Who has done credit cards at swap meets?

[Joe Bob]

I'm looking to get a few more sales at the next German Autofest.....who's done credit card machines hooked to a cell phone?

[BlueSideUp]

My wife has looked into it, one of her clients runs a business that allows you to run CCs through a handheld machine. I'll ask her about it and post back.

[Joe Bob]

Thanks.....

Paypal has this.....

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_vt_hub-outside

Anybody ever use it?

[Gogar]

We have 2 (two) wireless battery-powered machines. When you have a good connection, it's fantastic. CC availablity will take your sales to a whole 'nother level. People will spend money much, much sooner when you have the CC availability. People tend to haggle less, too (which might be important at the swap meet.)

When you buy the machine, the contracts/agreements are about the same as a regular CC contract (the rate depends on your volume.) There's a few companies that will lease or rent a machine to you, like the paypal method mentioned above. Less net to you, but the increase in volume more than makes up for it.

If you have a bad connection or no connection at all, you have to "store" the numbers in the machine and use what's called "store and forward" mode where the machine will run the CC numbers after the fact, when you have a good connection. Not a problem, really, unless you get a denial on somebody's card. Then it's your problem.

[Gogar]

I can't believe I said 'nother. Good thing I don't live in 'Lanta.