Brad Sondahl on fri 25 jan 02
I'm still looking for a cheap way to process credit cards. Has anyone
actually used the service associated with the Potter's Council? Or
other recommendations...
Seems like most commercial accounts I see require several hundred
dollars for software plus monthly minimums. I've never been eager to
outlay cash, but I know I would increase sales somewhat if I could take
some plastic. I think taking a small percentage on the sales would be
okay. I accept cards through Paypal on the web, but can't use that in
a practical manner offline.
I know the topic's been discussed, but there may be some new views...
Brad Sondahl
--
For original art, music, pottery, and literature, visit my homepage
http://home.earthlink.net/~bsondahl/
Pottery homepage http://sondahl.freeyellow.com
New music site at mp3.com http://www.mp3.com/sondahl
Judith S. Labovitz on sat 26 jan 02
Brad...I don;t where you live, but in Michigan our Michigan Retailers
Association provides inexpensive credit card services to its
members.....our local potters guild JUST began doing this....we pay $120 a
year to belong to the association; the commissions on the cards were about
2-3%....the staff at MRA were wonderful to work with and gave lots of
assistance to us as we inched our way thru this!
good luck
judy
At 10:52 PM 1/25/02 -0800, you wrote:
>I'm still looking for a cheap way to process credit cards. Has anyone
>actually used the service associated with the Potter's Council? Or
>other recommendations...
>Seems like most commercial accounts I see require several hundred
>dollars for software plus monthly minimums. I've never been eager to
>outlay cash, but I know I would increase sales somewhat if I could take
>some plastic. I think taking a small percentage on the sales would be
>okay. I accept cards through Paypal on the web, but can't use that in
>a practical manner offline.
>I know the topic's been discussed, but there may be some new views...
>Brad Sondahl
>--
>For original art, music, pottery, and literature, visit my homepage
>http://home.earthlink.net/~bsondahl/
>Pottery homepage http://sondahl.freeyellow.com
>New music site at mp3.com http://www.mp3.com/sondahl
>
>______________________________________________________________________________
>Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
>You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
>settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
>Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
>melpots@pclink.com.
Michelle Lowe on sat 26 jan 02
Hi Brad
I recently got cc merchant service through Bank One, they own a company
called Paymentech. It was the most reasonable account I was able to find
with some research. Setup fee was $50, manual machine was $35, I got a
"dial-pay" account, not a direct line hookup, in other words, I call in for
approval and for the sale and that automatically deposits the funds into my
account. No minimum, no per-transaction fee, 3.24% on the purchase amount,
and a $12 a month maintenance fee. I had to sign on for a three year
contract (comes to just over $400 total commitment), but I can buy out
anytime for $250.
You are right that the costs vary widely for these sort of accounts, other
banks here wanted $20 a month, $750 minimum sales or you pay the difference
of the percentages they would have earned (in other words, they want $25
minimum in percentage per month), almost $200 to set it up and $85 for the
manual imprinter. No contract, but that seemed a bit more intimidating to
me, with some slow-sales months.
Hope this helps!
Mishy
At 10:52 PM 1/25/2002 -0800, Brad Sondahl wrote:
>I'm still looking for a cheap way to process credit cards. Has anyone
>actually used the service associated with the Potter's Council? Or
>other recommendations...
-----------
Michelle Lowe potter in the Phoenix desert
http://www.desertdragonpottery.com
Mishy@desertdragonpottery.com
mishlowe@amug.org
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<__>
Lois Ruben Aronow on sat 26 jan 02
Costco (yes, Costco!) has great merchant account fees. I think 1.50
discount rate, and maybe 20cents per transaction. Something like
that. =20
Rachael Rice on sat 26 jan 02
Brad:
In Wendy Rosen's book Crafting as a Business there is a listing for credit card
company called ACBS Art & Crafts Business Solution. Tel # is 800 873-1192. They
had been great. The fees are 2.79% plus $.38 per transaction. I telephone the
charges in at night and just have their handheld card swiper. There was a one
time $150 start up cost and there's a minimum $5.00 a month bank fee. I have had
almost no problems with there service. I highly recommend them.
Rachael
Brad Sondahl wrote:
> I'm still looking for a cheap way to process credit cards. Has anyone
> actually used the service associated with the Potter's Council? Or
> other recommendations...
> Seems like most commercial accounts I see require several hundred
> dollars for software plus monthly minimums. I've never been eager to
> outlay cash, but I know I would increase sales somewhat if I could take
> some plastic. I think taking a small percentage on the sales would be
> okay. I accept cards through Paypal on the web, but can't use that in
> a practical manner offline.
> I know the topic's been discussed, but there may be some new views...
> Brad Sondahl
> --
> For original art, music, pottery, and literature, visit my homepage
> http://home.earthlink.net/~bsondahl/
> Pottery homepage http://sondahl.freeyellow.com
> New music site at mp3.com http://www.mp3.com/sondahl
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
Richard Jeffery on sat 26 jan 02
if you want a UK angle on this (if only to make you feel better about the
deal you've found!)
our best arrangement here, that we have found, is :
"much cheaper in the states. it cost us £150 set up fee - $250 ish.
