Craft Show - What forms of payment do you accept?

[laurenscandlebakery]

What forms of payment do you accept at a craft show?

I am doing my first craft show on Saturday and I am really nervous! I am thinking that I only want to accept credit cards (Sqaure Up), checks, and exact change. I have no idea how many people will be at the show and I don't want to have to fuss over keeping enough change. I'll be doing the show by myself and I won't have anyone I could send on a money run. Nor do I have a register drawer or anything to contain the money in.

Do you think I'd miss out on a lot of people if I don't accept cash?

Have you had issues with bounced checks?

Thanks in advance, ya'll!

[B@BlissStreet]

I would estimate our cash sales to be 70-80% of our average show sales. You can pick up a cheap cash box at most big brand stores. Here is what I mean:

http://www.amazon.com/First-Alert-3020F-Steel-Black/dp/B000MPO6O4

Good luck on Saturday. Take pictures!

Best,

Brandy

[deb426]

I can't imagine doing a craft show and not accepting cash or requiring exact change. I think you will definitely lose potential sales. I would look at a vendor like they had 2 heads if I went to buy something and they said that, LOL. A lot of people don't carry checks anymore and they're not going to want to run their credit card for a small purchase. Plus, cash for you is free (no cc fees) and risk-free (no bounced checks)! If you have time to do the credit card thing, I would think that you would have time to dole out some change. You can always set your prices to include tax so you don't have to worry about that aspect and then giving change would be easier (round to the nearest quarter). Just take a hundred dollars and break it down into ones (50) and fives (10) and get a roll of quarters. If you see yourself getting low on something, ask a neighboring vendor. People are usually pretty helpful as long as you don't abuse it.

Edited April 27, 2012 by deb426

[laurenscandlebakery]

Oh wow...I definitley need to stop by the bank today, then! In my head, I assumed most people would prefer to use a debit card. I, personally, never carry cash. Thank you ladies!

[TallTayl]

80% or better of my sales are cash. Maybe 1-2 checks per day (I only accept local checks). Square credit/debit cards represent the rest.

[Candybee]

I agree most of your sales are gonna be in cash and you see a LOT of $20's that you have to make change for. What I do is just simply ask the customer if they have a smaller bill. You'd be surprised how many will dig into their pocketbooks to look for exact change that way to help you out. Just ask nicely with a smile. If you run out of change sometimes the vendor next to you will have some.

If you make it through the morning you should have lots of change later in the day. Frankly I don't worry about it any more. I haven't taken till cash to a show in over a year. I always manage to make change at the show. I do price my items at dollar values and don't use coins anymore. Got sick and tired of hauling change around.

[mparadise]

Most of my sales are cash too. I do not accept checks (yes I've had a couple bounce - from people I know too!) but do use Square. I use one of those little aprons that waitresses use. I bought mine on ebay but I think you may be able to get them at the craft store too. I don't like cash boxes anymore because I don't have to worry about keeping an eye on it because the apron is attached to me. Much more secure IMO.

[SliverOfWax]

I have always charged even amounts. I've always included tax in my pricing, rounding my pricing up to the next even dollar amount.

I've never taken credit cards. Cash or checks only. I know of 3 sales I actually lost because I didn't take credit cards. Some people feel like they sell more because they take credit cards, but I don't buy that theory because people don't find out I don't take cards until they've got their candles lined up on the table and are ready to pay. Customers always seem to be able to fish around and find the money.

My philosophy is that shows are hard enough without making them more difficult by lugging around heavy change and figuring out where to put it. My pricing on 8 oz masons is $8 each, 3 for $21. If someone came along and all they had was a $20, I would reduce the price to 3 for $20. I couldn't tell you the last time I had to do that.

One of the stores where my shop is told me I could use his credit card machine so I agreed to add 10% to the purchase to pay his fees, and put up a sign that I took credit cards. I only had 1 customer take advantage of it and it was for a lousy $10 perfume. It wasn't worth walking her to the other store and explaining why we were doing that. After about 6 months, I took the sign down.

I'm all about relaxing and having a good time. Some sales just aren't worth the hassle.

[Judy, USMC]

Only lost 2 sales because I didn't take credit cards in the past few years. Last craft fair had one check (from a personal friend) and the rest was cash. Had one ask if I took debit and, when I said no, came up with the cash. I round everything to .25 ... so 5's 1's and a roll of quarters is good advice.

