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Paying by credit card

  • Thread starter Thread starter MikeF00
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nicro3 said:
I think card save give tenner per introduction or may be more
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Not to me they haven't and I've introduced quite a few guys.

I now find your comments very insulting when I'm trying to help others who would like this service. Go away.
 
system3 said:
"Lucky" as in your semi retired and you're in the position that you don't have the cash flow worries many other plumbers have. Not meant luck as how hard you've worked. I've worked hard all my life as well but I consider myself both lucky and fortunate to be in the position I am in now.
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You have what many plumbers lack System3, i.e. good business acumen.

Which is not a dig at anyone on this thread, if someone is in a position to pick and choose, fair enough.

But for anyone starting out and wanting to get established, you make a good role model System.

Making it easy for customers to pay is a basic necessity these days - it's good for business for a number of reasons, not least getting your money on the spot.

I don't like credit of any kind myself because I begrudge paying the interest, but a lot of people manage their finances these days by using credit cards, and there are some very good interest-free deals around, e.g. interest free for up to 16 months.
 
system3 said:
I'll contact my local Cardsave rep and if enough of you guys are interested, Ill secure a good discount for forum members.
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Count me in. Been looking at different card systems, trying to decide which is best suited to me. I'd be interested in sitting down with someone and negotiating a package that works. I agree totally - card payment is almost obligatory nowadays. Plus it makes a company look so much more professional and solid when they display the logos - it's not necessarily true, but it gives an impression of having some substance behind the company.
 
System does your card company offer nectar points or similar reward incentives like bods does? Im toying with the idea and am weighing up my monthly costs against customer benefits....
My typical custards price is not as high as yours but typically 2k towards for a heating install

Cheers

Kj

Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2
 
I've contacted CS and I'll forward on the details of each member who had PM'd me after I hear what discount they will offer. If their are any referal fees I am offered, these will be given to each member who signs up as a further discount.

No one is under ANY OBLIGATION at any time to sign up for anything. That's entirely YOUR choice if after the rep has visited you, that you want to go ahead.

Anyone else interested please PM me before Monday evening.
 
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If a customer isn't willing to pay by card, or give you cash then they obviously havnt got the funds to pay. FACT.
 
system3 said:
So how do you expect to be paid? I don't want my customers carrying the risk of having thousands of pounds lying around their house just to pay me! Cheques are worse and I feel insulted being offered one. Come on its the 21st Century and card payments have been around since the 1960's. Besides customers love the convenience.
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Cash or direct transfer. Like i said thats my opinion.
 
To all the guys who PM'd me their contact details;

CardSave rep was in my house tonight and the company are going to introduce a block discount for UkPlumber forum members. Expect to be individually contacted as well, as I forwarded all your contact details.

I have mentioned to them about becoming forum sponsors and they are really interested in this idea as well.

Best of luck and I hope you all get your card terminals and moreso up and running before burst pipe season in December!

Anyone else interested in portable card machines, there's still time, just PM me.
 
My sober opinion of this is -- If you are a one man band and are doing the smaller type jobs or subbying to a builder check in great detail whether this is for you. If you employ staff who take cash it might be for you.,
 
nicro3 said:
My sober opinion of this is -- If you are a one man band and are doing the smaller type jobs or subbying to a builder check in great detail whether this is for you. If you employ staff who take cash it might be for you.,
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I don't do much subbing, but I am a one-man band, doing smaller stuff, and a terminal would definitely help me. I do a lot of emergency callouts, and there's no way someone with a burst pipe is going to go to the cash machine at 3 AM, nor will they be too impressed if you ask them to log on to online banking and do a transfer. Pull out a card terminal, and nobody bats an eyelid...
 
Masood said:
I don't do much subbing, but I am a one-man band, doing smaller stuff, and a terminal would definitely help me. I do a lot of emergency callouts, and there's no way someone with a burst pipe is going to go to the cash machine at 3 AM, nor will they be too impressed if you ask them to log on to online banking and do a transfer. Pull out a card terminal, and nobody bats an eyelid...
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I ask you how many times on small jobs have you been knocked. If you keep getting trouble in collecting money maybe its for you. As far as 3 am callouts are concerned a customers card or cheque book might not be produced, collect later. Please do the sums with these cash machines
 
nicro3 said:
I ask you how many times on small jobs have you been knocked. If you keep getting trouble in collecting money maybe its for you. As far as 3 am callouts are concerned a customers card or cheque book might not be produced, collect later. Please do the sums with these cash machines
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I appreciate your concern, and I do intend to do the sums very very carefully, as well as looking into how long I'd be tied in to a contract, or if it's one of the machines that you buy outright, then how much I'd be paying for data usage, repairs & maintenance, etc.

I haven't actually been knocked as yet (touch wood), but have often needed to send reminders and wait quite some time for payment, when people have in fact asked when I've finished the job "Do you take cards?" If I did, I'd have been paid there and then. There has to be some value attached to not having to send reminder emails chasing payment, not to mention the reduced likelihood of being knocked..
 
Cash flow would be a benefit for me. I can do two or three bathroom jobs on the trot, each being 6, 7 or 8 days long. My banks only open Mon - Fri 9.30 to 16.30. Sometimes it can be a couple of weeks before I can hit the bank. Missed a few boiler repairs because I don't take cards. As long as the numbers add up I'll definitely be sorting one out.
 
As your business grows you might well find a machine is the right thing for you. The thing to do is imho is to work out the cost of the machine against the cost of your time collecting monies going to bank etc.
 
I'm with simon gets funds into account quicker, I have definatley been asked more over the last year if I take cards or not.
 
My contract term is for 1 year or annually. There are no data charges. The sim for the mobile card machine is on O2, but the machine allows free roaming on other networks if a signal is weak. There is a quarterly charge and a small charge per transaction. This is offset against your sales, you include it in the price of each job or (I hate this one) have a 2.5% surcharge for paying by card as many shops do, but I would never do. Immediately after a customer inserts their card and keys their PIN, a credit check is sent to Streamline and you know there and then if they have enough funds to pay you and the payment is made. The machine then prints a receipt with your company name and both you and your customer get a copy each. The whole process takes about 2 minutes.

OR USE THIS METHOD, YOU CHOOSE...
Ask for payment by invoice, go back another time sometimes after several reminders to collect payment. Remember if you're on say £30 an hour as your rate, you're losing this having to chase money when you should be earning it on another job.

A card machine soon pays for itself and eliminates credit problems, chasing payments and cash flow problems. It also looks very professional when a customer sees the machine that you have.
 
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