It is becoming more common for businesses to accept credit cards. Today, a competitor may have an advantage over a merchant who does not accept credit cards.
Accepting credit card payments can increase your business productivity by influencing your sales and customer base, resulting in long-term benefits for the company.
However, purchasing a credit card machine comes with associated and other miscellaneous fees. It’s not as simple as you think. You should be aware of the terms and conditions that apply.
The topics we will be discussing today will involve mainly the pain point of owning a credit card processing and whether it brings benefit to your business or not. So here are the points to bear in mind:
1. The difficulties in getting the approval
Do you know that the process of getting a credit card machine can take up to 6 weeks? It all depends on the document provided.
Speaking about that, the banks require you to provide documents such as SSM certification, bank statements, and local ID.
2. Interchange fee and processing fee
It can be expensive to accept credit card payments. Whenever a customer pays you through a processing terminal, there will be an interchange fee. The fees are paid to the card-issuing bank to cover handling, fraud, and bad debt charges, as well as the risk of authorizing the payment.
The cost will be charged directly from your account. You will also have to pay for monthly statements and other credit card processing fees that can go up to 6%. For a small business on a tight budget, these fees may be costly.
3. Miscellaneous fee
Other fees to consider when buying or renting new terminals include an annual or monthly fee, set up, and registering fee for utilizing the machine. There might also be a hidden fee that isn’t stated in the contract, for instance, changes in pricing as your transaction revenue rises or falls, or termination fees on your existing terminals.
4. Long clearance days
It may take some time for the payment to be credited to the beneficiary’s account. Banks may put a hold on a transaction while they go through fraud tests and background checks. If a consumer pays you today, the chances are you will receive the money in 3-4 days, delaying the entire payment process.
5. Payment by credit card terminal requires the presence of the Payer
It may take some time for the payment to be credited to the beneficiary’s account. Banks may put a hold on a transaction while they go through fraud tests and background checks. If a consumer pays you today, the chances are you will receive the money in 3-4 days, delaying the entire payment process.
Should you get a credit card terminal?
If your business involves engaging with customers daily, a credit card terminal will be a decent choice for you.
Having a credit card processing terminal, on the other hand, is not a smart option for businesses that do not rely on volume or sell their goods at a cheaper cost because it can be costly to maintain.
To give you a better picture of it, here are some scenarios:
Scenario 1
Ali just started his bundle clothing retail store. He noticed that nowadays, people often pay using cards. He decided to buy a credit card processing terminal from a merchant to expand his payment options. Should Ali get one?
Yes, because it involves customers coming to the store daily. Hence, having a credit card terminal would help Ali’s provide more settlement options to his customers, resulting in increased revenue for his business.
Scenario 2
Mei Ling wanted to start her own cosmetics business. She expects the agent to purchase the merchandise from her in bulk and then sell it. Before Mei Ling purchases the stock from her supplier, the agents will have to pay her first via bank transfer. The number of orders by the agents, which varies from month-to-month will determine Mei Ling’s total monthly revenue. In this case, should she get a credit card terminal?
No, as the stock ordered varied every month, it would be uncertain for Mei Ling’s business whether there will be a transaction occurring for each month. Plus, getting a credit card terminal could cost more money for Mei Ling, mainly on the maintenance part.
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It is becoming more common for businesses to accept credit cards. Today, a competitor may have an advantage over a merchant who does not accept credit cards.
Accepting credit card payments can increase your business productivity by influencing your sales and customer base, resulting in long-term benefits for the company.
However, purchasing a credit card machine comes with associated and other miscellaneous fees. It’s not as simple as you think. You should be aware of the terms and conditions that apply.
The topics we will be discussing today will involve mainly the pain point of owning a credit card processing and whether it brings benefit to your business or not. So here are the points to bear in mind:
1. The difficulties in getting the approval
Do you know that the process of getting a credit card machine can take up to 6 weeks? It all depends on the document provided.
Speaking about that, the banks require you to provide documents such as SSM certification, bank statements, and local ID.
2. Interchange fee and processing fee
It can be expensive to accept credit card payments. Whenever a customer pays you through a processing terminal, there will be an interchange fee. The fees are paid to the card-issuing bank to cover handling, fraud, and bad debt charges, as well as the risk of authorizing the payment.
The cost will be charged directly from your account. You will also have to pay for monthly statements and other credit card processing fees that can go up to 6%. For a small business on a tight budget, these fees may be costly.
3. Miscellaneous fee
Other fees to consider when buying or renting new terminals include an annual or monthly fee, set up, and registering fee for utilizing the machine.
There might also be a hidden fee that isn’t stated in the contract, for instance, changes in pricing as your transaction revenue rises or falls, or termination fees on your existing terminals.
4. Long clearance days
It may take some time for the payment to be credited to the beneficiary’s account. Banks may put a hold on a transaction while they go through fraud tests and background checks.
If a consumer pays you today, the chances are you will receive the money in 3-4 days, delaying the entire payment process.
5. Payment by credit card terminal requires the presence of the Payer
In today’s business world, online transactions have become the new standard. Having a credit card terminal is beneficial to your company.
However, imagine paying someone that is 100 miles away from you; that could be a hassle. It’s the constraint that many businesses are currently facing during the pandemic.
Should you get a credit card terminal?
If your business involves engaging with customers daily, a credit card terminal will be a decent choice for you.
Having a credit card processing terminal, on the other hand, is not a smart option for businesses that do not rely on volume or sell their goods at a cheaper cost because it can be costly to maintain.
To give you a better picture of it, here are some scenario:
Scenario 1
Ali just started his bundle clothing retail store. He noticed that nowadays, people often pay using cards. He decided to buy a credit card processing terminal from a merchant to expand his payment options. Should Ali get one?
Yes, because it involves customers coming to the store daily. Hence, having a credit card terminal would help Ali’s provide more settlement options to his customers, resulting in increased revenue for his business.
Scenario 2
If your business involves engaging with customers daily, a credit card terminal will be a decent choice for you.
Having a credit card processing terminal, on the other hand, is not a smart option for businesses that do not rely on volume or sell their goods at a cheaper cost because it can be costly to maintain.
To give you a better picture of it, here are some scenario:
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