John Baisch on tue 20 aug 96
Hello All,
We are planning to do our first art fair next month and
have a question regarding the business aspects.
We have a number of assorted (Raku, Functional, woodart, etc)
pieces ranging in price from $5.00 to $100+. With all that in mind,
What are the pros and cons of having a Visa & Mastercard
(manual) machine? I understand the % / fees involved...
any insight would be greatly appreciated...
Thanks,
JB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~ John Baisch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~ Boise, ID ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~ E-Mail: jbaisch@micron.net ~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dannon Rhudy on tue 20 aug 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello All,
>
>We are planning to do our first art fair next month and
>have a question regarding the business aspects
>
>any insight would be greatly appreciated...
>
>Thanks,
>
>JB
>You might be surprised at how many extra sales you will make if you accept
Visa/MC. It costs a bit, but you ought at least to try it.
Dannon Rhudy
PRICE@MASTER.PS.UCI.EDU on tue 20 aug 96
We find that being able to accept credit cards (Discover, Visa, MC) is
ESSENTIAL. Probably over 90% of our sales ($20 and up) are handled that
way. We are very pleased with the arrangement we have through Discover
(Novus). We found, however, that it is essential to shop around.
Evidentally the agents one deals with are somewhat "independent" and
their terms and equipment can vary GREATLY.
LeRoy Price
Sam Cuttell on tue 20 aug 96
>What are the pros and cons of having a Visa & Mastercard
>(manual) machine? I understand the % / fees involved...
>
I recently got Mastercard. I find it increases impulse buying...and in more
than one case when I said "cash or Mastercard?" the person smiled widely and
went back for additional ware and charged the purchase.
I pay 3.95% on each sale - and paid $100 to set up the account. I pay for
each withdrawl (same charge as writing a cheque) - so IMO the charges are
reasonable. I suggest you get one or both ... depending on your total annual
sales.
To date I've only lost 1 sale due to the potential purchaser having only VISA.
Best of luck!!
sam - alias the cat lady
Home of Manx cats, Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and the odd horse
Melbourne, Ontario, CANADA
(SW Ontario)
ktighe on wed 21 aug 96
John I ditched my visa-MC account because of fees, percentages etc. If you
are making a living at this, or if it represents substantial income for
you, it is probably a necessity. I'm a part-timer for whom a Visa account
just doesn't pay. Almost invariably my customers will produce a
check-book--I've never been burned. Art-Craft customers are not the same
as your liquor-store crowd where all checks are suspect and credit cards
are preferred. I have lost few if any sales by ditching credit cards.
Good luck-- Ken
Lisa on wed 21 aug 96
I recently got Mastercard. I find it increases impulse buying...and in more
>than one case when I said "cash or Mastercard?" the person smiled widely and
>went back for additional ware and charged the purchase.
>
>I pay 3.95% on each sale - and paid $100 to set up the account. I pay for
>each withdrawl (same charge as writing a cheque) - so IMO the charges are
>reasonable. I suggest you get one or both ... depending on your total annual
>sales.
>
>To date I've only lost 1 sale due to the potential purchaser having only VISA.
How does one go about getting to take Visa or Mastercard?
Jon Anderson on wed 21 aug 96
At 05:23 PM 8/20/96 EDT, you wrote:
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>Hello All,
>
>We are planning to do our first art fair next month and
>have a question regarding the business aspects.
>
>We have a number of assorted (Raku, Functional, woodart, etc)
>pieces ranging in price from $5.00 to $100+. With all that in mind,
>
>What are the pros and cons of having a Visa & Mastercard
>(manual) machine? I understand the % / fees involved...
>
>any insight would be greatly appreciated...
>
>Thanks,
>
>JB
>
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>~~~~~~ John Baisch ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>~~~~~~~~ Boise, ID ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>~~~~~~~~~ E-Mail: jbaisch@micron.net ~~~~~~
>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>
>My experiance has been quite different then the other people,my thoughts
are derived from the other side of the issue not using plastic.
I do the Minnesota Renaisance I've been doing it for the last 24 years I
don't except any plastic at all, many people hand me their cards but I just
tell them that I need cash or checks or even I.O U's but no plastic.
My average sale is 29.50, I'll do about $30,000.00 there and in the last
24 years I haven't lost a dozen sales. They come up with the money somehow
checks,friends checks or their own cash.
It has definitely been my experience that other then making it more
convenient for the customer, At may I point out your expence both in money
and time.The time being the worst kind (bookwork)! having plastic is not
necessary at all.
jba
jba@ix.netcom.com
*************************
This is my page for my Hand Blown
Glass and Pottery.... please enjoy!
http://www.aeinc.com:80/web/jba/index.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Emily Pearlman on thu 22 aug 96
>----------------------------Original message----------------------------
>I recently got Mastercard. I find it increases impulse buying...and in more
>>than one case when I said "cash or Mastercard?" the person smiled widely and
>>went back for additional ware and charged the purchase.
>>
>>I pay 3.95% on each sale - and paid $100 to set up the account. I pay for
>>each withdrawl (same charge as writing a cheque) - so IMO the charges are
>>reasonable. I suggest you get one or both ... depending on your total annual
>>sales.
>>
>>To date I've only lost 1 sale due to the potential purchaser having only VISA.
>
>How does one go about getting to take Visa or Mastercard?
Hi Lisa:
The easiest way is to talk to your bank and if they wont cooperate, go to
th e one next door. Thats easy in NYC, but I assume that where every you
are the are choices of banks.
Emily (in NYC)
Emily Pearlman-Pottery (clayfeat@echonyc.com)
http://206.4.28.2/emilypearlman
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