Accepting card payments

Rockingit

This might be in the wrong forum so mods please feel free to move.....

Could someone please explain to me why it is that in order to get a small business chip & pin / chip & sign machine, you need to have your own perfectly good credit score? I just can't see the logic!

I'm a small sole trader tradesman and do business in customers homes and often at short notice on emergencies, so it's impractical to think in these increasingly cashless days that people will have more than a few pounds to hand when I want to KNOW that my bill of a very reasonable whatever is going to clear (especially for emergency callouts where people won't have been expecting / budgeted for the expense). A mobile card reader is the obvious answer but sadly my credit file took a battering last year when I had a customer do the dirty on me for £15k, and so now to add to the injustice of making sure it doesn't happen again......._pale_

Any words of wisdom much appreciated!

Dabooka

There's definitely apps out there for readers using iOS and Android, I don't know if they're worth investigating or if they'll be problematic too.

chunkychocky

If you have a smart phone you could use PayPal Virtual Terminal. It costs £20 per month plus PayPal Fees though.

thenudeone

Rockingit wrote: »

This might be in the wrong forum so mods please feel free to move.....

Could someone please explain to me why it is that in order to get a small business chip & pin / chip & sign machine, you need to have your own perfectly good credit score? I just can't see the logic!

It's pretty obvious really.

If people give you all their debit / credit card details and you have a merchant account, it effectively gives you the ability to take money from the account at will, using the cardholder not present function.

Even though you may be committing fraud by doing so, you could still actually do it.

If you take money that you are not entitled to, and then possibly disappear with it, its the banks who will have to clear up the mess.

So IMO it's reasonable to make checks to ensure that the person isn't someone who has difficulties controlling their finances and who might be tempted to use the system inappropriately.

Other people have written on these forums

I've had massive problems with a dodgy retailer -
Why do the banks allow them access to the payment systems; shouldn't they check them out first?

and on the other hand there are posts like this asking

Why are the banks carrying out checks before letting me use their payment systems?

They can't win, really. We can't have it both ways. Either the banks have some responsibility for the companies which use the card payment systems, or they don't, and we accept we're on our own and can't ask the bank to help if we encounter a problem.

Rockingit

thenudeone wrote: »

It's pretty obvious really.

If people give you all their debit / credit card details and you have a merchant account, it effectively gives you the ability to take money from the account at will, using the cardholder not present function.

Even though you may be committing fraud by doing so, you could still actually do it.

If you take money that you are not entitled to, and then possibly disappear with it, its the banks who will have to clear up the mess.

So IMO it's reasonable to make checks to ensure that the person isn't someone who has difficulties controlling their finances and who might be tempted to use the system inappropriately.

Other people have written on these forums

I've had massive problems with a dodgy retailer -
Why do the banks allow them access to the payment systems; shouldn't they check them out first?

and on the other hand there are posts like this asking

Why are the banks carrying out checks before letting me use their payment systems?

They can't win, really. We can't have it both ways. Either the banks have some responsibility for the companies which use the card payment systems, or they don't, and we accept we're on our own and can't ask the bank to help if we encounter a problem.

Sorry, but I REALLY take exception to that. "You" (not [necessarily] the poster personally I quickly add) are effectively suggesting that I am a thief, with no basis, evidence or even vague suggestion of guilt. That is slander in all but technical form.

I read post after post on here about people whining about having debt collectors chasing them and what can they do about it, but when it's the other side of the coin and it's me, as a small business, sending the collection agencies around to scum who don't pay their bills for no good reason, which then means that in turn MY bills to suppliers struggle to get paid on time even though I would wish to pay them straight away (because I'm like that) - and it impacts MY credit rating because of it - then to be called a 'dubious character' to boot just stinks. :mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad::mad:

Rockingit

Yes, lots of clever things exists these days - even chip and pin readers that you plug into your smart phone - but it's not the technology that's the problem, it's the policies behind operating them.

w211

As a private hire driver, I use TaxiPay by Adelante to accept card transactions. It's an Android application, where I just enter the customer's card details in the app, and get an almost instant reply whether the transaction has gone through or not. If an e-mail address is entered, they are e-mailed a receipt.

The payment goes through their merchant account on my behalf, and I pay is 6.5% of the transaction, regardless of little I use it (I haven't used it for the past year or so - most of my work is on account and I'm often paid by bank transfer/cheque).

Might be worth looking at Adelante's website, to see if they can do anything for you.

giblet10

You could try izettle - I use them for when people collect ebay items from my house and they've just launched a pin card reader presumably to satisfy Visa who, unlike Mastercard, Amex and Diners wouldn't allow them to accept payments with just a signature..

Rockingit

giblet10 wrote: »

You could try izettle - I use them for when people collect ebay items from my house and they've just launched a pin card reader presumably to satisfy Visa who, unlike Mastercard, Amex and Diners wouldn't allow them to accept payments with just a signature..

It was me looking at iZettle that prompted this thread! I think what I need to do is just to contact some of them and see what they say.

dalesrider

Rockingit wrote: »

Sorry, but I REALLY take exception to that. "You" (not [necessarily] the poster personally I quickly add) are effectively suggesting that I am a thief, with no basis, evidence or even vague suggestion of guilt. That is slander in all but technical form.

I don't think the poster was targeting you. Just pointing out a fact.
As someone who deals with the other side of this with retailers, (not aimed at you) I often get asked WHY DO VISA allow these companies to trade.
So having proper checks in place to help reduce this from happening is good.
But as in your case makes your life hard.

I understand your anger at non payee's. I get just as frustrated when people are calling just to try and worm their way out of paying for something they should be.

Could you not take a payment via faster payment. Most people have internet/phone banking. So could simply pay via this method.


How about
Worldpay
paypal option
Would google checkout work for you? Or the amazon option.

chattychappy

Rockingit wrote: »

Sorry, but I REALLY take exception to that. "You" (not [necessarily] the poster personally I quickly add) are effectively suggesting that I am a thief, with no basis, evidence or even vague suggestion of guilt. That is slander in all but technical form.

Unfortunately our criminal justice system is slow and imperfect. So organisations have to take things into their own hands. If fraud was quickly spotted and heavily punished, the deterrent would be high and firms wouldn't have to worry so much.

As it is, supermarkets have security blokes by doors, department stores have scanners that you walk through as you leave, train companies have viscous penalty fare regimes, and I have to take off my belt and shoes at airports. All vague suggestions that I might be guilty too!