Is Your Business Too Special for Credit Cards?

Sure, stores have to have credit card processing; people use
credit cards and debit cards most of the time when they shop, so
refusing to take cards is like turning customers away. What about
other kinds of businesses? Our first example is a Chinese drive
through restaurant. They have freshly cooked foods like Garlic
Chicken and Shrimp Fried Rice and a drive up window, no seating.
Theyre special, and they dont take credit cards. Theres a sign on
the drive up window alerting people to the fact that they dont
accept cards, and during a recent visit we saw two cars ahead of us
drive off without they food theyd ordered, because they expected to
be able to pay with a card. The owners are quite simply losing
money, not just in potential customers, but in the food they pack
up and then cant send out the window. Each disappointed customer
will also tell a handful of friends, and probably mention the
experience at least once at Facebook or Twitter, too. Its time for
this special place to recognize that credit cards are a must.
Another example is a small clothing company. Theyre so small that
they make most of their sales at craft fairs and festivals. They
tried taking credit cards before, using a manual card reader,
taking down a bunch of extra information, and then handing over the
goods and hoping the cards would work when they got back home and
put all the information into their account. It slowed them down,
losing them sales as people gave up and wandered off. It also made
them nervous, since they couldnt get immediate approval of the
cards and had to take all transactions on trust. The card reader
was a bother, too, and sometimes they couldnt even read the paper
slips they had to use. Times have changed. Wireless credit card
processing machines can fit in your cash box (or your pocket!) and
let you swipe cards and process them just as you would in a store.
Now everyone can use credit cards, even outdoors, without
electricity or phone lines. Our third example is a company that
makes very special items for brides. Their handmade veils and
accessories are unique and specially made for each bride. They dont
want to pay credit card fees, and they figure they dont have to
their customers cant get what they offer anywhere else. That used
to be true. Now, customers have far more choices. Online shopping
lets your customers go anywhere in the world in search of the items
you offer, so being the only place in town is no longer enough.
When brides can shop for handmade veils online in their pajamas,
and pay for it easily with their credit cards, the only place in
town is inconvenient by comparison. Whether you offer a product or
a service, your customers expect you to be able to accept credit
cards. Fortunately, credit card processing has become painless.
Talk with a...