accepting credit cards at craft shows

[vberkesch]

Hi all,

I have a web site and have a paypal account. Is there a way I can accept credit cards at shows that will be portable and cheep??:

TIA, Vanessa

[JAVAEBOY]

Vanessa,

If you have a smart device (iPhone, iPad, most Android phones also) you can use the Square Reader, available at www.squareup.com . I have one, and it works very well. You just need to fill out an online application, and they usually can get one out to you fairly quickly. You just need a bank account to tie it to, and usually some type of tax id number (at least, that is what I had) They charge a flat 2.5% if you swipe the card, 3.5% if you type the CC card number into the device.

There are other services available if you want to type the information into a laptop, through Intuit and such also.

I hope that helps.

[lsbennis]

Yup, that is what I use, I love it, just put it in my iphone and I can take CC.

[SuzyK]

You can also sign up for propay.com. You can buy a credit card machine and the paper slips. That's what I used to do. I haven't done shows for a long time.

[AlwaysWondering]

Just amazing. Good luck!

[mparadise]

I just got my square for my Driod this week. Took less than a week to get it in. Can't wait to use it in a couple of weeks.

[crazzie]

I received a free portable system that I download when I get home. They charge me $7.00 a month plus a fee of 1 to 2 percent. I felt it was really a good deal.

[Craftedinthewoods]

I received a free portable system that I download when I get home. They charge me $7.00 a month plus a fee of 1 to 2 percent. I felt it was really a good deal.

What company is this through? $7.00 a month and those low percentages look really good. I've been looking at propay and using my laptop at a show (and hope internet connections are possible...).

[TallTayl]

I'm in the square club.

Had ProPay, which did allow for calling in charges at shows, but it took way too long. I dreaded processing slips at the end of a craft show. Invariably would have a couple of problems that forced me to phone customers to straighten it all out.

So far Square is all that and a bag of chips in my book.

[sbs]

For those of you who use square, do you ever have an issue with customers looking at you funny when entering their credit card info into your phone? Or swiping their card on your phone? How do you explain security or do you have to?

Thanks..

[TallTayl]

People tend to be fascinated with it. They can finger sign and get an e-receipt complete with a GPS pinpoint map of where the charge was made.

It's far less risky for the customer than taking an impression or a card or writing the numbers down IMO. Plus, the charge is either approved or declined immediately, so it's less risky for the merchant.

[brudil18]

I just started using Square and so far no problems for me. Most people are more amazed with it and thinks its pretty cool. In the FAQ section on Square's website they discuss the security aspects of it. I have that printed out to show to people if they do ask.

Also, heres a nice little trick if you don't want people mucking up your screen with fingerprints everywhere. I used a regular Bic pen, opened it and pushed out the ink and ball point, then I put in one of those large q-tips (like at the doctors office). Instead of the tip being ink, its the end of the q-tip sticking out. Gives a cleaner signature and cleaner screen.

[TallTayl]

brudil18 - how totally clever are you!? I'm going to adopt that PDQ. You get all the credit of course. :smiley2:

[GermantownCandles]

I use square up and it works pretty good. I think I have had maybe 1 person change their mind after I explained it to them, the reason they didn't like it was because I couldn't give them a receipt to sign like with a regular CC machine. My wife is a hair stylist and uses "Merchant Anywhere" with her droid at her shop, it has a card swiper and printer and it is great (this is an actual merchant account 24.95/month and has a 1.69% fee). We both have bought the phone navigation mount, and you can mount it to a table, so it makes it easier for customers to sign on the phone.

[Alajane]

Subscribing to this--it's fascinating!!

[missymssy]

I received a free portable system that I download when I get home. They charge me $7.00 a month plus a fee of 1 to 2 percent. I felt it was really a good deal.