[LynnS]

I accept checks and cash but would like to accept CC. The reason is alot of people tell me shoppers will buy more if they put it on the credit card.I don't know much about using the machine to process the cc's but would like to find out how to do it. So far no one left my booth because they didn't have the cash.They seem to find it like someone said "Digging in their purse".

LynnS

[moon01945]

90% of all my sales are cash. People assume cash for craft fairs.

[ksranch]

Agree with the majority - I take $100 in small bills and am normally fine - 90% of sales are cash, and I for one would walk away if I was told I needed exact change to make a purchase.

[pcbrook]

Most of my sales are cash also. I pay for the fees to be able to accept credit card but in the past 2 years I have had the ability I have only been asked 3 times if I take credit card. But now that I have my website it is a ggod thing to be able to take credit cards!

[Noodle]

Years ago when I did craft fairs I only accepted cash. I always had a ton of change on hand. I never accepted checks. I sure would have accepted credit cards, but they never had that back then. I do agree that exact change is not a good idea and will totally turn people off.

[franu61]

I don't do credit cards either..cash and local checks. My prices are set with tax included so that the only coinage i need are quarters. I wear a fanny pack to put money in and have cardboard dividers for ones fives etc, coins in the other zipper. good luck with your craft fair!

[Candybee]

You know I've been seriously considering quitting taking credit/debit card payments. It sure is a lot of fees involved taking charges and brother do they add up. Not just the fee per transaction but the monthly fees too. Having said that last year my charges alone were over $3,000 so I do get quite a bit of sales from them. But I really, really, hate paying the fees!!

[JanetsCandles]

I'm usually taking local checks and cash (I use a cash box, I think I've only had 1 sale ever that gave me exact change), but this year I'm adding in cards. So no idea how well that will work.

[TallTayl]

You know I've been seriously considering quitting taking credit/debit card payments. It sure is a lot of fees involved taking charges and brother do they add up. Not just the fee per transaction but the monthly fees too. Having said that last year my charges alone were over $3,000 so I do get quite a bit of sales from them. But I really, really, hate paying the fees!!

You need to look at Square. The savings from cancelling my merchant account paid for my first smartphone. PayPal's version is coming out to general release soon too. When accepting credit cards I noticed a significant increase in order size at shows. People think nothing of adding a couple of impulse items on at the checkout when the card is being run anyway.

[NaturallyTru]

I accept cash and credit cards. I have many people who show up at my booth and want more than they have in cash. They get excited that I accept credit cards (and so do I...lol). I accept creditcards through Propay's little card scanner thingy (not the phone one). I feel the fees charged are worth the extra sales I was able to get. 1.99% of $25 is well worth not getting the $25 to begin with.

[laurenscandlebakery]

I REALLY owe all of you! 100% of my sales were cash lol

[CandyinVA]

I take cash, checks and credit cards. It only takes me 2 minutes to call in a cc and alot of times they buy more if they can charge it. At least from my experience they do! 75% pay cash and I always bring about $100 in singles, fivess and tens. I also try to keep thinng as even as possible as far as pricing goes.

[RichardLOZ]

We do cash, debit and CC including AMEX. Have a mobile machine and it definitely increases the value of sales.

Richard

[SherriLynn]

Lauren,, glad to hear it all worked out for you...

We take cash and personal check.... dumped our credit card machines 2 years ago. We've been in the biz for 11 years and found that at the shows we vend, customers come expecting to pay cash. No matter which merchant you use, you will still pay fees and fees cut down on your bottom line profit. Typically in a $2000 show, we'll have about 15 - 20% in personal check. We have never had a check bounce...

Even the companies we wholesale to, pay us in biz check... many no longer charge on credit cards due to the high interest on cards.

[Kimb]

For me it depends on how the economy is doing in the area that I am doing the show at. At some of my shows almost 50% of my sales are credit cards and at others I might only 1 have credit card sale. Only if it's a really slow show will I have no credit card sales (maybe once a year).

Kim

[EnvyCandles]

Like the majority, the bulk of my sales are cash- people bring cash to craft fairs. However, my credit card sales tend to be higher dollar amounts. Some people do not want to spend all their cash at just one vendor, so when they find out I take credit, they are more likely to add things to their order.

I have accepted personal checks in the past, but for the most part, do not like taking them. Many people understand that checks are a risk and not many carry them around anymore.