Do I Need to Accept Credit Cards?

Signs You Need Merchant Services (Or a New Provider!)

YOU MAY NEED MERCHANT SERVICES IF:

  1. YOU ARE ADVERTISING IN THE PHONE BOOK - Businesses who advertise in the phone book and do not list card acceptance are less likely to gain the business of potential clients! Many times, the presence of the Visa/MC/Discover logos is enough to get the prospect to call you first!
  2. YOU ARE LOSING BUSINESS - If you have customers or clients deciding to use someone else because they want to pay with their card -- it may be time to consider adding credit cards!
  3. YOU WANT TO ATTRACT MORE BUSINESS -- Sometimes it takes a new approach to add more business! When you add credit card acceptance, you can increase your sales by as much as an additional 30% to 40%! This can add up and mean even more business!
  4. YOUR INDUSTRY DICTATES CARD ACCEPTANCE - If all of your competitors accept cards and you do not, you may want to consider accepting them! For example, a restaurant that does not accept credit cards could be in trouble today! A retail business that does not accept credit cards could be in trouble as well.
  5. YOU HAVE AN ONLINE BUSINESS - It is next to impossible to realize business growth online without having the ability to take credit cards. Since most online businesses accept plastic as a form of payment -- not having the ability can really put your future online business at a disadvantage!
  6. YOU HAVE A MICRO BUSINESS - With some of the newer SmartPhone solutions, accepting credit cards for the occasional sale or for your seasonal needs is easier than ever.
  7. BAD or TOO MANY CHECKS - If you are tired of depositing checks or dealing with ones that bounce, adding credit card acceptance may be a great way to eliminate the need to accept checks.
  8. GOVERNMENT or B2B (Business to Business) - The government has moved almost exclusively to making purchases with credit cards. If you handle government contracts you will want to be prepared. Many businesses are also using purchasing cards for their office needs. By not accepting credit cards you could lose their business.

 

YOU MAY NEED A NEW MERCHANT SERVICES PROVIDER IF:

  1. YOU EXPERIENCE LONG HOLD TIMES - As a business owner, you are busy enough without having to experience unacceptable hold times when you need assistance to accept credit cards!
  2. NO LONG TERM FOLLOW UP - If your current company does not stay in touch with you and work to develop the long standing relationship- you might get better service from a company who will!
  3. FINANCIAL INSTITUTION AFFILIATION - If your current financial institution does not have a relationship with your credit card processing company, it may be more difficult to iron out any deposit or risk related issues- having a processor who can communicate quickly and easily with your financial institution can be a real life saver when your money is involved!
  4. YOUR PRICING IS NOT AS EXPLAINED - If the pricing on your statement is not what your sales representative told you, you need a new processor - a company that you can trust to keep their word!

 

YOU MAY NOT NEED MERCHANT SERVICES IF:

  1. YOU HAVE BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR MULTIPLE YEARS - Some long standing businesses have their customers trained and accept only cash or checks- these rare companies may not need to accept credit cards especially if the next 2 reasons are also present!!
  2. YOU ARE NOT LOSING BUSINESS - If your customers are just as happy to pay with cash or check, you may be able to save the added expense of credit card acceptance.
  3. YOU ARE NOT TRYING TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS - If you have all the business you can handle and you are not trying to add additional clients you may not need to accept credit cards!