Taking card payments by phone

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Taking card payments by phone
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boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 3:28 pm Post subject: Taking card payments by phone
Does anyone take credit/debit card payments by phone? Can anyone recommend a company that offers such a service? Thanks.

Green Man

Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5272
Location: Rural Scotland.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 3:30 pm Post subject:
Your bank should be able to set you up with a terminal. You can still do manual slips but they can still bounce.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 3:34 pm Post subject:
It's not quite as easy as the bank just setting you up with a terminal. There's a set up fee of a few hundred quid and a monthly fee for the terminals. There's usually also a percentage taken of the sale.

Green Man

Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5272
Location: Rural Scotland.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 3:52 pm Post subject:
This is true, but well worth the benifits of getting that booking deposit in the bank. Build in any costs to your final price per night.

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 4:07 pm Post subject:

Problem is that most times I ask for a deposit by cheque and that works very well. It's only last minute bookings that I'd need to take a deposit by card over the phone so it wouldn't be something that I'd have to do that often. So I'm loath to spend a couple of hundred quid on something that I don't need to use intensively. OK, I could take all deposits like that but I'm not prepared to lose a percentage of my revenue.[/code]

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 4:09 pm Post subject:
I think the cheapest way of doing it is via the federation of small businesses - I got told that on here IIRC.

Green Man

Joined: 23 Jul 2006
Posts: 5272
Location: Rural Scotland.

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 4:10 pm Post subject:

The ability to pay over the phone is a lot handier for your customers, and gives you a more proffessional service. You also have card details in case they do a 'Moonlight' or damage a room that you don't notice until they have booked out.
It will authorise good cards at time of booking out also, so you don't need to worry about bounced cheques.
You can also use it for selling on e-bay without the Pay-Pal fees.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 4:24 pm Post subject:
Agreed but you have to have the turnover to justify it IMO. I know I certainly don't.

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 4:42 pm Post subject:
From when I last looked at this, the facility to process payments "customer not present" (ie by phone) was regarded by the banks as a big step beyond simply accepting card payments from the customer in person.

boisdevie1

Joined: 11 Aug 2006
Posts: 3897
Location: Lancaster

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 4:54 pm Post subject:
I just don't like the idea of banks taking say 3 percent of my business takings if I can do things another way.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 5:43 pm Post subject:

dougal wrote:

From when I last looked at this, the facility to process payments "customer not present" (ie by phone) was regarded by the banks as a big step beyond simply accepting card payments from the customer in person.

I don't know about that, I do know from bitter experience that the Merchant Service Operator/Card Owner will rat you out on the payment at the slightest excuse if the cardholder is not present.

nettie

Joined: 02 Dec 2004
Posts: 5888
Location: Suffolk

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 5:48 pm Post subject:
As of June the law will be changing to say that companies cannot hold written details of credit card numbers. We are having to change all our systems at work and won't be able to take payment on the phone unless we directly input it into the computer while speaking to the customer. Something to bear in mind.

Stacey

Joined: 18 Jul 2005
Posts: 8380
Location: Kernow

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 5:49 pm Post subject:

boisdevie1 wrote:

I just don't like the idea of banks taking say 3 percent of my business takings if I can do things another way.

I think it adds up to a lot more than 3% when you factor everything in.

Penny Outskirts

Joined: 18 Sep 2005
Posts: 23385
Location: Planet, not on the....

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 7:01 pm Post subject:
It's unlikely they'd give you a cardholder not present facility unless you'd been with them for a year, were willing to part with about £100, and could supply profit and loss for the previous 12 months. Quite funny really, as we found that our terminal would do it without going through all this - so we've been doing it for years now, they just think they've agreed it

dougal

Joined: 15 Jan 2005
Posts: 7184
Location: South Kent

Posted: Wed Mar 28, 07 7:18 pm Post subject:

Penny wrote:

It's unlikely they'd give you a cardholder not present facility unless you'd been with them for a year, ...

I had that as "had a {plastic card} 'merchant account' for a year" - and that was from the bank I'd been with for twenty five years or so...

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