Advice on which merchant card service to use

chilli23

Hi Everyone,

I'm new and have never posted on anything like this before so I hope I've done it right and put it in the correct place!
I have a very small business and I'm thinking about signing up for a streamline or card merchant services machine - see I'm not even sure what they are called so I definitely need help!
I have just booked an appointment with Cardsave who said I connected them a while ago - I may have but I don't remember - but I don't like cold calling and now I'm worried they'll try the hard sell.
I looked at the short thread on here which wasn't very positive about them.
So really I'm asking does anyone have a good experience with them or can they recommended anyone? I only have about 10k turnover if that's relevant and have been in business about 2 years.

many thanks

rosiethedog

If you're a member of the FSB (federation of small businesses) they have a good deal with Streamline to get a terminal. i did contact cardsave for a quote but now they keep phoning me constantly :-(

greyteam1959

www.acceptcards.co.uk
Used them for about 5 years now

chalkie99

Do you mean your total sales are only 10k a year?

If so, I cannot imagine you have a shop so where are you working from?

The reason for asking is that the way you accept cards, i.e. with the customer present in person at the time of sale (chip and pin), over the telephone or via the internet, will greatly influence the costs, as will the type of product or service you are selling and where you are selling. For example, if you are trading at fairs, etc, you would need a terminal capable of working via a mobile connection, etc.

Please come back with a bit more information as machine rental, merchant account fees and payment gateway fees are going to eat into low sales substantially.

chilli23

I run a trailer hire business from home and so I take the money face to face. They usually bring cash so it's not a problem however a few people always cancel last minute and I want to try to avoid this by getting the money upfront over the phone when they book. Some people seem unable or unwilling to do bank transfers and paypal also charges (plus not everyone has a paypal account).
So other than a merchant account I'm not sure what's the best way forward.
thanks

chalkie99

and paypal also charges (plus not everyone has a paypal account)

Your customers don't need to have a PayPal account to pay by PayPal, they can just use their regular debit or credit card.

I'm not sure what you mean by "paypal also charges" :huh: - every card processor charges you for their services and, actually, for a low turnover PayPal might be the cheapest option.

I would suggest you approach your own bank in the first place and let them profile your business to provide a quotation. I fear there may be a can of worms hiding in the detail of this as hire equipment is not the most straightforward business.

You might find some useful reading here:

http://www.streamline.com/customer-zone/operating-instructions/merchant-operating-instructions-our-other-services/merchant-operating-instructions-vehicle-rental-services/

Admittedly this relates to vehicle hire but much of the principle seems much the same.

Look especially at this section:

If a customer cancels their reservation

You must not process a charge to the card for the booking. If you do, there is likely to be a dispute that may result in a chargeback. If your rental agreement says that a cancellation charge will apply, you will need to contact the customer to arrange for payment by another method.

Basically, you are going to be doing a "customer not present" transaction if someone books over the 'phone - no "chip and pin" security and you will need to follow all the card processors rules very carefully.

You might find that no-one wants your business or that, if they do, they may hold on to your funds for a lengthy period to protect against charge backs.

Make sure all your hire agreements are water tight before you start approaching providers. If your own bank cannot help there are several "broker" type companies that may have some influence on your behalf. Have a look on UK Business forums for some names such as Total Web Solutions, PaymentSense, etc.