Getting paid used to be a tedious and risky task as a handmade artist, crafter, performer, speaker, teaching artist or anyone else that creates a product or provides a service. With the advances in technology and public acceptance of online payment service options such as PayPal, collecting payment for whatever you are offering has never been more easy.
I primarily make handmade jewelry, but I have also now branched out into the world of creating digital products, providing various marketing consulting services as well as teaching local arts and crafts classes. As a result of my initial foray into online sales via Etsy and as a purchasing customer at public bead shows, I quickly became keenly aware of the need for credit card payment services. As an online customer, using a credit card for payment of goods and services is a convenient alternative to the old school invoicing method. For in-person sales, it has fast become the norm for shoppers to stop having cash or proper change. So, to navigate eCommerce and on-sight sales, having a mobile credit card payment method is a must for today.
Why I Chose PayPal
There are many portable sales services available that offer credit card readers, payment terminals and computerized invoicing. Since my Etsy and Ebay days, I chose PayPal to be able to enter my credit card and billing information one time with the convenience of then having to sign into my account for future payments without having to re-enter all my secure data info. As a result of the convenience and lack of data breaches in comparison to other online payment services, I later chose PayPal as my payment processing provider for eCommerce on my Sparkle by Monica website and through the use of my chip card reader.
Continued convenience in payment alternatives is another added benefit of my trusting PayPal to process payments in all forums as well as handle the way I can make payments myself. For instance, those that do not have a PayPal account can still make payment to me via my electronic invoice, website checkout or my card reader while also being able to make donations or send money like an artist's tip jar or for a specific reason. Online via the invoice or checkout process, a non-PayPal customer can select to pay as a guest which does not require an account, but still offers payment security that is globally known and trusted.
Alternative Point of Sale Processors
There are multiple payment processing alternatives to PayPal. Etsy had initially created their own branded card reader which has now been retired and is now outsourced to one of PayPal's most popular alternatives- Square. Although I have not used Square readers or terminals from a seller's standpoint, I have used the service as a customer at various craft fairs, trade shows, classes, and stores. The comments I have heard from fellow sellers are that there have sometimes been funding holds preventing immediate access to revenue from sales and the in-store terminal connections to their iPad registers may periodically lose inventory or sales/ tax code information. On the whole though, a Square reader is just as convenient and reliable as the PayPal reader as testified by my fellow craft fair vendors.
You can also get readers or terminals directly from the merchant sales division of whatever bank that you use for your sales deposits. The merchant sales fees can typically be a little higher than PayPal or Square, however, depending on your banking history and additional accounts relationships, a bank may reduce certain fees or offer rewards which will counteract any potential differences. It may be worthwhile to discuss commercial merchant services with your banking institution to see what is the best payment processing option for your overall needs. Keep in mind that with this banking option, you will typically have to sign a contract.
If you are simply looking for a quick and easy way to process mobile credit card payments via your smart phone or tablet, I recommend PayPal.
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