Advice please on web based sales -

[jrussell]

Hi everyone - I have very recently started a small business with a partner. Fabric - selling via shows and website, which is currently being built for us. We have a business account with HSBC and are now considering how we will take our online payments and also payments at shows. Someone has suggested paypal - I have used it for years, via Ebay, buying and selling, without problem. Would you recommend paypal for us? We would still need a 'mobile' credit card machine for the shows - Sorry, a lot of questions, but I am a bit 'mind boggled' !! :eek: !!

[Beachcomber]

I've used paypal for years without and real problems - there are other systems out there but I've never thought the small savings in fees to be had could outweigh the confidence and security customers feel when they see you use the paypal system - being a major recognised online payment system gives customers alot of reassurance.

As for mobile card payments, I've never taken cards at shows due to the high lease / processing costs. I've seen some stallholders set up their laptop on the stall to process cards via paypal on site but I'm not sure how many buyers would be happy tapping card details into someone elses laptop without knowing how secure that info will be.

If you attend a particular show regularly it may be worth talking to other regular stall holders and look at splitting the cost of a card processing unit?

[jrussell]

Thanks Beachcomber - we are considering paypal for the reasons you mention but it is good to get opinions from others - I think HSBC card services have quoted about £20 + per month for a mobile card unit and we will probably only be doing 5 or 6 shows a year - I should think the card units are like mobile phones - you can find yourself tied to a contract for months on end!

[TotallySport]

for shows you will need to get a physical terminal there are loads about and load of different services, you will need a merchant account from a bank which can connet to the terminal, then you can rent the terminals from the bank or other part or rent them on an as an when need basis.

http://www.123send.net/

[KateCB]

I think that you should talk to HSBC again - they may do a scheme whereby you cvan rent the hand held unit as you need it - I am sure our HSBC manager told me about something like this!

PayPal is well known, however the fees are high, you can't use a handheld with them, and personally I don't like them at all! We use HSBC for the merchant account and Portx/Sagepay for processing - online terminal. We take a laptop to shows, and people are fine once they see the secure signs on the protx/Sagepay website - we used to simply write all their details down and get them to sign one of the old manual type processing slips, but most people are happy with technology now and undstand that using an online terminal is acceptabe - the one thing that it does do however is\slow you down as you have to have the customers address in order to process....worth £20+vat per month though as we use it all year (along with the\dreaded PayPal for those who don't have a payment card!)

[Poppy Design]

Hi

I think if you join the FSB you get some good rates for mobile card processing.

Paypal are fine for a payment "option" for online payments but not everyone likes them as the payment pages can be a pain.

Protx (part of Sagepay now) have been good to date though you need a bank merchant account 1st and then the account is appox £20 per month.

Joanne

[jrussell]

Thanks Kate and everyone for your tips - I will speak to the business manager at the HSBC about merchant accounts etc - I will check whether we can hire a machine as and when we need it rather than being stuck with one continuously

[TotallySport]

Make sure you have the merchant numbers in place as soon as you can, it can take a couple of weeks to set them up, and once setup cost nothing, you may need different merchant numbers for online payment and physical terminals depending on who you use.

[lexiee]

having done a tremendous amount of shows over the years mainly in land based industries, its rare you see card processing machines as they cost so much money and unless your selling a staggering amount at the show they are not justifiable. Most people will take a cheque or cash, if the cheque is large, we find we receive no objection to getting it cleared and despatching the goods on our return home. Im not quite sure what your selling but good quality fabric you tend to buy for a reason so I would suggest people will more likely chat to you at a show, sample the product then place an order when they return home ?
Lex

[Nicole.S]

You could apply with HSBC or other UK payment processor, third party payment processor or Paypal for a merchant account for online payments.

[chalkie99]

For the website I would suggest setting up both PayPal and Google Checkout.

We run both and get sales from both. On a couple of occasions recently we have sent payment requests via PayPal and the customer has refused to use them and asked for Google instead.

We are with HSBC and considering a terminal at the moment for telephone sales.

[Elizabeth -Atelier Maison]

Hi, I've used paypal for years too, and am nearly ready to go live with my new e-commerce website. I've had problems integrating Paypal pro with my website, but technicians at paypal have been brilliant in sorting it out.

Website Pay pal Pro means your customers never leave your site -even to pay, and you can have a virtual terminal, which means you can accept orders via phone, fax and in person from your customers. This costs £20 per month. I too am going to shows, and have open days etc so I need virtual terminal. I think it is worth it, and I have had excellent service from paypal. There is always an actual 'person' you can talk to there.

:)

[PayPoint net]

If you’re going to be taking orders at trade shows (and indeed, by mail/telephone/fax), you can use our Virtual Terminal on which you can process card payments on any device connected to the internet – laptop, Blackberry, etc – so you don’t have to be carrying around any more machines than is necessary. At the moment, PayPoint.net is offering 50% off monthly fees for the first three months, so you could get your Virtual Terminal for £5/month. You can find out more at
(3ws)paypoint.net/solutions/payment-gateway/gateway-virtual-terminal/

Do you already have an Internet Merchant Account with HSBC? If so, you could go for the Lite gateway processing package, which, with 50% off at the moment, is £10/month for the first three months. It includes 350 transactions per month which you could use for your online payments as well as any payments that you take at trade shows (the Virtual Terminal is included with our Lite package). PayPoint is also integrated with PayPal, so you can offer it as an additional payment method besides the usual credit card options. And, as all your payment streams will be under one roof, so to speak, your reporting will be easier.

You can find out about all of our payment gateway solutions at
(3ws) paypoint.net/solutions/payment-gateway/

If you don’t already have an Internet Merchant Account feel free to get in touch and I’ll have someone give you call. Feel free to come back to us if you have any questions - the best of luck with your business!