Yes, what company is this? I don't have a smartphone

[Bernadette]

I've received several security notices this week concerning these portable devices that hook up to your phone and laptop. Apparently not all of the devices you use to swipe the customers card(or YOUR card if you purchase something from a merchant that has one)encrypt the card information AT the device. Make sure when you get one of these you know for sure that the device encrypts the card info, before you use it. If it doesn't encrypt, that card's info will be stolen the minute it's connected, whether phone or computer. I had no idea...wouldn't you think if these were selling so well that security was properly built in?:tiptoe:

Edited March 25, 2011 by Bernadette

[Bernadette]

PLEASE READ!!! Just received this today:

http://www.sq-skim.com/

It's about the Square device.

[SliverOfWax]

PLEASE READ!!! Just received this today:

http://www.sq-skim.com/

It's about the Square device.

That article is saying the merchant is the criminal stealing cc numbers. It's really a warning for consumers, not merchants who take the cards.

[Lumina]

I have been using Square since Nov. I had only one person email me to say I charged her twice when I had to swipe the card more than once. I went to the website where I can print out each transaction and only saw once charge. When I emailed the person back and told them of the information I had and if they would please let me know the last 4 digits of their card I would contact the company to see what happened. She had to give me a 2nd card since the first one wouldn't work. Never heard from her again.

I like the fact I can get a print out of all charges. I use to have propay and would have to go home after the shows and process the card, 3 times I ended up having to eat the cost because the cards were denied.

I love square, so far my customers like the fact that I can show them when the card is processing and that they will be mailed a receipt.

This has really increased my sales and I am very happy with Square. In fact many of the vendors now at the local Farmer's Market are now using Square.

I read the article and I don't see how this would be any different than if I use the credit card sheets and manually entered the charges when I got home, I would still have all their information.

just my 2 cents worth

Cindy

[sbs]

It defintely seems more risky taking an imprint of credit cards and taking them home as opposed to using Square. I downloaded the app a few days ago and tested it with a cash payment and two of my own debit cards. I am not able to view the card numbers after the transactions (except for the last 4 digits). Seems pretty good to me.

I read the article too and saw the advertisement on the bottom of the screen wanting me to sign up with PAYware mobile as opposed to Square. Sounds like they may be losing customers to square and are a little bitter.

[adillenal]

I think I will stick to the old fashioned method I am using since reception is poor at many of my shows anyway and I work alone. The old knuckle buster works and I am trustworthy and own a cross cut shredder so I won't be upgrading my technology anytime soon.

Call me behind the times but so be it.

[Bernadette]

That article is saying the merchant is the criminal stealing cc numbers. It's really a warning for consumers, not merchants who take the cards.

It's a warning for consumers and merchants. It's the merchant's duty to protect the consumers information. If the info isn't encrypted at time of swipe, then should malware strike the smartphone or computer the unencrypted device was plugged into, there will be a problem. Look at the thread about members that had their cards compromised. Some hadn't used their cards since early 2010, yet their cards were just compromised now. Somewhere along the line, some device(computer or phone) that contained their info in unencrypted form was compromised. I could be wrong, but it's my understanding that Smartphones and Droids retain info in them(somewhere), just like a computer. On computers, even after you delete info, it's still in there somewhere and can be retrieved. Hackers sit there 24 hours a day looking for vulnerabilities.

If data is encrypted at swipe, if it's ever stolen, all the hacker gets is "garblygoop", not the actual card info, and it's useless.

I mean, think about it...if you as a consumer were shopping on the internet from your computer, would you purchase from any site that when you checked out and got to the enter cc info page, it didn't have an "https" at the top of the page...would you enter your cc info? These mobile devices are relatively new, consumers are not that familiar with them, and count on the merchant to be protecting their info. We, as consumers and merchants need to be aware of some of the pitfalls. I love the idea of the mobile device. I don't have a phone that can accomodate any, mainly because I've heard and read so much about the barrage of malicious apps that are out there for these devices. From another article received:

"This past week, there was a lot of buzz around the security of “free” mobile card readers, given the number of malicious applications popping up for Smartphones. In an open letter to the payments industry, VeriFone’s CEO exposed a perceived security weakness in one such free reader. His primary contention surrounds the lack of encryption of sensitive payment data.

