Cash & cheques on the flipping internet? or real, actual, solid shops for that matter!!

Amazing as it may seem, I keep coming across WEBSITES (shops) that still don’t take cards – how the hell is this working.

I won’t name names (one was classed as ‘adult’ – but not in a naked way) but several claimed that merchant services wouldn’t allow them to open accounts. This may be because they sold a bong, a thong or a foreign wife, surnamed Tong.

Removing the rude, crude and questionable – there are still quite a few sites selling legitimate, unshocking goods who ‘apparently’ can’t get merchant services (card processing) due to their sector ‘classification’.

Even more bizarre is when I tried to purchase some jewellery, for my lovely lady friend, only to be invoiced for cash or cheque – TO THE UNITED STATES. I ditched my chequebook (or Checkbook) many years ago, and in the current economic climate I have only have pennies and drachma in my pocket. Needless to say, short of Escrow, I’m not about to transfer money internationally to anyone I do not have a DNA sample from.

So what to do?

With so many options, from every major bank, specialist providers to Paypal – what is going on?

Tiny Business Solutions can set up a shop, inventory – infact any online (or offline) retail business with full payment processing in hours – weeks in the worst case.

Top Consideration

Anyone considering starting a business should put this as a top consideration on the critical path to trading day, scanning the market for the best deals.

Check back to www.tiny-business-solutions.co.uk next week when we will look at the best and worst services available, and you can always just get in touch for a little consultancy!

In the meantime, these were the questions we were asking 5+ years ago:

1.When you took up a merchants facility, did you see an increase in orders that were obviously down to the fact that you were now offering to take credit cards – not only online businesses.

From a consumer’s point of view – it’s very easy to buy now and pay later via a credit card. Also, lots of peoples spending habits centre on putting it all on a card and paying off the full amount at the end of the month.

2. How many consumers do you think are now relying on credit cards to fund their purchases? I’m not talking about skint people who have no choice but those that choose the credit card option (paying off balance in full every time) as their vehicle for buying everything because it’s easier and more convenient.

3. Are there a large number of people that now choose the credit card option due to the safeguards the facility provides them against dodgy retailers – not only online but in high street shops as well?

The answer is YES, THEY DO, TIMES CHANGED A LONG TIME AGO – DON’T BE STUPID…

Lovingly,

Annoyed from [tiny]

PS – Check out this interesting article if you are still stuck in the cash era

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/read/square-now-taking-cash/017292

Some work in progress if you are a bit stuck due to an unfortunate credit rating…

http://www.virginfinance.org.uk or http://www.refusedcredit.info