Do any landscapers accept payment by credit card?

I took them up on the offer in 2007 - very handy indeed.

I take a deposit at the survey for any design work so the mobile terminal proved to be useful for that, and as you suggest it was great for customers who wanted to pay by credit card. It was also great for pre-authorising payments for the different stages of projects which reduced our risk of outlay.

The downsides included the added administration costs and the quarterly premium payable for the merchant account and then for the terminal(s) hire.

I found that by the summer of 2009, banking transfer became much more popular for our clients so we did not renew our respective contracts with the terminal people and I can't say that it is missed all that much now.

Paypal and Google (among others) offer the facility to pay by card and this makes it possible for clients to pay by credit card if they wish (you can even turn your phone into a mobile terminal!!) . The administration is a little simpler for these - I use Paypal - since there is no paper (or at least you have the option to do everything electronically). The fees are all competitive across the board but I surcharge people to use card payments to cover whatever the cost to me is: this is fairly common retail practice.

For the services you offer Kirsty I would recommend that the Paypal or Google Checkout or similar online facility would be far more practical to suit requirements.

Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com

Replies

Lawncare-4u.co.uk March 10, 2010 at 10:30pm

FSB phone me every year at this time !!

very polite and office based /(saleswomen/men) i listen and politely decline - they sound really really annoyed when you say : thanks anyway !

EMS internet phoned / harassed me all week and a day.

so annoyed i have canceled the d.d now with my bank. i actually was going to have another site , but they did the hard-sell ......are they that desperate for £100 from me ???? i just wanted to wait till april when i had time to sort pictures/info and get busier.... :-/ oh dear
Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com March 11, 2010 at 7:19am

I took them up on the offer in 2007 - very handy indeed.

I take a deposit at the survey for any design work so the mobile terminal proved to be useful for that, and as you suggest it was great for customers who wanted to pay by credit card. It was also great for pre-authorising payments for the different stages of projects which reduced our risk of outlay.

The downsides included the added administration costs and the quarterly premium payable for the merchant account and then for the terminal(s) hire.

I found that by the summer of 2009, banking transfer became much more popular for our clients so we did not renew our respective contracts with the terminal people and I can't say that it is missed all that much now.

Paypal and Google (among others) offer the facility to pay by card and this makes it possible for clients to pay by credit card if they wish (you can even turn your phone into a mobile terminal!!) . The administration is a little simpler for these - I use Paypal - since there is no paper (or at least you have the option to do everything electronically). The fees are all competitive across the board but I surcharge people to use card payments to cover whatever the cost to me is: this is fairly common retail practice.

For the services you offer Kirsty I would recommend that the Paypal or Google Checkout or similar online facility would be far more practical to suit requirements.

Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com
Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com March 11, 2010 at 9:03pm

Bau Outdoors said:
It's a bit sad I guess, but many of us are paying for 'irregular' purchases on cards these days, so it may well help secure business if you offer the facility to take credit cards. I don't think Paypal would allow payment by credit card (I may be wrong, but I think money needs to be deposited in the account prior to transacting, so credit cards a no go).

Slightly different market we work in, but if we only took cash & not credit cards, I bet our sales would drop by at least 50%!

Hi Tom

In fact Paypal does indeed accept credit card payments (that was my whole point!) so credit cards are good to go!! ;)

Nicky @ GardenImprovements.com
PRO

Phil Voice March 11, 2010 at 9:13pm

Virtual Terminal is one way - https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_vt_hub-outside
PRO

Phil Voice March 11, 2010 at 9:24pm

Hi Steve

The link I posted is the US VT (sorry) I believe that Virtual Terminal is also available to UK businesses.
https://www.paypal.com/uk/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_vt_hub-outside
Kirsty Blair March 14, 2010 at 9:01pm

Cool - thanks for the info, not as complicated as I thought it would be. I'll need to add it into my advertising/website asap.