Readers that don’t encrypt cardholder data at swipe and pass it in clear text to a Smartphone are vulnerable to malware that can make its way onto the phone. Malware on Smartphones is becoming a large and growing problem. Just earlier this month, Google announced that it had to pull over 50 apps from its Android Market after discovering the apps were infected with malware (click here for more information).

Securing your customers’ data is critical to keeping their trust and your good reputation."

I use Propay(no I don't work for them) and have been receiving weekly emails from them about their equivalent to Square that is coming out in April. They kept saying the delay, if you will, was due to prefecting the encryption, which I passed off as an excuse for the delay behind others, since I can't use it right now anyway. But I went to the Square website after thinking about this, and looked at their security page. They store their received info encrypted, but it says nothing about how they receive it.

I take my customers' security as seriously as I do my own. If you feel secure in using the device you have, that's your option, and I hope all will go well and there won't be any problems. There are just too many red flags popping up right now, and thought some of you may want to know.:tiptoe:

[brudil18]

It seems to me that all the red flags you see seem to be coming from Verifone, propay, etc. These are all competitors to Square. Are there any independent reviews from anybody that isn't pissed because Square is eating in to their bottom line?

So far I haven't heard anyone who actually use it say they have had massive problems with it. Everyone seems to site "reports" by CEOs of other companies that struggle to compete.

I've been happily using Square for a few months now. I have not had one issue nor has any customer given me the 3rd degree about how unsafe it is. I understand the skepticism and that it may not be for everyone. But I can't follow the logic of pissed off competitors as a "justified" reason.

What I can't understand is why I should have to pay $10 a month to have a service, maybe pay a "customer service fee", be in a minimum of a 2 year contract, plus other BS fees that get tacked on every month. These all happen whether or not I charge anything or not. Then when that happens I still have a % and transaction fee?

Not trying to sound harsh or anything, but when its not angry competitors fear of losing out on all the BS charges they extort from a small business like me, I may pay it more credibility.

But so far, I have not had one problem with Square.

[Bernadette]

It seems to me that all the red flags you see seem to be coming from Verifone, propay, etc. These are all competitors to Square. Are there any independent reviews from anybody that isn't pissed because Square is eating in to their bottom line?

So far I haven't heard anyone who actually use it say they have had massive problems with it. Everyone seems to site "reports" by CEOs of other companies that struggle to compete.

I've been happily using Square for a few months now. I have not had one issue nor has any customer given me the 3rd degree about how unsafe it is. I understand the skepticism and that it may not be for everyone. But I can't follow the logic of pissed off competitors as a "justified" reason.

What I can't understand is why I should have to pay $10 a month to have a service, maybe pay a "customer service fee", be in a minimum of a 2 year contract, plus other BS fees that get tacked on every month. These all happen whether or not I charge anything or not. Then when that happens I still have a % and transaction fee?

Not trying to sound harsh or anything, but when its not angry competitors fear of losing out on all the BS charges they extort from a small business like me, I may pay it more credibility.

But so far, I have not had one problem with Square.

I'm not trying to pick on Square. My skepticism is for any reader that is not encrypted. Any of us, as consumers, want the most security as possible for our sensitive information. We all know that hackers are out there looking to steal anything that isn't nailed down. We should feel the same as merchants. Perhaps I'm being overly cautious...perhaps not. On the manufacturing side, who would think of selling these days without having insurance? Foolhardy not to have it. There are precautions on the selling side. After reading your response, I found this in seconds:

http://www.banktech.com/blogs/229300696

Especially look at the last paragraph. You can bet that as this topic becomes more popular and seen, hackers are going to be looking to these unencrypted devices much more closely. :tiptoe: