August 20, 2008
We Take Plastic
This is probably not too exciting to anybody else, but I am pretty psyched to report that I now accept credit cards for payment of materials. I’ve used PayPal for credit card transactions for years, but a lot of schools won’t go through PayPal for whatever reason. Most schools, though, have department credit cards. Taking a credit card for payment usually means a whole lot less paperwork to deal with than payment with a check, as a check payment typically requires becoming a “vendor” for the school.
So — no more PayPal. Now, people can just call or email me credit card info, I type in the info, and the payment goes through. It shows up on the buyer’s credit card bill as a transaction with “OstiMusic.” Cool. It’s fast, easy, and it makes the whole thing feel a lot more professional.
So if you want to order something — or you just feel like giving me money with your credit card — have at it!
Comments
Nikk says
Congrats! I've thought about doing this for drill design or marching band arrangements in the past, as some of the schools I wrote for have asked.
Did they charge you a one-time fee, or is it a per-transaction fee, or something else?
P.S. When ya coming back to Athens? This place has more bars per capita than any other city I've ever seen!
John says
Nikk --
There's a subscription fee of around $18/month. Then the fee for each charge, since I'm doing everything without a swiping machine, is 2.15%. I charged two orders today within three hours of being "set up," so it's already paid for itself, and I just received two more orders offering to use a credit card. This is definitely the way to go, provided you charge at least one thing a month.
In fact, according to Forbes, with data from the Centers for Disease Control, Austin is the "Drunkest City" in the US.
Kevin Howlett says
"Take a swig from the elixir of life, have a drink of booze. Have a drink...of...booze."
Sponsored by the American Council on Booze Consumption...ment.
Montoya says
So does that mean if they pay by CC you are adding the costs on top of that?
And schools have CC's? Wow. Usually I get booster and/or district checks. But this may cause me to think about this...
John says
I don't charge extra if they use a credit card -- I just make 2% less, but it's worth it to avoid the hassle of the paperwork, plus receive the money immediately (or within a few days, after it automatically transfers to my bank account).
And yes, a lot of schools have credit cards -- particularly at the college level.
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