When you accept credit cards at your place of business, you provide consumers with a major convenience. Not being forced to pay with cash is a shopper’s dream! Being able to use a credit card over cash and even debit cards enables people to get a lot more than just the products or services they are purchasing. This is why credit card acceptance betters your business. It simply gives customers “more”.
Credit cards allow shoppers to earn rewards.
By accepting credit cards, you enable shoppers to earn points. Your store can be used as a means for consumers to get free airline tickets, hotel stays and car rentals. However, not all credit card rewards programs are travel-based. Many credit cards offer cash back rewards which, in a sense, gives their users discounts on everything they buy!
“Many card rewards work on a point system where you earn up to five points per dollar spent,” explains Amy Fontinelle on Investopedia.com, “Often companies will offer special three-month promo periods where spending in a certain category, like restaurants or transportation, nets you double or triple the usual amount of points.”
Credit card acceptance makes customers want to spend with you.
A customer enters your store and sees an item selling for $129.99. However, he/she only has $100 in his/her bank account. If your store only accepts cash, that purchase can’t be made. Even a debit card won’t allow for such a transaction given that the payment comes directly out of a cardholder’s bank account. A credit card, on the other hand, provides a shopper with payment flexibility. It enables him/her to spend money wherever it is accepted.
“Accepting credit cards…gives you the chance to increase sales by enabling customers to make impulse buys even when they don’t have cash in their wallets or sufficient funds in their checking accounts,” affirms Rieva Lesonsky in her book, Start Your Own Business: The Only Start-Up Book You’ll Ever Need. An excerpt can be found on Entrepreneur.com.
Credit cards give their users peace of mind.
When cash is lost or stolen, it’s gone forever. If a thief manages to use a stolen debit card, that money is also gone, and difficult to retrieve. A credit card that is used fraudulently, however, can be cancelled with none of the fraudulent charges being made the responsibility of the cardholder. When your store accepts credit cards, you give your shoppers the peace of mind in knowing their money is protected.
“Paying with a credit card makes it easier to avoid losses from fraud,” notes Fontinelle, “When your debit card is used by a thief, the money is missing from your account instantly. Legitimate expenses for which you’ve scheduled online payments or mailed checks may bounce, triggering insufficient funds fees and making your creditors unhappy. Even if not your fault, these late or missed payments can also lower your credit score.”
Do you accept credit cards in your store?
Give your customers peace of mind! Accept their credit cards and allow them to take advantage of the fraud protection features on those cards. At Divvia, we offer many great payment terminals that allow Canadian merchants to accept credit cards. To learn all about them, please don’t hesitate to call us at 1-877-748-2884 or send us a message on our Contact Us page!