Machine was free. We pay 6% but no maintenance fee (all the other high
street banks charged a monthly fee [as well]. No tie in clauses."
this was last bank to offer a free manual machine, and only because they had
to honour a previous agreement - they are all moving to electronic
machines - which is fine, except that they want crazy money to rent a
machine.
I'm appalled that they are only just coming in here - whatever the price -
they have had portable electronic card readers in France for almost 20
years...
Richard Jeffery
Web Design and Photography
www.theeleventhweb.co.uk
Bournemouth UK
-----Original Message-----
From: Ceramic Arts Discussion List [mailto:CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG]On
Behalf Of Michelle Lowe
Sent: 26 January 2002 15:00
To: CLAYART@LSV.CERAMICS.ORG
Subject: Re: credit card processors revisited
Hi Brad
I recently got cc merchant service through Bank One, they own a company
called Paymentech. It was the most reasonable account I was able to find
with some research. Setup fee was $50, manual machine was $35, I got a
"dial-pay" account, not a direct line hookup, in other words, I call in for
approval and for the sale and that automatically deposits the funds into my
account. No minimum, no per-transaction fee, 3.24% on the purchase amount,
and a $12 a month maintenance fee. I had to sign on for a three year
contract (comes to just over $400 total commitment), but I can buy out
anytime for $250.
You are right that the costs vary widely for these sort of accounts, other
banks here wanted $20 a month, $750 minimum sales or you pay the difference
of the percentages they would have earned (in other words, they want $25
minimum in percentage per month), almost $200 to set it up and $85 for the
manual imprinter. No contract, but that seemed a bit more intimidating to
me, with some slow-sales months.
Hope this helps!
Mishy
At 10:52 PM 1/25/2002 -0800, Brad Sondahl wrote:
>I'm still looking for a cheap way to process credit cards. Has anyone
>actually used the service associated with the Potter's Council? Or
>other recommendations...
-----------
Michelle Lowe potter in the Phoenix desert
http://www.desertdragonpottery.com
Mishy@desertdragonpottery.com
mishlowe@amug.org
\|/ |
-O- | |
/|\ | | |
|_|_|
____ |
\ /-----|-----
( )
<__>
____________________________________________________________________________
__
Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at
melpots@pclink.com.
Jennifer F Boyer on sun 27 jan 02
Try Lynk Systems
800-200-5965
I bought a used card reader and printer and when I swipe the
card it's 1.49 percent plus 25 cents a transaction. If I don't
have the card and have to key in the transaction it's 2.49
percent and 25 cents. No monthly fees, and I didn't have to
commit to a time period contract. I think there was a 25.00 set
up fee.....
Jennifer
Brad Sondahl wrote:
>
> I'm still looking for a cheap way to process credit cards. Has anyone
> actually used the service associated with the Potter's Council? Or
> other recommendations...
>
> ______________________________________________________________________________
> Send postings to clayart@lsv.ceramics.org
>
> You may look at the archives for the list or change your subscription
> settings from http://www.ceramics.org/clayart/
>
> Moderator of the list is Mel Jacobson who may be reached at melpots@pclink.com.
--
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Jennifer Boyer mailto:jboyer@adelphia.net
Thistle Hill Pottery
95 Powder Horn Glen Rd
Montpelier, VT 05602 USA
802-223-8926
http://www.thistlehillpottery.com/
Never pass on an email warning without checking out this site
for web hoaxes and junk:
http://urbanlegends.about.com/
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sarah House on sun 27 jan 02
I use Nova. I'm not sure how their fees compare, but they allow one to be
dormant for up to 9 months a year and not pay the monthly fee. 800-725-1243
Sarah House
--
www.SKHPottery.com
PO Box 84
Little Switzerland, NC 28749
828-756-1191
Janet Kaiser on mon 28 jan 02
"You ain't had it so good". Richard Jeffery touched on it, but banking,
credit card and other charges (including the "interest free credit" from
The Arts Council of Wales in their Collectorplan scheme) accounts for
10%+ of our overheads. Just these charges for shoveling money around
cost us at least £1.000 per annum.
Each cheque costs 60p to write and to bank... Each credit cards
transaction costs the percentage PLUS handling fees by both the CC
company AND the bank. Sometimes they are both the same institution.
Banks also debit accounts immediately, but take up to one month to
credit accounts.
The banking system in Great Britain is geared up for the money makers...
NOT for their customers.
Rant over. I will be going off-line from tonight. This is the last
mail... My system is now extremely unstable and I am uploading as many
files as possible to various web sites as quickly as I can. Just hope
that I can retreive zipped files... Good grief, what a way to spend the
winter.
You all be good now... And be kind to each other.
Best wishes
Janet Kaiser
The Chapel of Art . Capel Celfyddyd
Marine Crescent . Criccieth LL52 0EA . GB-Wales . UK
E-MAIL: postbox@the-coa.org.uk
WEB: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
TEL: (++44) 01766-523570
Home of The International Potters' Path
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