credit cards

[ToadHill]

We've been accepting credit cards for a couple of years now. We accept VISA, MC, Discover and Amex. We started doing it because we started a website, but we also accept them at the sugarhouse. During our maple weekends we do several thousand dollars worth of sales just on credit cards. I'm sure that if we didn't accept them we would still get some of those sales, but I also know that there are people who buy from us as opposed to some of our neighbors simply because they can use the plastic. I don't know that those sales alone are enough to justify taking credit cards, but because of the website we had to anyhow, so this is just a bonus.

We use Quick Books and process the cards through Intuit's website. We didn't have a phone at the old sugarhouse so we just used the old fashioned credit card slips and then processed them later. We have only had a couple of minor instances where the card failed to process. If you do this make sure you get all of the info correct including a phone number to clear up any mistakes.

I can't compare this service to any other, but it has worked for us. I can't say exactly what the fees are because they are different for each type of card and type of transaction. They are significant and you need to factor that into your bottom line. I suspect that a local bank may give you a better deal. We will find out this year when we plan to install a card swipe.

Randy

[allgreenmaple]

We've been accepting credit cards for a couple of years now. We accept VISA, MC, Discover and Amex. We started doing it because we started a website, but we also accept them at the sugarhouse. During our maple weekends we do several thousand dollars worth of sales just on credit cards. I'm sure that if we didn't accept them we would still get some of those sales, but I also know that there are people who buy from us as opposed to some of our neighbors simply because they can use the plastic. I don't know that those sales alone are enough to justify taking credit cards, but because of the website we had to anyhow, so this is just a bonus.

We use Quick Books and process the cards through Intuit's website. We didn't have a phone at the old sugarhouse so we just used the old fashioned credit card slips and then processed them later. We have only had a couple of minor instances where the card failed to process. If you do this make sure you get all of the info correct including a phone number to clear up any mistakes.

I can't compare this service to any other, but it has worked for us. I can't say exactly what the fees are because they are different for each type of card and type of transaction. They are significant and you need to factor that into your bottom line. I suspect that a local bank may give you a better deal. We will find out this year when we plan to install a card swipe.

Randy

Interested in how much business you do via your website. It may be something I may set up eventually.

[michiganfarmer2]

I use paypal for online sales.

Most of my face to face sales take place at my sharpening business. I accept credit cards at my sharpenign business. When someone wants to pay for syrup with their credit card, and tell them I preferr anything els, but if a credit card is all they have, I will accept it. Thats kinda trickey too because the credit card sales go into my sharpening business checking.

[ToadHill]

Interested in how much business you do via your website. It may be something I may set up eventually.

While I don't want to share specific personal financial information, I will say that it hasn't been enough at this point to justify the investment in time and/or finances (about $3,000 to set it up and annual expenses to maintain it), but we had other reasons for doing it. Keep in mind our site includes a complete shopping cart including UPS shipping calculations. There is a lot of competition on the web so it isn't the be all end all that everyone thinks. We wanted a site that would allow our customers to ship gifts to friends and relatives, a location to post the dates of our Maple Weekends, directions to our sugarhouse, etc. To that end it has worked great.

Randy

[danno]

I have been kicking this around because of the demographic I draw. People in their 20's and 30's don't seem to carry cash as much as older generations. I did see the iPhone has an app to use a credit card. Does anyone use the iPhone to process credit cards? What are the fees associated.

I find that extremely interesting - I have virtually no business from that age bracket. I'd say close to 100% of my customers are 40+. Hum??? May I ask how old you are? I'm 45. I'm wondering if the age of the producer has any impact on the average age of their customer.

[tuckermtn]

Danno- I hear that 45 is the new 35- means you have an extra ten years of sugaring at the end...

[bigtreemaple]

While I don't want to share specific personal financial information, I will say that it hasn't been enough at this point to justify the investment in time and/or finances

Randy

We have had similar experience with the web. It sells some syrup but not that much, I really expected it to do beter but it doesn't seem to take off.

[BryanEx]

We have had similar experience with the web. It sells some syrup but not that much, I really expected it to do beter but it doesn't seem to take off.

Questions on your comment because online sales really interest me. Did you just add an online shopping cart to your existing web site or did you actively and aggressively market online? Were SEO, Google placement, page rank, keywords, and web site interface all actively monitored and adjusted? I'm just trying to get a feel for your "experience with the web" and how much was put into that experience. Some producers I've talked to have found online sales to be an easy add-on while others have had to battle it tooth and nail to make it work.

[Clan Delaney]

I talked to a friend of mine today who recommended two different methods that might work for those who wish to accept plastic in the sugar house. One was Authorize.net, which uses a web interface (a website with secure login) to process credit/debit cards on the spot. It looks like it requires set-up and monthly maintenance fees in addition to per-transaction fees. That may be worth it to some, though. You would also need a computer/laptop/netbook and a way to access the internet to use this.

My favorite was Square. Sign up for an account and they send you a card swipe device that plugs into the audio jack of your iPhone (or similar supported smartphone). Then you just download their app, and start taking payments. There is a 2.75%+15cent per-transaction fee and that's it. (I did the math and, for example, on a 10 dollar purchase, they'd take 43 cents. This is what I'd use if I could. It makes me want to get a smartphone.

[Amber Gold]

Clan, I discovered squaredup last week. If I go plastic, this is the way I'll go because you can take it anywhere and make purchases. The problem is I'd need to get a cell phone which would need to be figured into the cost of it.