merchant accounts

I am relatively new here. I turned "professional", and I will be doing my first big show in the fall.
I am wading through the waters of the merchant accounts.
Any advice out there? I have found one that will only charge
for the months you do your shows. My crafts are holiday dolls
and jewelry and I only do shows Sept. through Nov.
Some tell me they will not give you an account unless
you have an annual sales of over $3,000. Can one get a merhant account (accepting visa/mc) if you are new?
Thanks, StacySparkles

Good luck with trying to get a merchant account in this economy. I have been doing craft shows for almost 30 years and have never had one. Why do you think you need to take visa/mc when you are just starting? Are your products high priced? I sell items from $2 to $65 and over all these years I may have only lost a handful of customers by not having credit cards. Most people come to a show with cash and they will sometimes ask if you take credit cards but when you say no they come up with the cash.

I know you want to look "professional" but you are just starting with shows so my advice is to take baby steps first and not try to have everything all at once. You will learn a lot by doing shows and you will change how you do things the longer you do shows.

Thanks! I needed to hear that! My crafts sell from $15-$60. You are right, I will take baby steps. I had family and friends tell me I needed to get a merchant account. I will see how next season goes. Stacy

I AM A PROFESSIONAL CRAFTER FOR 20 PLUS YEARS. I HAVE TWO WEBSITES AND HAD A BRICK AND MORTAR CRAFT STORE. LAST SEPTEMBER I DECIDED TO ACCEPT CHARGES FOR THE FIRST TIME. AFTER MUCH CONSIDERATION, SEVERAL FRIENDS TOLD ME ABOUT PROPAY. http://www.propay.com THERE IS A YEARLY FEE, NO MONTHLY FEE AND THEY TAKE VERY LITTLE FROM YOUR CHARGES THAT YOU PROCESS EITHER ON LINE OR BY PHONE. THE SLIDER IS VERY CHEAP AS ARE THE CHARGE SLIPS. OF COURSE YOUR INITIAL INVESTMENT WILL ADD UP BUT YOU WILL GET IT BACK QUICKLY. MY FIRST HUGE SHOW IN SEPTEMBER 2008 THAT I TOOK CHARGES NETTED ME $500 IN SALES ALONE. SALES I WOULD NOT HAVE GOTTEN . I HAD LOST OUT ON SALES IN THE PAST. MOST OF THESE TRANSACTIONS ARE DEBIT CARDS . I DON'T THINK I HAD MORE THEN 5 REGULAR CREDIT CARD CHARGES IN 4 MONTHS TIME. I AM VERY HAPPY WITH THIS COMPANY. MY SALES IN THE LAST 4 MONTHS DOUBLED BECAUSE OF PROPAY.

Thank you very much Appleannie! I really appreciate the tip
StacySparkles

Because you are just starting out wait to see how you do . I do some really big shows, some even out of state so taking charges really pay for me.these shows have 50,000 people a day. I do shows all year round and not just in the fall. If your show schedule picks up then try taking charges.

I may look into the propay. I get alot of people ask about taking credit cards at shows or if they call to place an order from my website.

~Lori

Lori..it is great. At one of the really big shows i do people asked if i took credit for years. Well this past year i had propay and it really paid off for me. I fill out all the necessary info but what you really must have is the credit card number, exp. Date and a correct zipcode. If the zipcode does not match the holder of the card it will not go through!! I had a girl give me her old zipcode. She had just moved and forgot about the new one. I made a call and straightened it out. Always get their phone number. If it is a big sale i get a drivers license too.

Apple - Do you have the basic or premium plan? I like it where you can call in the transaction while the customer is still in your booth to make sure sale will go thur, but wondering how much time is involved doing it that way.

~Lori

I have the premium account. I don't call mine in. I just do it at home.