Credit card payments.

[enduro]

Would it get you jobs if you offered customers this service? They could spread the cost of the tiling work on there card rather than paying you a cheque. Check out these card mobile card machine www.123send.net A guy i know has one and he is convinced it gets him work.

 

[hillhead]

sounds like a damn good idea !

 

[Rob Z]

Enduro, I had a guy tell me the other day that there is a way to get a card reader on a cell phone! One device to do it all. I just got a Blackberry, which is about all the new techie stuff I can manage for a while. 😀

 

[simhopper]

you can do this on a i-phone

Yes larger jobs i would say it would get you work but remember under section 75 on Visa cards chargebacks can easily happen

 

[Colour Republic]

I already accept cards via Google checkout and paypal but you have to remember the charges involved from 3.5% - 1.8% depending on monthly turn over. These fees can soon add up, so I don't mention I accept cards unless I think it will sway the deal. Banks charge monthly fees so you have to be doing a bit of businees via cards to make it worth while

The reason I use Google checkout is because it protects you from charge backs

 

[Colour Republic]

Looking at this 123mobile thingy, i think you have to have a Internet merchant account, these are fairly hard to get hold of unless you have had a standard merchant account for a year or have a good relationship with your bank

 

[Diamond Pool Finishers]

no not for me!!

 

[Prem Tiler]

wouldn't bother guys. I think the public know to pay for a trade's man they need a cheque book, bacs payment or cold hard ca£h.

 

[enduro]

My point being say you go and price a job up for say £1000 but the customer gets a few other quotes around the same price, but the customer only has a budget of £800...But if they can put it onto there card and spread the cost and you are the only one offering this service you will probably get the job...Just a thought

 

[Ajax123]

My company used to put a 2% surcharge on for card payments and then offer a discount for direct bank transfer payments. Stopped dealing with Cash abot 7 years ago and really don't know why people use cheques anymore for large sums of money. Much more secure using online banking IMO.

 

[heavytrevy]

I supply my banking details on my invoice , most ppl do online banking.

Trev

 

[diamondtiling]

I supply my banking details on my invoice , most ppl do online banking.

Trev

What do you show?? your account number and sort code :yikes::yikes::yikes:

could be risky if the wrong sort get hold of those details.

 

[mikethetile]

i think enduro is right

it could sway a deal if the client could put all or part of the bill onto a credit card

 

[salmonfisher]

What do you show?? your account number and sort code :yikes::yikes::yikes:

could be risky if the wrong sort get hold of those details.

ac number and sortcode are on cheques anyway

 

[user123]

My husband and I have a merchant account through our 'other' business, and hence people can pay by credit or debit card in person or over the phone - but it does cost a fair bit, including monthly fees, the banks want their cut.

I offer paypal payments on my website, as it is pretty well known by now and is easy and hassle free for me, and it does give that added option, more choice.

 

[heavytrevy]

No risk at all , all they can do with the supplied numbers is deposit money
at least 80 % of my customers pay this way , including any builder i work for.

Trev

What do you show?? your account number and sort code :yikes::yikes::yikes:

could be risky if the wrong sort get hold of those details.

 

[Stan001]

trevy is right , its no risk, i spoke with my business mgr at the bank about this and she confirms it. You can then get paid easy via Faster Payments etc. Anything that needs a chip and pin in the system is out of the main banking system so therefore you get charged for this 'service'.

 

[Terry Cottar]

A lot of you will find this strange but I steer away from cash I think its cleaner to be paid with a traceable payment. I therefore offer APACS/BACS/CHAPS/Cheque/Bank or Building Society Draft/Debit/Credit Card via 123 Send. I have a fully mobile terminal and it pays off having one if you are doing a lot of business but for the odd jobs here and there I think bank details on your quotes and invoice are enough.

tel

 

[tfs]

If you would accept an actual credit as well as a general visa then this could pose some potential cons for you mate.

Consumers have more rights when making purchases via credit card. They can get refunds on any purchases greater than £100.

They may also be protected under the distance selling regulations which would mean that they can demand a refund with seven days of paying!

I am not 100% sure on this but it is something you should find out before setting up this service.

I know some of these regulations exist in retail but not too sure how they would work via being a consumer of a service.

