How Taking Credit Card Payments Over the Phone Can Save You Time
Accepting credit card payments via phone still gives individuals that uneasy feeling when completing a transaction and we want to assure you the reasons why it will help rather than hurt. Over-the-phone payments can have undiscovered potential for all businesses and we want to answer the questions and concerns that many merchants have about this method of payment.
The main question many business owners have asked is “Can you take credit card payments over the phone”. The short answer is yes, and many individuals actually prefer this method.
Over-the-phone payments are especially good for business when:
- There is a remote business where the customer rarely visits the store in-person
- Working on-the-go and do not have time to take payments immediately
- Customer and business owner would both prefer a quicker processing time
For many customers, a majority simply prefer the human interaction before completing a transaction. If a customer has inquired about a specific product, it makes it easier for the customer to simply pay up front. If they’ve called up to ask about the company products, it’s also easier for them to just pay there and then. However, if paying over the phone means the customer will get their items faster, that can be a major deciding factor and a perk to taking payments via phone.
Over-the-phone payments that are completed properly require a virtual terminal. The virtual terminal allows businesses to manage transactions without a card-reader no matter where you are and whatever time of day.
The Steps to Taking Payments Over the Phone
Taking payments over the phone is simple and secure when you follow these steps:
Square Virtual Terminal
- Sign in to your virtual terminal
- Hit ‘Take a Payment’ in the menu
- Call the customer and ask them to provide their card details
- Complete all payment fields
- Double check the information with the customer
- Hit ‘Charge’
- The sale is complete
The payment will then be deposited into the appropriate account the next business day.
Is It Safe?
Yes, it is safe to take payments over the phone when following the right process. The biggest risks related with phone payment processing for a business boils down to the business’s consent to safely and securely accept, store, process and transmit cardholder data during card transactions. Non-compliance may result in fines for your business, so make sure to have a full understanding of the process and are doing things properly.
The Cost of Over-the-Phone Payments
It’s worth taking into account that manually entered card transactions carry a higher risk than those when the cardholder is present to complete the information themselves. Credit card networks put protection measures in place, resulting in slightly higher fees from the payment provider. Faster payments with on-the-go flexibility and quicker deliveries are all fantastic reasons to accept over-the-phone payments from customers. Though it may feel a little unnatural when many people are so used to one-click ordering online, the more flexiblity as a business, the better.
ABOUT US
Motus Financial, located in Sun Prairie, WI provides Point-of-Sale (POS) technology solutions and credit card processing services. Locally owned and operated Motus Financial provides a complete suite of POS technology services to assist merchants in processing payment from credit cards, debit cards, and checks. Motus financial can also provide check processing as well as a customized gift card program for your business.
For more information, please contact us at 608-819-8666 or check out our website at www.motuscc.com and we look forward to assisting you.
