These portable credit-card processing doohickeys Square, Intuit whatchamacallit, etc.

[Daniel Stone]

Hey guys,

just thought I'd re-chime in here. I received my card reader yesterday, and was able to use it for the first time today @ the camera show where I was hawking my excess gear. Actually sold some stuff

buyer agreed to split the fees, I wouldn't have sold the camera(Fuji 120/220 rangefinder) if I didn't have the reader/capability to accept cards.

all in all, smooth as I saw in the videos! I could get the hang of this! I was a bit nervous in all honesty, I was using my cell phone to generate a wi-fi network(just for the tablet, a motorola Xoom I picked up on CL last week) since I don't have a data plan for the tablet itself(just using it on wi-fi) so I could use it to process the transactions. Having a stylus for the customer to sign with(rather than with their finger), works much nicer. The Intuit app also allows me to send an email to the customer, and I get one sent to my designated email. Very nice experience all in all!

Point of this really is this:

I would have missed a sale since the customer didn't have the cash in-hand at the time. He was about to walk away when I mentioned to him I accept credit/debit. Well he promptly walked back to my table and handed over his c/c. Done and one. 30s max time on the transaction itself.

If anyone reading this is also considering the intuit reader/app for processing payments on-the-go, I'd highly recommend it.

-Dan

[Michael Gordon]

I used to pay approx. $700 per year for the right to call myself a CC merchant whether or not I actually swiped any cards. I now pay only for the transaction. I love Square.

As for Intuit, I unfortunately like Quickbooks. Along with thousands of others, I despise its maker :

http://michaelegordon.wordpress.com/...stomer-service

http://intuitsucks.org

[Jim Becia]

I used to pay approx. $700 per year for the right to call myself a CC merchant whether or not I actually swiped any cards. I now pay only for the transaction. I love Square.

As for Intuit, I unfortunately like Quickbooks. Along with thousands of others, I despise its maker :

http://michaelegordon.wordpress.com/...stomer-service

http://intuitsucks.org

Michael,

I, like you, use Square and love it. I used it for twenty art fairs this year without I hitch. After my first week with Square, I cancelled my cc processing account that was getting exorbitant with the fees. I highly recommend it. Jim

[jsnowden]

Anyone use one of these?

Got me thinking... I've seen some larger camera shops on ebay that state they DO NOT accept payment via Paypal, only through credit cards(I'm assuming you call them and do it over the phone?)... Well anyhow, I've noticed some coffee shops here in LA that are using them now, and seem to be loved by customers and the business owners, simply because they only charge a per-transaction fee, no daily fee, no monthly fee, etc...

So... what's the deal? Anyone heard anything other than some scumbags who've used them to "skim" credit cards, I'm just looking at this as an option if I continue to sell @ the local monthly camera show(since ya'll are tight wads it seems lately ).... No matter.

thoughts or advice on these? This would be only used as a secondary option to cash transactions for in-person deals...

thanks,

Dan

Intuit's "GoPayment"
http://payments.intuit.com/merchant-...NS-3426UD.html

Square reader
https://squareup.com/reader

Check out http://www.payanywhere.com...2.69% per swipe. There are no setup or cancellation fees, no monthly minimums, or hidden fees.

[Daniel Stone]

well this is kinda "out of the blue", but I got the Intuit reader. Soon found out(after 1 sale) that if I went over $600, I'd get a 1099K tax form. I was planning to use this for camera shows, where I have(in the past) occasionally had a table to slog off my stuff. You'd be surprised how some people are willing to whip out the c/c, but with cash they're much more 'picky'

I still have the reader, and my account, but haven't used it but for (1) transaction. I didn't feel like reporting money to the gov't(since this isn't a business, just a person-->person transaction)

back to cash only now...

-Dan

[Jac@stafford.net]

[...] So... what's the deal? Anyone heard anything other than some scumbags who've used them to "skim" credit cards,

You aren't paranoid enough. Many cards with RFID capabilities can be read from feet away.

[Daniel Stone]

You aren't paranoid enough. Many cards with RFID capabilities can be read from feet away.

exactly why I don't carry any cards in my wallet that contain an RFID chip. just (1) c/c, (1) debit card, and a few other things(library card, etc..) I specifically requested a non-rfid chip'd debit/credit cards when I had to get new ones. The young woman helping me asked me why, and I gave her the same reason as you've stated above, she readily agreed .

BTW, is there any way to fry(but not disable the magnetic strip) the RFID chip alone? So no damage to the rest of the card(so it can still be swiped like normal in a c/c reader?)

-Dan

[Corran]

I don't see what the problem is with getting a 1099. I get a dozen per year because I perform for various groups and events as well as get paid by several gov't institutions for audio/video services, photography, etc.

Don't forget that you can claim what you paid for the item against what you sold it for. Assuming you aren't buying/selling things at a massive profit you'll likely not incur any taxes at all.

Just because you got cash doesn't mean you don't owe taxes...

*I'm not a tax expert so take anything I say here with a grain of salt...

[Dan Henderson]

A just-slightly off-topic question, I recently became Treasurer of a cooperative art gallery. I am stunned at the ridiculously high charges our credit card processor is charging. I wonder if these things are suitable for relatively low-volume brick and mortar stores? Any input will be appreciated.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Hey, I've got a BlackBerry Storm II... PayPal and Amazon Payments accounts. Most of the free card swipe devices and plans are set up for iPhones and Androids. What card-swipe options are there for BB users-- besides changing phones?