Accepting Credit Cards for Your Jewelry Business

Accepting credit cards is vital to your jewelry business. You’ll sell more, and have higher-dollar sales, if you offer customers the option of paying with a credit card. At many shows where I sell my jewelry, 75% or more of my sales are paid for with credit cards. In fact, the year I started up my jewelry business merchant account, my sales nearly quadrupled!

(For information on accepting credit cards for online purchases from your website, please see Online Credit Card Processing.)

Many people don’t carry their checkbook with them, or aren’t planning to buy any jewelry till they fall in love with one of your pieces at a show. They may not have enough cash in their wallet to pay for an impulse jewelry purchase. Without accepting credit cards, you’ll lose a lot of sales from these types of customers. It's important to accept as many types of payment as possible.

Accepting credit cards is easy, and it makes your business seem very professional. There are many providers of credit card merchant accounts, and with a little research you can find one you’ll be very happy with.

1) Application fees.

2) Setup fees.

3) Monthly or annual fees.

4) Percentage the provider takes from your sales.

5) Bank fees.

6) Equipment cost.

7) Chargeback fee (what they charge you if your customer decides not to accept the transaction later).

8) Customer service: Do they offer 24/7 support, accessibility to a live person for assistance, quick turnaround reply for email questions from you?

9) Fraud protection measures.

10) Which credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, etc.) the provider processes (the more different cards you can accept, the more sales you are likely to have).

11) How soon you get your money after the transaction.

I use ProPay for accepting credit card payments in person. I've been satisfied with the convenience, speed, flexibility, and customer support they provide. They don't have an application fee, monthly fees, minimum fees or cancellation fees--just a small annual fee and a reasonable per-transaction fee. You don't need to buy any credit card processing equipment to use their service.

At shows and parties, be sure your public knows you’re accepting credit card payments. Have visible signs at your booth or table with colorful picture logos of all the credit cards you accept (these signs are usually available from your credit card merchant account provider).

I’ve had customers actually come to my booth because they saw my credit card logo signs and knew their plastic would be welcome here!

It’s much easier to sell add-on items to people who pay with credit cards. If they don’t actually have to lay out the cash for the extra impulse items right then, they are much more likely to have you add in the extras.

Be sure the prices you charge for your jewelry cover your cost of accepting credit cards. Figure out what it costs you to offer this payment method, and add that percentage into your prices across the board.

Here are more articles with ideas for increasing your jewelry sales:

How to Start Accepting Credit Cards
What you need to know to get started accepting credit cards, which is the number-one thing you can do to boost your jewelry sales and increase your earnings.

Tips for Adding Body Jewelry to Your Line
Ideas for adding your own embellishments to body jewelry for some hot selling items! This is a strong market that not many jewelry artists serve.

Making Jewelry Your Customers Want to Buy
The secrets of making jewelry your customers want to buy. How to research jewelry trends and jewelry market niches. Surveying your customers to find out what they want to buy.

Tips for Selling Gift Certificates for Your Jewelry
How to increase your sales by offering jewelry gift certificates. Tips for an easy record keeping system for the gift certificates you sell.

Relationship Marketing Tips for Your Jewelry Business
How to use relationship marketing to grow your jewelry business quickly and effortlessly. What makes your customers remember you and return to you again and again.

Learn the Art of Making Add-on Sales
Tips for successful add-on selling to increase your overall profits.

How to Teach Jewelry Making Workshops
Success tips to help you grow a jewelry-teaching side business, which is a wonderful way to supplement your jewelry sales income!

For maximum sales, accept as many kinds of payment as possible. And don't wait to start accepting credit cards!

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