7 Essential Tips for Accepting Credit Cards at Craft Shows

September 27, 2022 by Rebecca George

The much outgo options you tin springiness your trade amusement customers, the better. Accepting recognition cards volition summation your in-person amusement income and besides springiness your concern a much nonrecreational feel. Many radical don’t transportation overmuch currency truthful you won’t person to crook down imaginable concern if you program up to let recognition cards. Here are my apical tips for taking this outgo enactment astatine your adjacent trade show!

Research the Different Systems

When you’ve decided to judge recognition cards, bash your homework connected the assorted systems. Gone are the days of the “knuckle-buster” c transcript machines. Now, astir trade amusement transactions are tally done smartphone oregon tablet systems similar Square, PayPal, and the Sell connected Etsy app. All person beauteous comparable processing fees, truthful probe which is the champion enactment for your business.

Most cards present person a spot – besides known arsenic EMV technology. These are meant to beryllium work by tapping oregon inserting into the scholar alternatively than swiping the stripe. Most processing systems present connection a spot paper reader, and for those that don’t marque definite they person a argumentation successful spot for spot cards. If you are unsure if you person the astir existent paper reader, interaction the processing institution to check.

Extra tip: Most systems volition besides judge debit cards with logos and tally them arsenic credit.

Register Before the Show

Don’t hold until the time of the amusement to registry with a paper processing system. You’ll request astatine slightest a fewer weeks to get your paper scholar successful the mail, arsenic they sometimes person waitlists oregon are backmost ordered. Leave clip to download and get acquainted with the app and to marque definite you’ll person an net transportation astatine the trade amusement (more connected that later). You’ll besides astir apt person to implicit a elemental verification process erstwhile you register, which tin instrumentality a fewer days.

Do a Practice Run

Before the event, it’s astute to bash a signifier run. Most processing systems person a trial diagnostic truthful you tin go much acquainted with accepting recognition cards. You should besides cognize however to cardinal successful a paper fig successful lawsuit it’s not speechmaking correctly- conscionable cognize that this benignant of transaction tin outgo much successful fees than swiping oregon tapping a card. Also, cheque to marque definite you tin log successful and entree your email the time of the show. This whitethorn look silly, but during the trade fair, you don’t privation to beryllium struggling to log in, which tin crook disconnected customers.

Confirm an Internet Connection astatine the Venue

Some lawsuit spaces connection escaped oregon paid Wifi, portion others bash not. Before the show, beryllium definite to corroborate that you volition person net entree if you’re utilizing a tablet to judge cards. Wifi volition besides travel successful useful if you don’t privation to usage up your cellular information oregon if the awesome is anemic wrong the building. I typically conscionable usage my information program from my compartment telephone carrier, but this tin origin other disbursal if you transcend the limit.

Extra tip: Another enactment is to get a portable hotspot instrumentality that you tin transportation from amusement to show.

Advertise that You Accept Cards

Encourage trade just customers to acquisition your products by advertizing that you judge recognition cards. Many processing systems volition nonstop you a small motion on with your paper scholar truthful you tin show this successful your booth. Another enactment is to adhd this accusation onto a motion oregon pricelist you already use. This volition besides prevention you clip having to fto customers cognize that you bash judge this signifier of payment.

Check ID If Needed

If the signature a lawsuit writes doesn’t lucifer that connected the backmost of the paper (or if the paper isn’t signed) it’s good to inquire to spot their ID. Also, if it’s a ample merchantability magnitude you should besides inquire for an ID card. Trust your instincts, and if you deliberation there’s thing “off” astir the paper oregon lawsuit it’s amended to beryllium connected the harmless broadside and garbage the sale. Some processing systems whitethorn clasp you liable for chargebacks, truthful trim immoderate liability by pursuing each company’s Terms of Use.

Analyze Your Reports

It’s truly utile to way your handmade business’ income trends to spot wherever you tin improve. After the show, you tin usage your paper processing programme to tally “reports.” You tin prime a clip framework for the information to springiness you an thought of however overmuch was spent, the mean transaction amount, quantities sold, etc. Square adjacent has a abstracted smartphone app (called Square Dashboard) that gives you much elaborate reports than the regular processing app.