal order for an amount that the client can then post to you. On receipt you then bank it like an ordinary cheque.
Happens once or twice a year that I get postal where people do not use cheques or direct debit, as I too do not accept credit cards.
RADU
Richard
That's what we could call a money order. I'll look into it.
Thanks Richard.
Carl
Western Union might be an option also, as he should be able to pay with a Visa or Mastercard at his end.
I also have a Paypal account & use it weekly.
In your case, a MO or cash withdrawal sounds like the best option.
Your never gonna get paid!
Stall tactic!
> I need to take a payment via credit card somehow. My client ordered the project and drives a truck all week out of town. While he was gone, his wife discovered a low water pressure in their home and called a handyman... Handyman found a catastrophe basically, so he's a little cash strapped from that repair bill... I get it. He wants to pay when the project is finished and drafted (I totally appreciate that), but he wants/needs to pay with a credit card. The bank I use for my business account can't facilitate just one CC transaction, so I need to find an alternative. I don't really want to have him make a cash withdrawal off his CC because of the higher interest rate, but I want to get paid of course...
>
>
> Suggestions? Set up a pay pal situation? I had a little trouble understanding the parameters, but I can read through them again when I'm not exhausted.
>
> Any help is appreciated!!
>
> Carl
Does he not have homeowners insurance? Listen to what BL is saying. 10 years of listening to all the excuses & that was my first thought exactly. Hope I'm wrong.
I had a merchant account for a while and have been much happier with paypal's free services. I set up a "pay now" button on my website for professional surveying services, but you could send him an email through paypal via the "request money" tab. Just fill in the recipients email address, fill in the amount and click services. He will receive an email requesting payment, which he can make after following the emailed link a using the non-paypal member payment options.
Kelly Dunford
www.apexlandsurveying.com
What do you mean by "charge per card"? I'm curious because I've thought about getting a machine ...
