Selling goods by Credit Card payments

[rider]

Lots of us sell things online these days through eBay, Preloved etc but when it comes to receiving payments on delivered goods it usually comes down to PayPal which has tremendous issues. Firstly, if everything goes well, its expensive. Very expensive. Secondly, there is no consumer protection offered because its a cash rather than credit transaction. Thirdly they have no customer service to sort things out as any problems just end up in a online driven FAQ loop or e-mail correspondence with multiple CS reps that again has for me turned into another never ending loop.

 

There are lots of companies that offer to handle credit card transactions for sellers but very few that don't operate on a subscription basis which for the occasional seller is just not appropriate. The dreaded PayPal can handle credit card payments though as said previously their charges are horrendous. I have used SumUp for the last two years who offer a PAYG service on credit card transactions. Payment can be made there and then with a phone app and card reader fitted to your phone jack. The card reader costs £50 so I conduct transactions via the same app that sends a SMS payment request to the customers phone. They simply enter their card details online using the SMS link provided and you get a text message as soon as payment is made. Its secure, can be done there or remotely, its fast and the money is transferred into your bank account monthly.

 

For anyone conducting regular but not everyday selling who wants to avoid rip off charges without having to pay subscriptions and have credit protection in force for the customers then I can't recommend SumUp enough.