Accepting payment method

Just wondering how everyone collects payment. Idealy cash would be awsome but lets face it not everyone uses cash. I am guessing checks are popular or credit cards. I know with credit cards you need a merchant account, and I am sure those fees at up. If you accept checks, are they made out to you or your business? I am really not trying to get to personal, I just want to make sure I do things the correct way, and I am sure I am not the only one thinking some of these questions. Thanks guys.

unless you are generating a lot of business a traditional merchant account will not be in your best interest. Take a look at the paypal business accounts. Very much like a merchant account but simpler to set up and people make their payments online with a CC. If you want to avoid any confusion whatsoever then only accept check or cash.

https://merchant.paypa​l.com …merchant/online​_invoicing

I have paypal on the site. Paypal accepts cards so no problem there.

In person I use Square. (www.squareup.com). I can take a card payment with my phone. They get emailed the reciept. And the fees are less than an agreement with other places.

Mark1 wrote in post #10440851
I have paypal on the site. Paypal accepts cards so no problem there.

In person I use Square. (www.squareup.com). I can take a card payment with my phone. They get emailed the reciept. And the fees are less than an agreement with other places.

Hmm. Wish they supported Blackberry.

thanks, i'll have to look into the paypal thing

Mark1 wrote in post #10440851
In person I use Square. (www.squareup.com). I can take a card payment with my phone. They get emailed the reciept. And the fees are less than an agreement with other places.

I signed up for this about 6 weeks ago, and I'm still waiting on my "square" to arrive...
I see many uses for it, so I can't wait for it to FINALLY get here

Square is revamping thier policy. They stopped shipping the unit for a while to get everybody under the new policy when it is finalized. You will have to get a credit check under the new terms. If you dont want to, they will not ship. But the $60 limit will be gone under the new terms also.

$60 limit would have been a deal-breaker for me. BUT checks don't cost me anything to accept so I'll keep recommending those as my payment method for in-person transactions. I ditched my merchant account because of the monthly fees and the fact that NO ONE requested to use plastic in person.

It was for me as well. The origional idea was for small transactions between friends..etc...etc. But as it is free to sign up I figured why not?

True enough.

Its a cool conversation piece if nothing else.

Here in the developed world, payment in this situation is usually done with bank to bank transfers, via internet banking. Credit cards and eftpos are used in stores, but small businesses don't always have them. Cash and cheques are mostly gone, though are still used occasionally.

I only accept CC on line. For pre orders (T&I) and all other sales, it has to be either cash or check.

tim wrote in post #10443924
Here in the developed world, payment in this situation is usually done with bank to bank transfers, via internet banking. Credit cards and eftpos are used in stores, but small businesses don't always have them. Cash and cheques are mostly gone, though are still used occasionally.

Bank to bank doesn't even exist in the US as far as I know. Checks aren't gone. Many big spenders use them, at least here in the USA. It's silly to write one out for coffee (although I had to once), but big transactions are common.

Strange. We've been primarily electronic for about 20 years, and person to person electronic transaction have been common for at least the past five.