Why It Pays To Accept Credit Cards

 

One of the biggest challenges for a small business is competing with larger businesses with greater resources. One proven strategy for leveling the playing field is to accept credit cards. After all, 78 percent of American consumers own a credit card, and 80 percent own a debit card.¹ That’s a huge market that no merchant can afford to ignore — especially small businesses who don’t plan on remaining small for long.

Small businesses that start to accept credit cards benefit in a variety of ways. Most obviously, they immediately become an option for patrons who prefer to pay with plastic. In their eyes, seeing the logos of the major credit cards in a merchant’s shop or on their e-Commerce website means that merchant is in the same league as much larger retailers. Since most small businesses strive to offer the superior customer service that the Big Boys often can’t or won’t, it’s a no brainer that they should expand their payment options to include the debit and credit cards consumers use so frequently.

Secondly, the convenience of credit cards cuts both ways. Consumers appreciate swiping their card and cutting the transaction time to just seconds so they can be on their way. But merchants benefit, too. Shorter transaction times mean they can serve more customers more efficiently. And, at the end of the day, merchants can send all their transactions in one batch to their credit card processor for electronic settlement, knowing that within days the proceeds will land in their account.

Credit card processing with a reputable merchant services provider like Merchant Account® is a very secure operation. State-of-the-art encryption technology keeps cardholder and account information safe, as does our PCI-compliant electronic payment gateway Transaction Express™. Whether a merchant accepts credit cards with a countertop terminal, an online virtual terminal or in the field with our mobile PayFox® service, the transaction is protected from fraudsters and identity thieves.

Merchants who accept credit cards also usually see an increase in sales. The reason is simple: Credit card shoppers tend to spend more than shoppers who pay with cash or a check. Impulse buying and upgrading to a higher level of merchandise are both possible when the shopper taps a line of credit instead of a wallet to pay.

Finally, there are savings to be realized from accepting credit cards. Merchants spend less time making bank runs and processing paper checks. New credit card processing options like wireless and mobile mean that merchants who deliver services or products to customers’ homes or businesses can collect right then and there, foregoing the time-consuming and expensive billing and collection process.

Today’s credit card processing is fast, convenient and safe, and the many options available give merchants the opportunity to work with a merchant services provider to design a package that meets all their requirements. For small business, being able to accept credit cards is the smart way to go and grow.

¹   Source: “The Survey of Consumer Payment Choice,” Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, January 201