Credit Card processing for Glider Clubs

My club like most clubs and commercial seem to be stuck in the 20th
century when it comes to accepting payments from members but more so
ride customers. You know what I mean, checks those old fashioned
things from hundreds of years ago, the things that younger members of
the population never use because credit and debit cards are
everywhere. Cash is difficult to handle without lots of care, worry
and trips to the bank.

Have any other operations found a good way to accept credit card [and
debit card] payments?

A few weeks ago the traveling car wash guys that come to our office
showed me a brick sized terminal unit with mobile/cell service built
in. It could swipe the card, get approval, and print a reciept. It
was called "contractor caddy" - could not find it on-line but it
seemed like a great solution. I don't have any more details on it,
but since it did not require a landline phone it would work good at
the airport. [we don't have much in the way of a business office, just
a hangar.]

Ideally for our club the solution would integrate with QuickBooks to
cut down on the accounting workload. Also low fees are important.

Any good solutions out there?

Chris

On Oct 11, 6:08 am, chris wrote:
My club like most clubs and commercial seem to be stuck in the 20th
century when it comes to accepting payments from members but more so
ride customers. You know what I mean, checks those old fashioned
things from hundreds of years ago, the things that younger members of
the population never use because credit and debit cards are
everywhere. Cash is difficult to handle without lots of care, worry
and trips to the bank.

Have any other operations found a good way to accept credit card [and
debit card] payments?

A few weeks ago the traveling car wash guys that come to our office
showed me a brick sized terminal unit with mobile/cell service built
in. It could swipe the card, get approval, and print a reciept. It
was called "contractor caddy" - could not find it on-line but it
seemed like a great solution. I don't have any more details on it,
but since it did not require a landline phone it would work good at
the airport. [we don't have much in the way of a business office, just
a hangar.]

Ideally for our club the solution would integrate with QuickBooks to
cut down on the accounting workload. Also low fees are important.

Any good solutions out there?

Chris

I run a company which provides credit card services for businesses and
non profit organizations. Currently I provide service for the largest
soaring operations in the US and smaller one's too. We can work with
QuickBooks or provide a stand alone solution. Anyone with questions
can reach my office at 909.971.9583.
Sean Franke
"Hotel Alpha"

On Oct 11, 2:08 pm, chris wrote:
Have any other operations found a good way to accept credit card [and
debit card] payments?

A club near me is using PayPal. Doesn't strike me as a very elegant
solution, but they seem happy.


Dan

On Oct 11, 10:30 am, Dan G wrote:
On Oct 11, 2:08 pm, chris wrote:

Have any other operations found a good way to accept credit card [and
debit card] payments?

A club near me is using PayPal. Doesn't strike me as a very elegant
solution, but they seem happy.

Dan

Paypay would be good for club members, but for walk up riders it does
not seem like a good idea. So that is only 1 part of the puzzle.
Chris

chris wrote:
My club like most clubs and commercial seem to be stuck in the 20th
century when it comes to accepting payments from members but more so
ride customers. You know what I mean, checks those old fashioned
things from hundreds of years ago, the things that younger members of
the population never use because credit and debit cards are
everywhere. Cash is difficult to handle without lots of care, worry
and trips to the bank.

Have any other operations found a good way to accept credit card [and
debit card] payments?

A few weeks ago the traveling car wash guys that come to our office
showed me a brick sized terminal unit with mobile/cell service built
in. It could swipe the card, get approval, and print a reciept. It
was called "contractor caddy" - could not find it on-line but it
seemed like a great solution. I don't have any more details on it,
but since it did not require a landline phone it would work good at
the airport. [we don't have much in the way of a business office, just
a hangar.]

Ideally for our club the solution would integrate with QuickBooks to
cut down on the accounting workload. Also low fees are important.

Any good solutions out there?

Chris


Here in Croatia we have mobile Point Of Sale solution, suitable for that
purpose, size of bigger handy phone, mag stripe and chip cards can be used,
but do not know that any of clubs are looking for that solution....

