Hello, I'm needing help with how to set up electronic payments.I have dealt with cash and checks. And,I'll admit it.I'm not up to speed with the pay with your I-Phone and a card reader.How much will a phone and a card reader run me? Who do I see about setting something up? Do I need a separate banking account for this?I know most of this may sound funny, but I'm used to doing things old style.But I realize I need to get updated or will lose customers. Any help you can give me is apprecaited.

You can search the archives but I'll give you my .02

In terms of the readers they are free if you are using a program like "square" (google it very simple to use and worked for me for my first 2 years.)

For your typical residential and even most commercial clients you can get by with square or paypal or similar who all offer readers.

They all have rates for each transaction which is based on a percentage of the transaction.

For square it used to be 2.75% with the card in hand swiping it with the client there. It is a bit higher if you get digits over the phone from clients who call you with their number but still fair enough.

You can put a clause in your contract if you don't want to eat that 2.75% or whatever you are paying to the service, we did the first two years that stated "we accept cash, check and if credit card is desired a 2.75% transaction fee applies).

Nobody balked, it used to be illegal but stopped being so at least a year or more back...

Anyway, I was fine with square until one of my government clients for bird work had a purchasing manager who noted that square and paypal are third party companies.

In other words they aren't banks.

So I signed up last year with Bank of America Merchant Account Services. Again fees apply and there is a monthly fee with them too.

Some guys on here have a variety of companies and have found great rates and deals.

You can shop around, they all work, simple is best in my book.

I still use square when I want to, but all of them use Apps that work on your phone, you login with username, password and then enter what you are billing for, plug in the swiper device (tiny little things) and swipe and have your client sign on your screen of your phone or pad with a stylus.

Done deal and your cash is in their within 24 hours to 72 hours depending on which service and so forth.

Square was pretty fast, BOA takes a few days but no big deal.

Hope that helps, its all I know about it, to me they are all good, just fish for the best deal for yourself and your company!

Best,

Justin

Details same as above , but just go to your bank and tell them what you need, they should be able to have contact you to set it up. Worked for me great.

Thanks to all who applied.

Creditcardprocessing.com was the best rates. If you do less than 1000 a month in credit you may be best with square, more than that and look onto something like flagship or bank

I use bank of america merchant services as well...love it

On the topic of payment, do any of you do payment plans for those who can't afford the full price.

I don't currently, I feel like it may open myself up to headaches, but maybe for expensive exclusions?

We have some very honest poor people that send us payments every week. If one of them stiffs me I will still feel better than I did

when a doctor who owed me hundreds skipped the country.

We allow payment plans for folks who seem to need or want it. No official paperwork other than our standard exclusion contract with how often payments and how much are paid.

Never more than 3-4 months spread out. Has worked fine for us but I get to know each and every client we have if I had hundreds of clients a year I'm not sure how I'd make out with that.

Exclusion projects for pigeons or bats is where I've used it mostly.