Scott Burke; President of iMAX Business Solutions in charge of sales, strategy, and execution and thus is responsible for managing all aspects of the company's marketing, communications, new accounts, and support.
ARTICLE:Accepting Credit Cards positives vs. negatives
Today there are hundreds of thousands of small & medium size businesses in this country that take orders via credit cards. In addition, every day in this country, there are hundreds of companies entering the world of e-commerce. They come from many industries including retail, internet, mail order, home based businesses, B2B, professional services, wholesale and mobile businesses. In many cases they are "taking the plunge" to accept credit and debit cards for the first time. Some are successful and some are not. As with any other business venture, the companies that do their homework typically have a better chance at being successful.To help you start your homework, let's look at the advantages of accepting credit cards for your business.6 Benefits of Accepting Credit Cards
1. Convenience - You probably already know that accepting alternative forms of payment like credit and debit cards helps make it more convenient for people to pay you. This will increase your sales and profits. Some studies say by 30 -100% or more (Visa International).
2. Increases Your Credibility - Did you also know that advertising your acceptance of credit and debit cards increases your credibility? It's true. The public knows that a Merchant Account status is not always easy to get and will look at you as more of a solid company -here to stay. "Hmmm...doesn't accept credit cards? Is there some kind of credit problem I should know about this company?"
3. Increases Your Average Sales Order - Were you aware that you're AVERAGE SALE AMOUNT GOES UP when you accept credit cards? Studies prove (and I am sure it's true of most of us) that when we are ready to make a purchase and we are paying with a credit card we are more inclined to purchase the "upgrade" product or service. Human nature seems to cause most of us to be inclined to purchase the "better model or service upgrade" when we can finance the purchase with a credit card.
4. Impulse Purchases Go Up - Did you also know that your willingness to accept credit cards also causes impulse purchases to go up? Customers are more likely to purchase when they can use a credit card versus paying with cash or a check. For some reason human nature - especially in the US - causes us to think paying on credit is easier.
5. Increases Cash Sales - I bet you didn't know that the mere presence of credit card logos at your business location increases CASH sales. A fascinating study was explained in the book Influence by Robert Cialdini. This scientific experiment documented that the mere presence of Master Card/ Visa logos will increase cash sales by as much as 29% in controlled studies - even though credit cards were not used! If your business accepts cash, this is an extra bonus of accepting credit cards and advertising that you do.
6. Cuts Back on Bad Checks and Collection Costs. -By accepting credit and debit cards through a reputable Merchant Account Provider, credit cards orders will be screened for fraudulent transactions. Some providers, like Cardservice International, will take extra steps on address verification, verifying the extra four digits on the credit card, and blocking selected credit card numbers, Internet protocols, names or addresses. These are extra safety measures you can take to find peace of mind that the orders you are receiving - particularly on the Internet - are legitimate. When a customer is a "slow pay", a common collection technique is to call the customer and suggest they give you their credit card information over the phone right then to clear up the default. Without this option you would typically have to wait to see if the customer sends you a check like they said they would.
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