Accepting Credit Cards for Pet Sitting Services

Filed Under My Pet Business, Pet Sitting Business Tips |

Quick Tip ThursdayI’m a day late - but I wanted to get this tip to you. I have just signed up with a merchant services account so that I can now accept credit card payments from customers as payment for pet sitting services. 

The benefit of accepting cards for payment is two-fold.  It means that using our services is more convenient for my customers, especially in the economy that we are now in where their cash flow may be tight.  Taking cards also means that I’m more likely to get my payments from the customer before the pet sitting visits are completed.  Keeping outstanding payments to a minimum.

I have always accepted checks and my standard practice is to ask pet sitting clients to leave their check out for me on a counter or table when they leave.  Most clients are good about this and leave their check - but you always get some that forget. When people forget it often takes 1-2 weeks after they return to receive their payment in the mail.  Often I then need to pay my pet sitters their salary before I receive payment for the visits - of course too much of this can stretch the budget!

A third great reason to accept cards is the fact that consumers typically spend more if they are able to put the charges on a credit card, compared with paying with checks or cash.  If you have any upsell products such as foods, or massage services, or grooming, customers will be more likely to take advantage of these offerings if they can charge them to a card.

To accept credit cards you need to set up a merchant account with a bank or other provider. 

Previously when I ran a direct sales candle business I used the credit card processor Propay.  With propay you pay a yearly fee (around $35 for basic package) and then pay a percentage charge for every transaction processed - 3.5%.  There is also a charge to transfer your money from your Propay account to your bank account. You can then accept card payments via the internet. I believe that if you are a member of Pet Sitters International you can get a discount on their services at petsit.com. 

I have now signed up for a merchant account with my bank - Compass bank. They offered me a much better deal than the propay system. With Compass I don’t have an annual charge and the transaction processing charges are just over 1%.  If the 1% charges don’t exceed $15 per month - then I pay a $15 service charge.  If we process enough that the 1% transaction charges add up to more than $15 then I pay no monthly charge.  I can process card payments over the phone or on the internet. Another thing I like about the Compass merchant account is that they money is deposited into my regular banking account the day after the charge is processed. 

When you shop for merchant services accounts make sure you compare:

1) Per transaction charges

2) Monthy or annual fees

3) Transfer charges for moving funds to your banking account.

Make your pet sitting business stand out by offering your customers extra convenience by getting set up to accept credit cards.



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Comments

1 Comment so far

  1. Diana L Guerrero on November 14, 2008 7:32 pm

    In my area the service charges were $25 per month plus a percentage–no matter what.

    However, I only found that my clients for higher end services used the credit card…which I could process right away.

    What worked for my service was to offer discounts or bonuses for prepayments. I never had a client forget to pay me either.

    Thanks for the tips and I am enjoying your new format.

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