With a commercial membership (called an "Executive Membership") from
Costco, they have a credit card processing agreement with a company
called "Nova" which is the least expensive I have found (American
Express is an extra charge). Unfortunately, the membership costs $100
per year, but you can easily save that in credit card processing
charges if you use the system--or membership--enough.


On Oct 11, 6:08 am, chris wrote:
My club like most clubs and commercial seem to be stuck in the 20th
century when it comes to accepting payments from members but more so
ride customers. You know what I mean, checks those old fashioned
things from hundreds of years ago, the things that younger members of
the population never use because credit and debit cards are
everywhere. Cash is difficult to handle without lots of care, worry
and trips to the bank.

Have any other operations found a good way to accept credit card [and
debit card] payments?

A few weeks ago the traveling car wash guys that come to our office
showed me a brick sized terminal unit with mobile/cell service built
in. It could swipe the card, get approval, and print a reciept. It
was called "contractor caddy" - could not find it on-line but it
seemed like a great solution. I don't have any more details on it,
but since it did not require a landline phone it would work good at
the airport. [we don't have much in the way of a business office, just
a hangar.]

Ideally for our club the solution would integrate with QuickBooks to
cut down on the accounting workload. Also low fees are important.

Any good solutions out there?

Chris

Paypal is an interesting idea. We have Internet at the club. A walk
up member could send the money in my name (or the treasurer's). I
would then reimburse the club. I would have to verify that the money
arrived afterwards. Kind of the long way around. There is also a
PayPal cost hit to the club. How much is that? Cheaper than a credit
card?

We tend to get lots of gift certificates from national organizations.
We also sell our own. Many have the cash. With people without any of
those, we send them to the truck stop 1/8 mile away to use their cash
machine. Of those I will bet that 80% never come back.

My $0.02.

- John DeRosa

"ContestID67" wrote in message
ps.com...
Paypal is an interesting idea.

I recently tried to pay someone with Paypal and it seems to be much harder than
it used to be. Now you seem to need a Paypal account to pay someone via Paypal.
Or perhaps they have just made the other way hard to find?

Vaughn

On Oct 11, 9:08 am, chris wrote:
My club like most clubs and commercial seem to be stuck in the 20th
century when it comes to accepting payments from members but more so
ride customers. You know what I mean, checks those old fashioned
things from hundreds of years ago, the things that younger members of
the population never use because credit and debit cards are
everywhere. Cash is difficult to handle without lots of care, worry
and trips to the bank.

Have any other operations found a good way to accept credit card [and
debit card] payments?

A few weeks ago the traveling car wash guys that come to our office
showed me a brick sized terminal unit with mobile/cell service built
in. It could swipe the card, get approval, and print a reciept. It
was called "contractor caddy" - could not find it on-line but it
seemed like a great solution. I don't have any more details on it,
but since it did not require a landline phone it would work good at
the airport. [we don't have much in the way of a business office, just
a hangar.]

Ideally for our club the solution would integrate with QuickBooks to
cut down on the accounting workload. Also low fees are important.

Any good solutions out there?

Chris

Hi Chris,

There's a whole category of devices out there that fit this bill.
You'll find them with a search on things like "Wireless credit card
terminal" or "handheld POS terminal". My firm ncluded these (a more
sophistcated version with access to barcode data) as part of a
solution for a large retail customer that wanted to handle sales at
conventions and such. Retail isn't my area, but I can look into
it.

A quick check suggests that the service requires:

- Up-front payment the device (not cheap - over $500 it seems)
- Monthly mobile service fee (saw them as low as $20/month)
- Transaction fee (seemed to be around 10 cents/transaction)

So, if you're doing 10 transactoins/month, you're looking at about
$2.10/transaction. In reality, people would probably gravitate toward
paying with the credit card if made available, so it might actually be
used more than you expect. Not cheap, but it would probably would
pay for itself if it helped you get only one or two more rides per
month.

P3

http://www.keycorp.net/Products/Paym...yments/K78.htm

www.mals.net