 

[tfs]

One argument may be that if you are good at your job then there will be no comebacks but, by giving people the chance to claim back there money so easily you are relying on your customers being honest decent people (which they will not always be)

 

[Terry Cottar]

One argument may be that if you are good at your job then there will be no comebacks but, by giving people the chance to claim back there money so easily you are relying on your customers being honest decent people (which they will not always be)

All work we do is done on a written quote followed by a written contract which includes method statement, risk assessment, MSDS sheets etc etc. We do this for every job no matter how small or large. There is no ambiguity and it takes minutes to do both the quote and the contract once you have it set up on your computer. You come across to the customer as a professional company and you do not get non payers or comebacks provided you do what you say you will do on the packet. The days of ""Ow much is that for cash nod nod wink wink"" are quickly coming to an end. Customers have all the rights and we have none and the courts will come down on their side every time IMO. So my advice is do it right and get it on paper everytime without fail.

tel

 

[doug boardley]

very true Tel

 

[tfs]

All work we do is done on a written quote followed by a written contract which includes method statement, risk assessment, MSDS sheets etc etc. We do this for every job no matter how small or large. There is no ambiguity and it takes minutes to do both the quote and the contract once you have it set up on your computer. You come across to the customer as a professional company and you do not get non payers or comebacks provided you do what you say you will do on the packet. The days of ""Ow much is that for cash nod nod wink wink"" are quickly coming to an end. Customers have all the rights and we have none and the courts will come down on their side every time IMO. So my advice is do it right and get it on paper everytime without fail.

tel

That shows you are running a pro business then mate. I know all that stuff is required for any commercial/ site work.

Credit facilties are deffo the proffessional way to do business e.g. Invoicig and accepting cheque/ chaps etc as this projects the right image to your clients as well as being safer with the tax man and managing your accounts.

I realy just wanted to highlight to the guys that accepting credit cards will provide additional rights to their customers.

 

[Terry Cottar]

That shows you are running a pro business then mate. I know all that stuff is required for any commercial/ site work.

Credit facilties are deffo the proffessional way to do business e.g. Invoicig and accepting cheque/ chaps etc as this projects the right image to your clients as well as being safer with the tax man and managing your accounts.

I realy just wanted to highlight to the guys that accepting credit cards will provide additional rights to their customers.

OK to a point I agree with you. But, I have done it this way from the onset even with £300 tiling jobs for domestic customers. This way there is no comeback with "He Said, You Said, We Said"

Unfortunately society today is in the mindset of "Lets see what we can claim for" This country is getting much more on to the wavelength of bringing liable cases for little or no reason and the strange thing is the customer is in the winning lane before the court case. We are a "Business" and it does not matter how small or large the courts see it as " Business rips customer off " It is up to us (You) to prove you didn't agree to this or that or say this or that. A written quote followed by a written contract with all the i's dotted and all the t's crossed leaves no ambiguity. Lets be honest a Sole Trader as most are on here could lose their Business and their house if the claim was big enough. e.g. You sheet up in a house and little girl slips down the stairs on your sheet and has a serious injury or worse and the Parents decide to claim! Think about it! That is all I am saying!

tel

 

[tfs]

OK to a point I agree with you. But, I have done it this way from the onset even with £300 tiling jobs for domestic customers. This way there is no comeback with "He Said, You Said, We Said"

Unfortunately society today is in the mindset of "Lets see what we can claim for" This country is getting much more on to the wavelength of bringing liable cases for little or no reason and the strange thing is the customer is in the winning lane before the court case. We are a "Business" and it does not matter how small or large the courts see it as " Business rips customer off " It is up to us (You) to prove you didn't agree to this or that or say this or that. A written quote followed by a written contract with all the i's dotted and all the t's crossed leaves no ambiguity. Lets be honest a Sole Trader as most are on here could lose their Business and their house if the claim was big enough. e.g. You sheet up in a house and little girl slips down the stairs on your sheet and has a serious injury or worse and the Parents decide to claim! Think about it! That is all I am saying!

tel

I dont disagree wiyth a thing you have said regarding contracts mate:lol: Due dilligence all the way mate

 

[poynton phil]

The days of paying by cheque may be over soon, i heard on the radio this morning that banks are thinking about stopping using them. I personally prefer a bank transfer, as its easy for the customer, traceable for tax reasons, and you could always lose a cheque or cash.