Lifestyles

Ask M&M: Accepting credit cards at craft shows

 Dear M & M: This year I would like to be more active at craft shows.  I was wondering about taking credit cards and how can I do this? – Monica

Dear Monica: Many people prefer to pay for sales transactions with credit and debit cards because it is more convenient than carrying cash. This is true in the craft business as well. When shoppers attend craft shows, they usually carry a limited amount of cash, if any, and when the cash runs out, they will be done shopping at booths that only accept cash as a form of payment. 

If you offer credit card services at your booth, you could see a substantial boost in sales. Unlike cash, people tend not to be as hesitant to spend money with a card because they don’t see the dollars leaving their wallet. Offering this additional service is relatively easy to set up and fairly inexpensive to maintain. 

Items you will need: ■Merchant Account ■Wireless Credit Card Processing Machine ■Checking Account. To set up your credit card processing system follow these five steps. 

Step 1: Research credit card processing services. There are...

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